Lighting and usability features for key structures and keypads on computing devices

• US 7,294,802 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2005
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yurochko, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedhofer; Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US11/203,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20070034494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 822 Days
• Field of Search: 200308-317, 341/20, 341/22, 345 23- 30
• US Class Current: 200/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/014 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/018 Electroluminescent panel
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/054 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/056 Diffuser; Uneven surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/064 Optical isolation of switch sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/05 Force concentrator; Actuating dimple
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/062 Damping vibrations

Abstract

A keypad is provided for a computing device. The keypad includes one or more lighting devices or mechanisms for illuminating a plurality of keys structures. In an embodiment, the plurality of key structures are formed from a milky material.

Claims

1. A keypad for a computing device, the keypad comprising:

a plurality of light sources;

a plurality of key structures provided over the plurality of light sources so as to be illuminated by the plurality of light sources; and

a first polarization layer provided between the plurality of light sources and the plurality of key structures to distribute light generated from the plurality of lights sources.

2. The keypad of claim 1, wherein the first polarization layer distributes light generated from the plurality of light sources in a first direction.

3. The keypad of claim 2, wherein the first polarization layer creates at least one apparent light source for each of the plurality of light sources, wherein a position of the at least one apparent light source is adjacent to a position of a corresponding light source of the plurality of light sources along the first direction.

4. The keypad of claim 1, wherein the first polarization layer corresponds to a polarization sheet that polarizes light from the plurality of light sources in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction with respect to an orientation of the keypad.

5. The keypad of claim 1, wherein the first polarization layer includes a plurality of openings, including an opening for each key structure in the plurality of key structures.

6. The keypad of claim 1, further comprising a gap layer extending between the first polarization layer and the plurality of light sources.

7. The keypad of claim 6, wherein the gap layer ranges between two and three millimeters.

8. The keypad of claim 1, farther comprising a second polarization layer provided between the plurality of light sources and the plurality of key structures, wherein the first polarization layer distributes light in a first direction, and the second polarization layer distributes light distributed in the first direction in a second direction that is different than the first direction.

9. The keypad of claim 8, wherein the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal.

10. The keypad of claim 9, wherein the first direction corresponds to one of a horizontal direction or a vertical direction with respect to an orientation of the keypad.

11. The keypad of claim 8, wherein:

the first polarization layer creates at least one apparent light source for each of the plurality of light sources, wherein a position of the at least one apparent light source is adjacent to a position of a corresponding light source of the plurality of light sources along the first direction; and

the second polarization layer creates at least one apparent light source for (i) each of the plurality of light sources and (ii) each of the apparent light sources created by the first polarization layer.

12. The keypad of claim 11, wherein a position of each of the apparent light sources created by the first polarization layer is adjacent to a corresponding one of the plurality of light sources along the first direction, and wherein for the corresponding one of the plurality of light sources, a position of each of the apparent light sources created by the second polarization layer is adjacent to either the corresponding one of the plurality of light sources or one of the apparent light sources created by the first polarization layer.

13. The keypad of claim 11, wherein a sum of the apparent light sources created by the first polarization layer and the second polarization layer is at least equal to a number of the plurality of light sources.

14. The keypad of claim 11, wherein the first polarization layer and the plurality of light sources are separated by a first gap layer.

15. The keypad of claim 14, wherein the first polarization layer and the second polarization are separated by a second gap layer.

16. The keypad of claim 15, wherein the first gap layer and the second gap layer each range between 0.5 and 4 millimeters.

17. A keypad for a computing device, the keypad comprising:

a plurality of key structures;

a first lighting component that emits light substantially uniformly over a region that underlies the plurality of key structures, wherein the first lighting component corresponds to a board on which an electroluminescent layer is provided; and

one or more second lighting components that emit light at discrete locations.

18. The keypad of claim 17, wherein the one or more second lighting components corresponds to one or more light-emitting diodes.

19. The keypad of claim 18, wherein the one or more light-emitting diodes are provided on the board.

20. The keypad of claim 18, wherein the plurality of key structures include one or more key structures that are darkened at least in part with respect to other key structures in the plurality of key structures, and wherein the one or more light-emitting diodes are used to light the one or more darkened key structures.

21. The keypad of claim 20, wherein the one or more darkened key structures correspond to a subset of key structures for use with a particular application on the computing device.

22. The keypad of claim 21, wherein the plurality of key structures are provided in a QWERTY arrangement, and wherein the subset of key structures designate key structures that have numerical values for one or more designated applications that can execute on the computing device.

23. The keypad of claim 17, wherein the plurality of key structures include one or more key structures that are colored at least in part with respect to other key structures in the plurality of key structures.

24. The keypad of claim 17, wherein the keypad includes a keyboard.

25. The keypad of claim 24, wherein the keyboard is provided in a QWERTY arrangement.

26. The keypad of claim 24, wherein the electroluminescent layer is provided under the keyboard.

27. The keypad of claim 17, wherein the keypad includes a set of darkened or colored keys with respect to the other keys in the keypad.

28. The keypad of claim 27, wherein the set of darkened or colored keys display alphabet and number values.

29. The keypad of claim 28, wherein the discrete light sources illuminate at least some of the set of darkened or colored keys.

30. The keypad of claim 27, wherein the set of darkened or colored keys are separate from the keypad.

31. The keypad of claim 30, wherein the discrete light sources illuminate at least some of the set of darkened or colored keys that are separate from the keypad.