Patent Application
20070222757
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a display for statuses of keys on a wireless keyboard and particularly to a display, in which electronic sheets are applied to show statuses of keys on a wireless keyboard for saving power consumption.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
The peripheral of a conventional desktop computer such as the mouse, the keyboard, the writing board or the scanner usually needs a cable to connect with the host unit of the computer in order to perform transmission of signal input. Taking the keyboard as an example, the traditional keyboard requires a transmission cable line for data inputting to the host unit and receiving power supply from the host unit regardless what type of the interface is employed. The conventional keyboard provides three signal lights at the upper right corner for showing input statuses and informing the user the assigned status of the keyboard. For instance, Num Lock light being on means the numeral keys are able to be used normally; Cap Lock light being on means all the alphabet keys being capital letters and Scroll Lock key being on means the scroll of the specific program being locked. The preceding lights are light emitting diodes with green light. However, the conventional keyboard is restricted by the length of the transmission cable line, that is, the keyboard has to be placed in an extent the cable line can reach. Further, it can be understood that it look mess and is not easy to be arranged for integrity in case of the rear side of the host unit is adapted with a lot of transmission cable lines. This is why the wireless keyboard is developed.
Due to message transmitting from the wireless keyboard to the host unit via a wireless interface and the wireless keyboard being unable to receive power from the host unit, an independent power supply, which is a dry battery normally, has to be provided therein while in operation. But, the battery has only limited capacity and it is insufficient for longer time of operation. In order to save power consumption, the LED indicator lights, which keep on lighting and need more power consumption, prior art has removed the LED indicator lights on the wireless keyboard. Usually, users, who are accustomed to the conventional keyboard, are not used to being without the LED indicator lights. Hence, how to remain the indicator lights with less power consumption is a subject worth to care.
An object of the present invention is to provide a display for statuses of keys on a wireless keyboard, which remains the conventional display and is capable of saving power consumption.
In order to achieve the preceding object, technique of the electronic sheet is applied to replace the LED for saving the power consumption. Accordingly, a status display for keys on a wireless keyboard according to the present invention provides a key set, a central processing device, a wireless emitter, a battery and an electronic sheet display module in the base thereof. Signals of functional keys are processed by the central processing device to supply driving voltage for an electronic sheet in the electronic sheet display module such that the electronic sheet display module presents color change to show status of the respective functional keys. The electronic sheet employed in the display module provides film shaped structure with memory and power saving.
The detail structure, the applied principle, the function and the effectiveness of the present invention can be more fully understood with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The key set 12 further includes keys bearing with characters such as alphabets and numerals and special functional keys. When the keys with numerals are operated or keys with alphabets are locked as capital letters, the electronic sheet display 16 is capable of showing statuses of the keys by means of feature of the electronic sheet for facilitating the user to operate the wireless keyboard 10.
The central processing device 13 receives signals from the key set 12 and the signals are processed by the central processing device 13 before being emitted to the host unit of a computer via the wireless emitter 14. Further, the emitted signals are treated by operation and execution instructions of the host unit or the input characters are shown on the screen of the computer.
The battery 15 supplies power energy needed by the key set 12, the central processing device 13, the wireless emitter 14 and the electronic sheet display 16 while the wireless keyboard of the invention being in operation.
The electronic sheet display 16 is disposed either at the upper right side of the wireless keyboard 10 or at the upper central position of the wireless keyboard 10. The electronic sheet display 16 is capable of saving power for the wireless keyboard 10 and prolonging life span of the battery 15. The electronic sheet display 16 is made of film shaped electronic sheet device with high luminance and it is recognized easily under straight sunlight. An advantage of the electronic sheet display 16 is in that excellent power saving can be obtained because power consumption is required at the time of signal transmission only. Another advantage of the electronic sheet display 16 is in that the original display can be memorized and kept on even if power is off once key-in instructions are executed. Hence, it allows the wireless keyboard 10 almost being without increasing power consumption even if the electronic sheet display 16 is mounted to the wireless keyboard 10 additionally.
Implements of embodiments of the electronic sheet display are explained in detail hereinafter:
The first embodiment illustrated in
The second embodiment illustrated in
The third embodiment illustrated in
As the foregoing, it is appreciated that a display for showing statuses of keys on a wireless keyboard according to the present invention has the advantage of no power consumption being required in a long period of time of status display except status transformation by means of the electronic sheet providing performance of bistable image display so that statuses of keys on the wireless keyboard can be shown and battery energy can be saved significantly.
While the invention has been described with referencing to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
