Multimode key system

• US 20050264521A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mei-Chen Lu, Yu-Chun Liu
• Original Assignee: Mei-Chen Lu, Yu-Chun Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Yu-Chun, Lu, Mei-Chen
• Application Number:
  US10/942,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/05 Mode selector switch, e.g. shift, or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

A multimode key system provides a multiple of keys for multimode control, wherein only desired function keys are shown on the control panel at a time, and whereby the operation thereof can be much simplified. The key system can be a touch panel or a pressure sensing panel, which characterized in a shifting unit integrated with an outer shell. The shifting unit can shift the a printed keyboard or a keyboard display grid board, so that the windows on the grid board display a set of corresponding keys on the printed keyboard, and thereby a user can see and touch the keys to operate a corresponding appliance or an industrial device.

Claims

1. A multimode key system, comprising:

an outer shell with at least one viewing window;

a shifting unit combined with said outer shell for a user to operate;

a sensing circuit module hidden within said outer shell;

a movable plate disposed in said outer shell coupled with said shifting unit, whereby said movable plate can be moved by shifting said shifting unit; and

an immovable plate situating a corresponding parallel position of said movable plate to form a moving mechanism;

whereby, one of above plates being a keyboard display grid board with a plurality of display windows formed at predetermined locations; and

second plate situating under, behind previous plate in a slidable contact, being a printed keyboard having a plurality of sets of key pictures;

whereby said shifting unit can urge said movable plate to move so as to form a slide dislocation between said movable plate and said immovable plate, and whereby any set of key pictures can be selected to appear in said display windows on said immovable plate for switching said multimode key system to a desired control mode.

2. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein said shifting unit is a control knob confined in a track slot on said outer shell and connected to said movable plate so as to move said movable plate in accordance with said control knob.

3. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein said shifting unit is a control knob confined in a track slot on said outer shell, whereby said control knob can be rotated to urge said movable plate to move accordingly.

4. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein said shifting unit is a control knob confined in a buckle slot on said outer shell, whereby said control knob can be pressed downward to urge said movable plate to move accordingly.

5. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein said sensing circuit module further comprises:

a keypad circuit board disposed in said outer shell, said printed keyboard being mounted on said keypad circuit board; and

a set of transverse and longitudinal sensing pieces situated on said keyboard display grid board;

whereby said sensing circuit module becomes a multimode key system of touch screen type.

6. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein said sensing circuit module further comprises:

a keypad sensing circuit board disposed in said outer shell; and

a touch key activation plate sandwiched by said keypad sensing circuit board and said printed keyboard;

whereby said sensing circuit module becomes a multimode key system of pressure sensing type.

7. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein said viewing window on said outer shell is further provided with a transparent screen protection cover.

8. The multimode key system of claim 1 having a plurality of movable plates, wherein said keyboard display grid board is fixed, and at least two said printed keyboards act as movable plates;

the upper said printed keyboards have more windows and fewer key pictures, but the lower said printed keyboards have less windows and more key pictures, and the lowest said printed keyboard has no windows but key pictures, wherein each of said printed keyboards is connected to a shifting unit, wherein one of said shifting units has a control knob for a user to operate, and wherein said shifting units other than said shifting unit having a control knob are coupled with said shifting unit having a control knob for moving a plurality of said printed keyboards simultaneously.

9. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein said movable plate is a rotatable belt. The shifting mechanism for controlling said movable plate is a rolling belt set having two rollers respectively connected to an upper side and a lower side of said printed keyboard and capable of producing a tension over said printed keyboard so that, as a rotary knob of one said roller is turned, the other said roller rotates accordingly and said printed keyboard can slide between said rollers.

10. The multimode key system of claim 9 wherein two sides of the two rollers are added with cogs for being engaged to the slide notches at two sides of the printed keyboard for rotation.

11. The multimode key system of claim 3 further including a passive rotary knob installed on a side of said movable plate opposite to said control knob, whereby said passive rotary knob can rotate collaterally with said control knob when said control knob is turned.

12. The multimode key system of claim 2 further including a passive shifting unit installed on a side of said movable plate opposite to said control knob, whereby said passive shifting unit can move collaterally with said control knob when said control knob is shifted.

13. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein the number of said viewing windows on said outer shell is more than one.

14. The multimode key system of claim 1 wherein the number of said movable plates is more than one, each of said movable plates being connected to respective said shifting unit.