Coded data generation or conversion – Bodily actuated code generator – Including keyboard or keypad
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-14
2004-07-20
Wong, Albert K. (Department: 2635)
Coded data generation or conversion
Bodily actuated code generator
Including keyboard or keypad
C362S030000, C362S084000, C362S085000, C200S310000, C200S317000, C200S313000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06765503
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains, in general, to lighting devices for keyswitch assemblies and keyboards, such as computer desktop, laptop, and notebook keyboards or “Internet-TV” keyboards. More specifically, the invention relates to backlighting for keyboards that originates from below the keys within the keyboard.
2. Related Art
For a long time, keyswitch assembly operators have desired lighted keyboards and keypads. For example, when an operator is working a computer keyboard and simultaneously viewing a computer monitor, low ambient light conditions may be preferred, in order to maximize contrast on the monitor screen. Also, for example, a portable computer operator may by necessity be in a low light environment, as when flying in an airplane or riding in a train at night.
In any event, there have been many attempts in the prior art to provide lighted keyboards and keypads. Still, many of these attempts have not been successful because they result in keyswitch assemblies that are not sufficiently lighted, or lighted in a glaring or distracting manner, or that are inconvenient, or expensive. Prior attempts at lighted keyboards have produced fragile systems that consume more power and produce more heat than is desirable.
Examples of lighted keyswitch assemblies are found in the patent literature. U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,345 (Mikula-Curtis et al., 1998) discloses LED's attached to the bottom of the printed circuit board (PCB) which emit light that travels up through holes in the PCB and into light pipes, each of which is received in a key cap to channel the light up through the interior of the key cap. Also, the Mikula-Curtis et al. system includes a backlighting system with an LED centered under a light dam and an indicia panel, that emits light up through the center of the area enclosed by the light dam to back-light the indicia panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,692 (Dugas et al., 1997) discloses a sealed, LED-lighted keyboard, in which the LEDs are disposed on the printed circuit board. The LEDs and circuit board are covered by a spacer board with openings for allowing electrical contact with the top surface of the circuit board and for allowing LED light to reach the upper layers of the system. These “upper layers” include a translucent sealing sheet membrane with domes, and keys above the domes. Thus, in Dugas, the keys are pushed down to force the domes down so that a conductive under-surface of the key may contact the circuit board. The LED light must travel up through the spacer board holes, through the center of each dome, up through the center of each key, and out the translucent number, letter, or other indicia on the top center of the key cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,602 (Garcia, et al., 1991) discloses a backlighting system in which a light emitter, such as an alpha
umeric LED or LCD, is disposed beneath the center of the key cap or adjacent to a beam splitter that redirects the light up through the central axis of the key cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,908 (Krupnik, 1989) discloses a system using electroluminescent (EL) strips that extend through registering openings that extend transversely through the stems of the key switches in the keyboard. The EL strips extend from key stem to key stem underneath an opaque, stationary retaining panel being between the keys, so that only the key cap is lit only by light that is emitted from the area of the EL strips inside the key stems (the “internal portion”) and that travels up to the cap of the key. This light from the internal portion of the EL strip travels up through the center of the clear, transparent, or translucent body of the key stem and then to openings or translucent areas in the center of the otherwise opaque key cap. Because the EL strips run underneath the opaque retaining panel and through openings in the stems of a plurality of keys, the EL strips are also adapted to prevent withdrawal of the keys from the retaining panel.
Summarily, therefore, conventional backlighting techniques feature means for channeling/directing light directly up through the center of the key cap or of the area directly under the indicia panel to be lit. This approach purposely controls the light to travel along a specific central axis and then to radiate from the keyboard in a limited area of a single key cap or of a single indicia panel. This approach purposely controls and limits the light path, to prevent light from traveling from keyswitch to keyswitch or from shining from the inside of the keyswitch to the outside of the keyswitch.
What is still needed is a durable, economical and effective backlighting system for a desktop, laptop, notebook, or “Internet-TV” keyboard. What is needed is such a system that supplies appropriate levels of light in the appropriate areas of the keyboard for enhanced viewing in low
o light environments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises lighting a keyboard for use in low or no ambient light environments, by peripherally lighting the keyswitch assemblies on a keyboard or keypad, such as a desktop, laptop, notebook, or Internet-TV keyboard. By “peripherally lighted,” it is meant that the keyswitch assemblies are lit externally, from outside rather than from inside, preferably from positions substantially circumscribing the sides and/or extending across the bottom of the keyswitch assemblies. Light emanates from all or portions of a panel that extends between and/or underneath a plurality of keyswitches of a keyboard. The panel may be a sheet or strip that extends between keyswitches and preferably reaches underneath the keycaps, by extending near to the stem or stem path of a keyswitch, and/or by extending underneath the keyswitches. Preferably, light emanates up from the radiant panel through the spaces between the keyswitches, and into and through the keyswitches, to give the selected portions of the keyboard an overall “glowing” appearance, rather than giving the keyboard the appearance of having “spots” of light or lighted letters and numerals. This lighting aids key identification and overall visibility in many low
o light environments, and makes laptop lighting possible while traveling because of low power consumption.
Preferably, the radiant panel is electroluminescent (EL) material positioned above the contact membrane or printed circuit board and generally below the keyswitch caps. In embodiments in which the EL material comprises strips or a sheet with perforations, the strip edges or perforation edges are disposed on at least two sides of, and preferably entirely or substantially around, the key stem or the space through which the stem travels during depression of the key (“stem path”). In embodiments in which the EL material comprises a continuous sheet of material, the sheet extends generally horizontally underneath a plurality of keyswitches between the contact membrane and the lower-most extremity of the keyswitch. When a key is depressed, the continuous sheet is impacted by the contact member of the keyswitch, and transfers force to the contact membrane to execute the “switch.” Thus, at a minimum, the EL material preferably extends underneath the peripheral edges of the key cap, or at a maximum, the EL material extends all the way under the key, either scenario allowing a significant amount of light to pass into and up through the keyswitches, and preferably also between the spaces between the keyswitches. The panel and EL material preferably do not extend into the interior of the key cap or key stem, and do not interfere with operation or removal of the key.
In this and the following Description and Claims, the terms “keyswitch assembly” or “keyswitch” or “key” refer to the device conventionally provided in keyboards that is depressed to make contact with and affect (close) its particular switch on the circuit board or membrane (PCB or contact membrane). A keyswitch is typically made of what is called herein a “cap” for finger contact and a “key stem” or “stem” which is the generally vertical structure protruding from the cap
Chan Sam E. J.
Chu King Sum
Church W. Edward
Krafft Randall
Lightpath Technologies Inc.
Pedersen Barbara S.
Pedersen Ken J.
Pedersen & Co. PLLC
Wong Albert K.
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