Conditionally illuminated keypad legends

• US 7,027,037 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Dowd, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US10/410,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/170, 345/172, 341/22, 341/23, 200308-314
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0214 Hand-held casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/182 Illumination of the symbols or distinguishing marks H01H9/181 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

A user input device employs a number of legends that are selectively illuminable to indicate an active one of alternative input values of a user selectable key.

Claims

1. A user input device, comprising:

at least a first light source operable to illuminate at least at a first intensity level of illumination and operable to illuminate at a second intensity level of illumination;

a plurality of user selectable switches, at least a number of the user selectable switches selectively operable to input at least two alternative input values; and

for each of the number of the user selectable switches, at least a first and a second legend proximate the user selectable switch, each of the first and the second legends identifying a respective one of the alternative input values of the user selectable switch, the legends selectively illuminable to indicate an active one of the alternative input values of the user selectable switch at the first intensity level of illumination and to indicate an inactive one of the other alternative input values of the user selectable switch at the second intensity level of illumination, the second intensity level being different than the first intensity level.

2. The user input device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of user selectable switches is selectively operable to make a first set of input values active for each of the number of user selectable switches.

3. The user input device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of user selectable switches is selectively operable to make one of a first set of input values and a second set of input values active for each of the number of user selectable switches.

4. The user input device of claim 1 wherein a first one of the plurality of user selectable switches is selectively operable to make a first set of input values active for each of the number of user selectable switches;

a second one of the plurality of user selectable switches is selectively operable to make a second set of input values active for each of the number of user selectable switches, and a third one of the plurality of user selectable switches is selectively operable to make a third set of input values active for each of the number of user selectable switches.

5. The user input device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of user selectable switches is selectively operable to input only a single input value.

6. The user input device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a second light source;

a first plurality of optical fibers selectively coupling light from the first light source to the first legends of each of the number of user selectable switches; and

a second plurality of optical fibers selectively coupling light from the second light source to the second legends of each of the number of user selectable switches.

7. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the at least one light source includes a plurality of light sources, each of the plurality of light sources selectively illuminating a respective one of the first and the second legends of each of the number of user selectable switches.

8. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the at least one light source includes a number of light sources of a first color and a number of light sources of a second color, each of the number of light sources of the first color selectively illuminating a respective one of the first legends of each of the number of user selectable switches and each of the number of light sources of the second color selectively illuminating a respective one of the second legends of each of the number of user selectable switches.

9. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the at least one light source includes a first and a second number of light sources, each of the first number of light sources selectively coupling light through a respective one of a first colored filter and illuminating a respective one of the first legends of each of the number of user selectable switches with a first color, and each of the second number of light sources selectively coupling light through a respective one of a second colored filter and illuminating a respective one of the second legends of each of the number of user selectable switches with a second color.

10. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the at least one light source includes a plurality of light sources, each of the plurality of light sources selectively coupling light through a plurality of filters, the plurality of filters including at least a first and a second colored filter with light coupling through the first colored filter of each of the plurality of filters illuminating a respective one of the first legends of each of the number of user selectable switches with a first color and light coupling through the second colored filter of each of the plurality of filters illuminating a respective one of the second legends of each of the number of user selectable switches with a second color.

11. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the legends are selectively illuminable by adjusting an intensity of the illumination of each legend based on which of the alternative input values of the user selectable switch will be input by user selection of the user selectable switch.

12. The user input device of claim 1 wherein for each of the number of user selectable switches, a legend indicating the active one of the alternative input values of the user selectable switch is illuminated at a higher intensity level than a legend indicating an inactive one of the alternative input values of the user selectable switch.

13. The user input device of claim 1 wherein for each of the number of user selectable switches, a legend indicating the active one of the alternative input values of the user selectable switch is the only one of the legends identifying the alternative input values of the user selectable switch that is illuminated.

14. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user input device is one of a keyboard and a keypad wherein each of the user selectable switches is coupled to a respective key.

15. The user input device of claim 1 wherein each of the user selectable switches is coupled to a respective key, a respective one of a number of keys being coupled to a respective one of the number of user selectable switches, and each of the respective one of the number of keys bearing at least a respective one of the legends of each of the number of user selectable switches.

16. The user input device of claim 1 wherein a respective one of a number of keys is coupled to a respective one of the number of user selectable switches, the first legend of each of the number of user selectable switches being located on the respective one of the number of keys, and the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches being located proximate to the respective one of the number of keys.

17. A method of operating a user input device having a number of user selectable switches, wherein each of the number of user selectable switches is selectively operable to input at least two alternative input values, has at least a first and a second legend identifying a respective one of the alternative input values, and is selectively illuminable to indicate an active one of the alternative input values, the method comprising:

receiving a first user input to activate a respective first one of the alternative input values for each of the number of user selectable switches;

in response to the first user input, activating the respective first one of the alternative input values for each of the number of user selectable switches and illuminating the first legend of each of the number of user selectable switches at a first intensity level of illumination; and

in further response to the first user input, inactivating the respective second one of the alternative input values for each of the number of user selectable switches and illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches at a second intensity level of illumination, the second intensity level being different than the first intensity level.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a second user input to activate a respective second one of the alternative input values for each of the number of user selectable switches;

activating the respective second one of the alternative input values for each of the number of user selectable switches in response to the second user input;

illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches at the first intensity level in response to the second user input; and

illuminating the first legend of each of the number of user selectable switches at the second intensity level different than the first intensity level in response to the second user input.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches at the second intensity level in response to the first user input, the second intensity level being different than the first intensity level.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches at a zero intensity level in response to the first user input.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches at the first intensity level in response to the first user input; and

wherein illuminating the first legend of each of the number of user selectable switches includes casting a first color from each of the illuminated first legends, and illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches includes casting a second color from each of the illuminated second legends, the second color being different than the first color.

22. The method of claim 17,

wherein illuminating the first legend of each of the number of user selectable switches includes casting a first color from each of the illuminated first legends, and illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches includes casting a second color from each of the illuminated second legends, the second color being different than the first color.

23. The method of claim 17,

wherein illuminating the first legend and the second legends of each of the number of user selectable switches includes casting a first same color from each of the illuminated first and second legends.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprises:

illuminating the first legend of each of the user selectable switches at the second intensity level when each of the alternative input values for each of the respective user selectable switches are inactive;

illuminating the second legend of each of the user selectable switches at the second intensity level when each of the alternative input values for each of the respective user selectable switches are inactive; and

wherein illuminating the first legend of each of the user selectable switches at the second intensity level includes casting a first color from each of the illuminated first legends, and illuminating the second legend of each of the number of user selectable switches includes casting a second color from each of the illuminated second legends, the second color being different than the first color.