Uniform illumination of keys

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 9997304
  • Patent Number
    9,997,304
  • Date Filed
    Friday, May 13, 2016
    8 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 12, 2018
    6 years ago
Abstract
Systems and methods for providing illumination to illuminable portions of keys associated with a keyboard are described. A key includes a light guide positioned below a keycap. The light guide includes one or more sidewalls that exhibit high internal reflection. In many examples, light guide sidewalls are formed with one or more prisms.
Description
FIELD

Embodiments described herein are directed to input devices for computing systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for facilitating substantially uniform illumination of select features of such input devices.


BACKGROUND

Electronic devices can receive user input from a keyboard, some keys of which may be illuminable and thus visible to a user in dimly-lit environments. A key can be illuminated in a number of ways. For example, a light-emitting diode (“LED”) can be disposed behind a keycap of an illuminable key to direct light toward and through a translucent portion of the keycap. In many cases, the location, orientation, and size of such an LED is limited by the structure of the key itself, which, in turn, affects the quality, uniformity, and quantity of light visible to a user.


SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein disclose a keyboard including a group of keys. At least one key of the group of keys includes a compressible dome, a light emitting element, and a light guide that is positioned at least partially around the compressible dome and optically coupled to the light emitting element. Some embodiments may include an illuminable keycap positioned over the compressible dome


In certain keys, the light guide includes a body that defines an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall, a top endcap surface, and a bottom endcap surface. The inner sidewall may exhibit greater internal reflection than the top endcap surface. The inner sidewall and the outer sidewall form one or more prisms.


Some embodiments take the form of a key for a keyboard, comprising: a keycap disposed within an aperture defined by the keyboard; a compressible dome positioned below the keycap; a key mechanism positioned around the compressible dome and coupled to the keycap; a structural body positioned beneath the key mechanism and formed from an optically translucent material, the structural body coupled to the key mechanism; and a light emitting element optically coupled to the structural body.


Other embodiments take the form of an input structure for an electronic device, comprising: an input surface comprising an illuminable portion; a collapsible dome positioned below the input surface; a depressible mechanism positioned around the collapsible dome and coupled to the input surface, the depressible mechanism configured to move the input surface downward to collapse the collapsible dome in response to an external force on the input surface; a body coupled to the depressible mechanism and the collapsible dome; a light guide positioned around the collapsible dome and within the body, the light guide optically coupled to the illuminable portion; and a light emitting element optically coupled to the light guide and configured to illuminate the illuminable portion through the light guide.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures. It should be understood that the following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims.



FIG. 1A depicts an electronic device incorporating a keyboard with illuminable keys.



FIG. 1B depicts the enclosed circle A-A of FIG. 1A.



FIG. 2A depicts an example key mechanism that may be used with an illuminable key of the keyboard shown in FIGS. 1A-1B.



FIG. 2B depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, particularly showing an example light guide.



FIG. 3 depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, particularly showing another example light guide.



FIG. 4 depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, particularly showing another example light guide.



FIG. 5 depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, particularly showing another example light guide.



FIG. 6A depicts an example light guide having a prismatic sidewall.



FIG. 6B depicts another example light guide having a prismatic sidewall.



FIG. 6C depicts still another example light guide having a prismatic sidewall.



FIG. 6D depicts yet another example light guide having an internally scalloped sidewall.



FIG. 6E depicts a further example light guide having an externally scalloped sidewall.



FIG. 6F depicts an example ring-shaped light guide having an internally-scalloped sidewall.



FIG. 7A depicts an example light guide defining a prismatic through-hole.



FIG. 7B depicts another example light guide defining a prismatic through-hole.



FIG. 7C depicts another example light guide defining a prismatic through-hole and three internal reflective surfaces.



FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting operations of a method of manufacturing a light guide.



FIG. 9 is a flow chart depicting operations of a method of manufacturing a light guide based on a selected glyph.





The use of the same or similar reference numerals in different figures indicates similar, related, or identical items.


The use of cross-hatching or shading in the accompanying figures is generally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elements and also to facilitate legibility of the figures. Accordingly, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, element proportions, element dimensions, commonalities of similarly illustrated elements, or any other characteristic, attribute, or property for any element illustrated in the accompanying figures


DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims.


Embodiments described herein reference systems and methods that illuminate one or more keys of a keyboard. An illuminable key includes a light emitting element, such as a light-emitting diode, that is optically coupled to a light guide positioned beneath the key. The light guide conveys light from the light emitting element to an illuminable portion of the key.


As used herein, the phrase “illuminable portion of a key” refers generally to any or all areas of (or adjacent to) a keycap or other input surface that are intended to be illuminated such that the location, size, and/or functionality of that portion of the key is visually emphasized.


A glyph can be formed in an outer surface of a key from a translucent or transparent material to define an alphanumeric character, symbol, word, phrase, abbreviation, or any other linguistic, scientific, numeric, or pictographic symbol or set of symbols. In one example, the glyph itself illuminates upon activation of the light emitting element. In other examples, other portions of the key associated with the glyph illuminate upon activation of the light emitting element such as a glyph border, a glyph underline, a glyph outline, and so on. All are examples of illuminable portions of a key.


Another example of an illuminable portion of a key is the geometry of the key itself. In one example, the light emitting element illuminates a key perimeter. In other examples, other portions of the key geometry are illuminated, such as an external surface, a sidewall, a corner, and so on. In further examples, the light emitting element can illuminate spaces between one or more keys and the adjacent structure of a keyboard. For example, an aperture in which a key is disposed illuminates upon activation of the light emitting element, thereby generating a halo around a base of the key.


As noted above, the light emitting element optically couples to illuminable portions of a key via a light guide. In some embodiments, the light guide takes the shape of a ring, although such a shape is not required. The ring-shaped light guide can be fully closed or can be segmented. Such a light guide is formed from an optically translucent (or transparent) material. A body of the light guide can define an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall, a top endcap surface, and a bottom endcap surface. The light emitting element is optically coupled, either directly or indirectly, to the body of the light guide. The endcap surfaces are optically coupled, either directly or indirectly, to the illuminable portions of the key or keycap.


The sidewalls of the light guide exhibit greater internal reflection than the endcap surfaces. In one example, one or more prisms or scallops are formed in the sidewalls and are oriented to reflect light internally (e.g., into the interior of the light guide) whereas an endcap surface is smooth and facilitates transmission of light therethrough. In this manner, light emitted by the light emitting element exits the light guide in a greater quantity and in a more uniform manner through the endcap surfaces, and thus through the illuminable portions of the key, than from the sidewalls of the light guide.


In other embodiments, a light guide can form a structural portion of the key in addition to directing light. In these examples, the light guide also includes one or more internal reflectors (e.g., reflective surface), such as rectilinear through-holes, laser etched or routed channels, insert-molded reflectors, or the like. The internal reflectors are positioned and oriented to direct light (via internal reflection) within the body to selected locations of the top surface and/or the outer sidewall. In some cases, the internal reflectors are oriented oblique to a light emitting element. The internal reflectors direct light around structural features of the body that can cause light to undesirably scatter, leak, or exit the body away from the illuminable portion of the key (“light leakage”). In this manner, light emitted by the light emitting element exits the light guide in a greater quantity and in a more uniform manner through the top surface and/or the outer sidewall (which may, in some embodiments, be smooth and facilitate light transmission therethrough), and thus to the illuminable portion of the key, because less light is lost to leakage.


These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1A-9. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these Figures is for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.



FIG. 1A depicts an electronic device 100 incorporating a keyboard with illuminable keys, such as the illuminable key 102 depicted in a removed view of greater scale identified by the enclosed circle A-A, shown in FIGS. 1A-1B.


The electronic device 100 is a portable laptop computer including an integrated keyboard with illuminable keys, such as an illuminable key 102 or other suitable input structure. The illuminable key 102 at least partially extends through an aperture 104 defined in a housing 106 of the electronic device 100. The illuminable key 102 depresses at least partially into the aperture 104 when a user presses the illuminable key 102. In one example, a top surface of the illuminable key 102 is flush with a top surface of the housing of the electronic device 100 when the illuminable key 102 is fully pressed. Other sample input structures may take the form of buttons, mice, trackpads, touch-sensitive surfaces, and so on.


A structure associated with the illuminable key 102 is disposed at least partially within the aperture 104. This structure, referred to as a “key stack,” can include a keycap or similar input surface, a key mechanism, an elastomeric dome, a switch housing, and electronic switch circuitry. The keycap typically defines at least one illuminable portion, depicted in FIG. 1A as a glyph 108.



FIG. 2A depicts an example key mechanism that may be used with an illuminable key of the keyboard shown in FIGS. 1A-1B (or another suitable input structure). The key mechanism 200 is shown as a depressible mechanism and includes a first wing 202 and a second wing 204 that are coupled together with a hinge 206. The first wing 202 and the second wing 204 are substantially symmetric across the hinge 206. For example, as illustrated the first wing 202 and a second wing 204 are each formed in a U-shape, the free ends of which are coupled by the hinge 206 to form a closed ring. The key mechanism 200 is depicted in a depressed configuration (e.g., the key is pressed by a user). When the depressible mechanism depresses, the wings may flatten or otherwise move toward a base of the mechanism.


In many cases, the hinge 206 is a living hinge formed from a flexible material such as a polymer or elastomer. In other cases, the hinge 206 is a flexible member overmolded onto the first wing 202 and the second wing 204. The flexible member can be formed from metal, fabric, polymer, or the like. In other embodiments, the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 can be formed from an optically translucent material and can be optically coupled to a light emitting element. In this manner, the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 can serve as a portion of a light guide.


Many embodiments include more than one hinge. For example, as depicted, the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 are joined by two hinges.


The first wing 202 and the second wing 204 are typically formed from the same material, although this is not required. For example, in one embodiment, the first wing 202 is formed from a plastic material doped with glass fibers and the second wing is formed from metal. In other embodiments, both the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 are formed from a doped plastic material. In one embodiment, the dopant material can be selected to increase the strength and/or rigidity of the first wing 202 and the second wing 204.


Both the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 include geometry configured to interlock with one or more other structural portions of the key mechanism 200. For example, the first wing 202 includes a keycap pivot 208a that interlocks with and/or slides within a portion of a keycap (or other such input surface) positioned above the depressible mechanism 200. The first wing 202 also includes a structural pivot 208b that interlocks with and/or slides within a portion of a structural body 210. Similarly, the second wing 204 includes a keycap pivot 212a that interlocks with and/or slides within a portion of the keycap. The second wing 204 also includes a structural pivot 212b that interlocks with and/or slides within a portion of the structural body 210.


The structural body 210 is formed from a rigid material such as plastic or metal. As with the first wing 202 and the second wing 204, the structural body 210 can be formed from a doped material. The structural body 210 can be formed from an optically transparent or translucent material although this is not required of all embodiments. In one example, the structural body 210 can be formed from an optically opaque material. In other embodiments, the structural body 210 can be formed from a translucent material that takes a particular color.


A light guide 214 is positioned within the structural body 210. The light guide 214, and as illustrated, is shaped as a closed ring, although such a configuration is not required. For example, the light guide 214 can take a square shape, a rectangular shape, a grid shape, or any other shape or combination of shapes. In still further examples, the light guide 214 is formed as a segmented shape, such as a segmented ring.


The light guide 214 is formed from an optically translucent or transparent material such as acrylic, glass, or plastic. In many examples, the light guide 214 is insert-molded into the structural body 210. In other embodiments, the light guide 214 is co-molded with the structural body 210. In still further examples, the light guide 214 is molded into a light guide cavity that is defined within the structural body 210.


As noted above, the light guide 214 includes a body that defines an inner sidewall 214a, an outer sidewall 214b, a top endcap surface 214c, and a bottom endcap surface (not visible in FIG. 2A). The inner sidewall 214a and the outer sidewall 214b of the light guide 214 exhibit greater internal reflection than the endcap surfaces, such as the top endcap surface 214c. In this manner, light emitted into the light guide 214 by a light emitting element (see, e.g., FIG. 2B) will exit the light guide 214 in a greater quantity and in a more uniform manner through the top endcap surface 214c than through any other portion of the light guide 214. In some examples, the top endcap surface 214c is optically diffusive.


The light guide 214 is optically coupled, either directly or indirectly, to one or more illuminable portions of the key. In one example, the light guide 214 is optically coupled to the glyph 108 of the illuminable key 102 depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. With respect to the orientation shown in FIG. 1B, the light guide 214 emits light toward the bottom left hand portion of the illuminable key 102. For example, in place of a ring configuration such as depicted in FIG. 2A, the top endcap surface 214c of the light guide 214 can take a circular shape, positioned in the leftmost corner of the structural body 210 so that the top endcap surface 214c is positioned substantially below the glyph 108 of the illuminable key 102 depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. For other glyphs taking other shapes, the light guide 214 can take a different shape. In this manner, the shape and size of the light guide 214 is selected based on the geometry of the illuminable portion to which the light guide 214 is optically coupled.


The light guide 214 can be disposed around an aperture defined in the structural body 210. For example, in one embodiment the structural body 210 defines a through-hole 210a. As illustrated, the through-hole 210a is circular, although this is not required and the through-hole can take other shapes. A compressible dome 216 is disposed within the through-hole 210a. In some embodiments, the compressible dome 216 is formed from an elastomeric material (e.g., is an elastomeric dome), although this is not required. Likewise, the compressible or collapsible dome 216 may be formed from a transparent or translucent material. For example, the compressible dome 216 is formed from an optically opaque material. In other examples, the compressible dome is formed from an optically translucent material of a particular color (e.g., white). In some embodiments, the compressible/collapsible dome may be replaced by a different structure, including various mechanical, electrical, and/or electromechanical switches. Likewise, the dome may be replaced by a structure designed to provide a particular feedback or feel to the user as the key (or other input surface) is pressed. For example, the dome may be replaced by a spring, a bi-stable element, and so on.


In some embodiments, the compressible dome 216 extends a certain distance above a top surface of the structural body 210. In other embodiments, the compressible dome 216 is flush with a top surface of the structural body 210.


In many embodiments, a top surface 216a of the compressible or otherwise collapsible dome 216 interfaces with the underside of the keycap (or other such input surface) of the illuminable key. In one example, the underside of the keycap includes a projection that contacts the top surface 216a of the compressible dome 216. In other cases, the underside of the keycap can include an indentation that receives the top surface 216a of the compressible dome 216. The compressible dome 216 collapses into the through-hole 210a to activate the electronic switch circuitry associated with the illuminable key in response to a user press of the keycap.


For simplicity of illustration, the depressible mechanism 200 is depicted in a depressed configuration (e.g., when the key is pressed by a user), depicting the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 fully extended. In an upward configuration, the outermost portions of the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 extend above the structural body 210, pivoting relative to one another and relative to the structural body 210 at the hinge 206.



FIG. 2B depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism (e.g., sample input structure) of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A. As depicted in FIG. 2A, the first wing 202 and the second wing 204, when coupled by the hinge(s), define an internal area in which the structural body 210 is positioned. The light guide 214 is disposed within a portion of the structural body 210. As illustrated, the top endcap surface 214c is substantially flush with a top surface of the structural body 210, although such a configuration is not required. For example, in some embodiments the top endcap surface 214c extends proud of the top surface of the structural body 210. In other examples, the top endcap surface 214c is inset into the structural body 210.


In some embodiments, the light guide 214 extends partially, but not entirely, through the structural body 210. More particularly, a bottom endcap surface 214d of the light guide 214 mates with an internal portion of the structural body 210. In other embodiments, the bottom endcap surface 214d can extend through the entire depth of the structural body 210.


Although the bottom endcap surface 214d is illustrated as substantially parallel to the top endcap surface 214c, such a configuration is not required. For example, the bottom endcap surface 214d can be oblique to the top endcap surface 214c.


As noted above, the light guide 214 can include a body 214e. The body 214e is optically coupled, either directly or indirectly, to a light emitting element 218. As illustrated, the body 214e is optically coupled to the light emitting element 218 through the bottom endcap surface 214d. In other embodiments, the light emitting element 218 can be optically coupled to the light guide 214 at a different location. In other examples, the light emitting element 218 can be optically coupled to the light guide 214 indirectly, such as via a light pipe.


The light emitting element 218 includes one or more light-emitting diodes. The light-emitting diodes emit light of a particular color and at a particular brightness. In some embodiments, the light emitting element 218 provides light of a variable color or a variable brightness. In one example, the light emitting element 218 emits white light having a cool color temperature, although this is not required.


An electrical switch layer 220 is also depicted in FIG. 2B. The electrical switch layer 220 is disposed below the compressible or otherwise collapsible dome 216 such that an electrical property of the electrical switch layer 220 changes when the compressible dome 216 compresses. In one example, the compressible dome 216 can complete an electrical contact between electrical traces or contacts disposed on the electrical switch layer 220 when the compressible dome 216 is compressed. The electrical traces are organized in an interleaved comb pattern or a concentric circular pattern. In other embodiments, the compressible dome 216 can cause a change in a capacitance measured between one or more portions of the electrical switch layer 220 when the compressible dome 216 compresses (or, put another way, a collapsible dome collapses).


The key mechanism 200 (or another example of a depressible mechanism) is disposed onto a substrate 222. The substrate 222 can be positioned within a housing of an electronic device, such as the electronic device 100 depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. In other embodiments, the substrate 222 can be positioned within an aperture defined by the housing of an electronic device. In one example, the substrate 222 is formed from a rigid material such as metal or plastic.


As noted with respect to other embodiments described herein, the inner sidewall 214a and the outer sidewall 214b of the light guide 214 exhibit greater internal reflection than the top endcap surface 214c and the bottom endcap surface 214d. More particularly, the internal reflection of light vectored toward a sidewall of the light guide 214 may be greater than the internal reflection of light vectored toward an endcap of the light guide. In an alternate and non-limiting phrasing, the sidewalls of the light guide 214 may be more optically reflective than the endcaps of the light guide 214.


As may be appreciated, the reflectivity of a surface may depend upon the angle of incidence with which light strikes the surface and the difference between the refractive indices of the materials interfacing at the surface. More specifically, at the boundary between the light guide 214 and another material (e.g., air, the structural body 210, the keycap, and so on) having a lower refractive index than that of the light guide 214, light within the light guide 214 may be reflected internally. If the angle of incidence of the light is sufficiently high, total internal reflection may occur (e.g., almost zero light passes through the boundary; effectively all light reflects back into the body 214e). Thus, in some cases, the inner sidewall 214a and the outer sidewall 214b can exhibit total internal reflection. In some embodiments, the bottom endcap surface 214d may also exhibit greater internal reflection than the top endcap surface 214c.


For these embodiments, most of the light emitted into the light guide 214 by the light emitting element 218 will either reflect off the inner sidewall 214a and/or the outer sidewall 214b (and/or the bottom endcap surface 214d), or will exit the light guide 214 through the top endcap surface 214c. Similarly, for ring-shaped light guides, internal reflection of light can cause light to be emitted in a substantially uniform manner across the entire surface of the top endcap surface 214c. More specifically, the portion of the top endcap surface 214c that is diametrically opposite the light emitting element 218 (e.g., the farthest point away from the light emitting element 218, as illustrated in FIG. 2A) can emit a quantity of light substantially similar to the other portions of the top endcap surface 214c. In this manner, the light guide 214 facilitates substantially uniform emission of light from its body.


As a result, the illuminable portions of the key to which the light guide 214 is optically coupled (either directly or indirectly) are illuminated in a substantially uniform manner. Likewise, other suitable input structures may be illuminated in this fashion.



FIG. 3 depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, showing another example light guide. As with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2A, a light guide 314 can be disposed at least partially within a structural body 312 of a key mechanism 300, or other depressible mechanism. The light guide 314 is optically coupled, either directly or indirectly, to a light emitting element 318. The light emitting element 318 is positioned to emit light into a sidewall (e.g., outer sidewall) of the light guide 314. A reflective feature 312a of the structural body 312 is positioned adjacent to and/or within the light emission path of the light emitting element 318.


In many embodiments, the reflective feature 312a is a substantially flat surface that is oblique to the light emitting element 318. In one embodiment, the reflective feature 312a is oriented toward a top endcap surface 314c of the light guide 314 at a 45-degree angle to the light emitting element 318. The reflective feature 312a can be coated with a reflective coating such as a metalized ink.


The angle of the reflective feature 312a can be selected, at least in part, to increase or maximize the total internal reflection of light emitting from the light emitting element 318. In such an embodiment, the structural body 312 and the light guide 314 can be formed from materials having different refractive indices. More particularly, the structural body 312 may have a lower refractive index n2 than the refractive index n1 of the light guide 314. Once the refractive indices of the structural body 312 and the light guide 314 are known, an incident angle θi at which total internal reflection occurs (the “critical angle”) can be determined by the following equation:

θi=arcsin(n2/n1)  Equation 1


Once the incident angle θi is determined, the minimum angle of the reflective feature 312a can be determined. In this manner, the amount of light lost to absorption within the structural body 312 is substantially reduced. In other words, the volume of light that exits the top endcap surface 315c is increased.


In some embodiments, the reflective feature 312a can be implemented as a chamfer formed in the inner sidewall of the light guide. In other embodiments, the reflective feature 312a is a non-flat surface such as a convex surface, a concave surface, or a domed surface.


In other embodiments, the light emitting element 318 is positioned elsewhere. For example, in one embodiment, the light emitting element 318 is optically coupled to an internal sidewall of the light guide. In other embodiments, such as depicted in FIG. 2B, the light emitting element 318 is coupled to a bottom surface (e.g., bottom endcap surface) of the light guide. In still other embodiments, the light emitting element 318 is optically coupled to the top endcap surface 314c of the light guide 314. In these and related embodiments, one or more reflective features, such as the reflective feature 312a, can be formed within the structural body 312 to direct light emitted from the light emitting element 318 in a particular direction.



FIG. 4 depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, showing another example light guide. As with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2A, a light guide 414 can be disposed at least partially within a structural body 412 of a key mechanism 400. The light guide 414 is optically coupled, either directly or indirectly, to a light emitting element 418.


As with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the light emitting element 418 is positioned to emit light into a sidewall (e.g., outer sidewall) of the light guide 414. A first reflective feature 412a and a second reflective feature 412b of the structural body 412 are positioned adjacent to the light emitting element 418. In many embodiments, the reflective features 412a, 412b are substantially flat surfaces that are oriented oblique to the light emitting element 418. In one embodiment, the reflective feature 412a is angled toward a top endcap surface 414c of the light guide 414 at a 45-degree angle to the light emitting element 418. The reflective feature 412a can be coated with a reflective coating such as a metalized ink. In other examples, the angle of the reflective feature 412a is selected, at least in part, to maximize the total internal reflection of light emitting from the light emitting element 418.


As with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, Equation 1 may be used to determine or approximate the angle(s) of the reflective features 412a, 412b.



FIG. 5 depicts a cross-section view of the key mechanism of FIG. 2A taken along line B-B of FIG. 2A, showing another example light guide. As with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2A, a light guide 514 can be disposed at least partially within a structural body 512 of a key mechanism 500. The light guide 514 is optically coupled, either directly or indirectly, to a light emitting element 518. In the illustrated embodiment, the light guide 514 can include a partially domed surface, identified as the top endcap surface 514c.


It may be appreciated that the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 2B and 3-5 are not exhaustive. For example, in some embodiments, the various features depicted in FIG. 5 can be incorporated into an embodiment incorporating features depicted and described with respect to FIG. 3. Other embodiments can include additional reflective surfaces other than those shown. For example, as noted above, many embodiments described herein employ a light guide with its sidewalls formed to exhibit greater internal reflection than its endcap surfaces.



FIG. 6A depicts an example ring-shaped light guide 600 having an external prismatic sidewall 602 and an internal prismatic sidewall 604. The external prismatic sidewall 602 and the internal prismatic sidewall 604 exhibit a repeating pattern of triangular prisms. In some embodiments, the depth of the external prismatic sidewall 602 and the internal prismatic sidewall 604 can be varied, such as shown in FIG. 6B. In other embodiments, the number of triangular prisms can be varied, such as shown in FIG. 6C. In other embodiments, the shape of the prisms can be changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 6D, the external prismatic sidewall 602 can take a saw tooth (e.g., serrated) shape. In such an embodiment, the internal prismatic sidewall 604 can also take a saw tooth shape. In some cases, the internal prismatic sidewall 604 can be oriented oppositely from the external prismatic sidewall 602. In this manner, light within the ring-shaped light guide 600 can be directed in a substantially counterclockwise direction.


As with other embodiments described herein, the geometry of the prismatic sidewalls of a light guide can be determined or approximated, at least in part, based on the refractive index of the material selected for the light guide.


In other embodiments, the sidewalls of the light guides can take other shapes. For example, in some embodiments, such as depicted in FIGS. 6E-6F, a ring-shaped light guide 600 can include scalloped sidewalls. As with prismatic sidewalls depicted in FIGS. 6A-6D, the scalloped sidewalls 606, 608 can take any number of specific shapes. For example, the depth, size, width, radius, and orientation of the scallops can vary from embodiment to embodiment.


As noted above, in other embodiments, a light guide of an illuminable key can form a portion of the structure of the key itself. For example, FIG. 7A depicts an example light guide that serves a dual purpose of directing light to an illuminable portion of a key and providing structural support to one or more portions of the key. The light guide 700 can take the shape of a structural body, such as the structural body 210 depicted in FIGS. 2A-2B. The light guide 700 includes a through-hole 702. A compressible dome, such as the compressible dome 216 depicted in FIGS. 2A-2B can be inserted into the through-hole 702. A light emitting element 706 is disposed at one corner of the light guide 700 to emit light into the light guide 700.


As with other embodiments described herein, the light guide 700 is made from an optically translucent or transparent material such as plastic, glass, doped plastic or glass, sapphire, zirconia or the like. The light guide 700 is formed from a material with a known or determinable refractive index.


In other embodiments, the light emitting element 706 can be disposed in other locations along the light guide 700. In one embodiment, more than one light emitting element can be used. For example, FIG. 7B depicts an embodiment with two light emitting elements, each labeled as a light emitting element 706.


The through-hole 702 can have a greater internal reflectance than other surfaces of the light guide 700. For example, the through-hole 702 can include a prismatic sidewall, such as shown and described with respect to FIGS. 6A-6D and as illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C. In other embodiments, the through-hole 702 can include a scalloped sidewall, such as shown and described with respect to FIGS. 6E-6F.


In still further examples, the light guide 700 can include an internally reflective feature 708. In one embodiment, the internally reflective feature 708 can be implemented as a rectilinear through-hole, a laser etched or routed channel, an insert-molded reflector, or the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 7C, three internally-reflective features are depicted, positioned and oriented to direct light (via internal reflection) within the body of the light guide 700. In this manner, the internally reflective features direct light around structural features of the body, such as the through-hole 702. Although the internally reflective features 708 are depicted as rotated at 45 degrees, one may appreciate that different embodiments can orient the internally reflective feature 708 at different angles.



FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting operations of a method of manufacturing a light guide. The method can begin at operation 800 in which a light guide is insert-molded into a structural base of a key stack. Next, at operation 802, a light emitter, such as a light-emitting diode, is positioned in optical communication with the light guide.



FIG. 9 is a flow chart depicting operations of a method of manufacturing a light guide based on a selected glyph. The method begins at operation 900 at which a glyph is selected. Next at operation 902, the light guide and/or key structure are formed based on the shape and location of the selected glyph (or glyphs).


Although many embodiments described and depicted herein reference light guides for illuminable keys of a keyboard, it should be appreciated that other implementations can take other form factors. Thus, the various embodiments described herein, as well as functionality, operation, components, and capabilities thereof may be combined with other elements as necessary, and so any physical, functional, or operational discussion of any element or feature is not intended to be limited solely to a particular embodiment to the exclusion of others.


For example, although the electronic device 100 is shown in FIGS. 1A-1B as a laptop computer, it may be appreciated that other electronic devices are contemplated. For example, the electronic device 100 can be implemented as a peripheral input device, a desktop computing device, a handheld input device, a tablet computing device, a cellular phone, a wearable device, and so on.


Further, it may be appreciated that the electronic device 100 can include one or more components that interface or interoperate, either directly or indirectly, with the illuminable key 102 which, for simplicity of illustration are not depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. For example, the electronic device 100 may include a processor coupled to or in communication with a memory, a power supply, one or more sensors, one or more communication interfaces, and one or more input/output devices such as a display, a speaker, a rotary input device, a microphone, an on/off button, a mute button, a biometric sensor, a camera, a force and/or touch sensitive trackpad, and so on.


In some embodiments, the communication interfaces provide electronic communications between the electronic device 100 and an external communication network, device or platform. The communication interfaces can be implemented as wireless interfaces, Bluetooth interfaces, universal serial bus interfaces, Wi-Fi interfaces, TCP/IP interfaces, network communications interfaces, or any conventional communication interfaces. The electronic device 100 may provide information related to externally connected or communicating devices and/or software executing on such devices, messages, video, operating commands, and so forth (and may receive any of the foregoing from an external device), in addition to communications. As noted above, for simplicity of illustration, the electronic device 100 is depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B without many of these elements, each of which may be included, partially, optionally, or entirely, within a housing 106.


In some embodiments, the housing 106 can be configured to, at least partially, surround a display. In many examples, the display may incorporate an input device configured to receive touch input, force input, and the like and/or may be configured to output information to a user. The display can be implemented with any suitable technology, including, but not limited to, a multi-touch or multi-force sensing touchscreen that uses liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light-emitting diode (LED) technology, organic light-emitting display (OLED) technology, organic electroluminescence (OEL) technology, or another type of display technology.


The housing 106 can form an outer surface or partial outer surface and protective case for the internal components of the electronic device 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 106 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, although this configuration is not required. The housing 106 can be formed of one or more components operably connected together, such as a front piece and a back piece or a top clamshell and a bottom clamshell. Alternatively, the housing 106 can be formed of a single piece (e.g., uniform body or unibody).


Various embodiments described herein can be incorporated with other systems or apparatuses and may not, in all cases, be directly associated with an input device configured for use with an electronic device such as depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. For example, a light guide as described herein can be incorporated into an independent electronic switch such as a button (e.g., light switch, automotive button, doorbell, and so on). In other examples, a light guide as described herein can be incorporated into a different portion of an electronic device, such as a display element of an electronic device. In such an example, a light guide incorporating prismatic or scalloped sidewalls can be used as a backlight diffuser within a display stack-up.


Additionally, it may be appreciated that for illuminable key embodiments the various structures and mechanisms described herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to a particular favored or required geometry or form factor. For example, an illuminable key can include a butterfly mechanism, a scissor mechanism, or any other suitable type of key mechanism. An illuminable key can include a keycap that is formed to have a substantially flat top surface or, in other embodiments, to have a partially curved top surface. An electronic switch associated with the illuminable key can be implemented as a single throw switch, a multi-throw switch, a capacitive switch, and so on. A tactile feedback structure associated with the illuminable key can be implemented as an elastomeric dome, a spring, an elastomer deposit, a metal dome, or any combination thereof.


Furthermore, one may appreciate that although many embodiments are disclosed above, that the operations and steps presented with respect to methods and techniques described herein are meant as exemplary and accordingly are not exhaustive. One may further appreciate that an alternate step order or fewer or additional steps may be implemented in particular embodiments.


Although the disclosure above is described in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the some embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments but is instead defined by the claims herein presented.

Claims
  • 1. A key for a keyboard comprising: a keycap disposed within an aperture defined by the keyboard;a structural body positioned beneath the keycap and defining an opening, the structural body formed from an optically translucent material;a compressible dome positioned below the keycap and at least partially within the opening of the structural body;a key mechanism coupled to the keycap and pivotally engaged with a sidewall of the structural body; anda light emitting element optically coupled to the structural body.
  • 2. The key of claim 1, wherein the structural body has a prismatic sidewall within the opening.
  • 3. The key of claim 2, wherein the structural body comprises an internally reflective surface.
  • 4. The key of claim 3, wherein the internally reflective surface comprises a rectilinear through-hole.
  • 5. The key of claim 2, wherein the structural body comprises a light guide.
  • 6. A key comprising: a keycap defining an input surface of the key;a compressible dome below the keycap;a light emitting element;a light guide optically coupled to the light emitting element and defining: an opening at least partially surrounding the compressible dome; andan interlock feature positioned on a sidewall of the light guide; anda key mechanism engaged with the interlock feature and with the keycap and configured to guide the keycap between a depressed position and an undepressed position.
  • 7. The key of claim 6, wherein the keycap comprises an illuminable portion.
  • 8. The key of claim 7, wherein the illuminable portion comprises a glyph formed from an optically translucent material.
  • 9. The key of claim 7, wherein the key mechanism at least partially surrounds the light emitting element.
  • 10. The key of claim 9, wherein the key mechanism comprises a butterfly mechanism.
  • 11. The key of claim 6, wherein the light guide forms a ring.
  • 12. The key of claim 6, wherein: the sidewall is an outer sidewall; andthe light guide comprises: a top endcap surface;a bottom endcap surface; andan inner sidewall extending from the top endcap surface to the bottom endcap surfaces and having a greater internal reflection than the top endcap surface.
  • 13. The key of claim 12, wherein the outer sidewall has a greater internal reflection than the top endcap surface.
  • 14. The key of claim 12, wherein each of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall form one or more prisms.
  • 15. An input structure for an electronic device, comprising: an input surface comprising an illuminable portion;a collapsible dome positioned below the input surface;a depressible mechanism positioned around the collapsible dome and coupled to the input surface, the depressible mechanism configured to move the input surface downward to collapse the collapsible dome in response to an external force on the input surface;a body coupled to the depressible mechanism and the collapsible dome;a light guide positioned around the collapsible dome and within the body, the light guide optically coupled to the illuminable portion; anda light emitting element optically coupled to the light guide and configured to illuminate the illuminable portion through the light guide.
  • 16. The input structure of claim 15, wherein the light guide defines an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall.
  • 17. The input structure of claim 16, wherein the light guide is optically coupled to the light emitting element.
  • 18. The input structure of claim 16, wherein the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall of the light guide each form a series of prisms.
  • 19. The input structure of claim 15, wherein the light guide is insert-molded into the body.
  • 20. The input structure of claim 15, wherein the body comprises a reflective surface that is oblique to the light emitting element.
  • 21. The key of claim 1, wherein the key mechanism at least partially surrounds the structural body when the key is in a depressed configuration.
  • 22. The key of claim 6, wherein the key mechanism at least partially surrounds the light guide when the key is in a depressed configuration.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a nonprovisional patent application of and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/161,038, filed May 13, 2015 and titled “Uniform Illumination of Keys,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

US Referenced Citations (290)
Number Name Date Kind
3657492 Arndt et al. Apr 1972 A
3917917 Murata Nov 1975 A
3978297 Lynn et al. Aug 1976 A
4095066 Harris Jun 1978 A
4319099 Asher Mar 1982 A
4349712 Michalski Sep 1982 A
4484042 Matsui Nov 1984 A
4596905 Fowler Jun 1986 A
4598181 Selby Jul 1986 A
4670084 Durand et al. Jun 1987 A
4755645 Naoki et al. Jul 1988 A
4937408 Hattori et al. Jun 1990 A
4987275 Miller et al. Jan 1991 A
5021638 Nopper et al. Jun 1991 A
5092459 Uljanic et al. Mar 1992 A
5136131 Komaki Aug 1992 A
5278372 Takagi et al. Jan 1994 A
5280146 Inagaki et al. Jan 1994 A
5340955 Calvillo et al. Aug 1994 A
5382762 Mochizuki Jan 1995 A
5397867 Demeo Mar 1995 A
5408060 Muurinen Apr 1995 A
5421659 Liang Jun 1995 A
5422447 Spence Jun 1995 A
5457297 Chen Oct 1995 A
5477430 LaRose et al. Dec 1995 A
5481074 English Jan 1996 A
5504283 Kako et al. Apr 1996 A
5512719 Okada et al. Apr 1996 A
5625532 Sellers Apr 1997 A
5804780 Bartha Sep 1998 A
5828015 Coulon Oct 1998 A
5847337 Chen Dec 1998 A
5874700 Hochgesang Feb 1999 A
5876106 Kordecki et al. Mar 1999 A
5878872 Tsai Mar 1999 A
5881866 Miyajima et al. Mar 1999 A
5898147 Domzaiski et al. Apr 1999 A
5924555 Sadamori et al. Jul 1999 A
5935691 Tsai Aug 1999 A
5960942 Thornton Oct 1999 A
5986227 Hon Nov 1999 A
6020565 Pan Feb 2000 A
6068416 Kumamoto et al. May 2000 A
6215420 Harrison et al. Apr 2001 B1
6257782 Maruyama et al. Jul 2001 B1
6259046 Iwama et al. Jul 2001 B1
6377685 Krishnan Apr 2002 B1
6388219 Hsu et al. May 2002 B2
6423918 King et al. Jul 2002 B1
6482032 Szu et al. Nov 2002 B1
6530283 Okada et al. Mar 2003 B2
6538801 Jacobson et al. Mar 2003 B2
6542355 Huang Apr 2003 B1
6552287 Janniere Apr 2003 B2
6556112 Van Zeeland et al. Apr 2003 B1
6559399 Hsu et al. May 2003 B2
6560612 Yamada et al. May 2003 B1
6572289 Lo et al. Jun 2003 B2
6573463 Ono Jun 2003 B2
6585435 Fang Jul 2003 B2
6624369 Ito et al. Sep 2003 B2
6706986 Hsu Mar 2004 B2
6750414 Sullivan Jun 2004 B2
6759614 Yoneyama Jul 2004 B2
6762381 Kunthady et al. Jul 2004 B2
6765503 Chan et al. Jul 2004 B1
6788450 Kawai et al. Sep 2004 B2
6797906 Ohashi Sep 2004 B2
6850227 Takahashi et al. Feb 2005 B2
6860660 Hochgesang et al. Mar 2005 B2
6911608 Levy Jun 2005 B2
6926418 Ostergård et al. Aug 2005 B2
6940030 Takeda et al. Sep 2005 B2
6977352 Oosawa Dec 2005 B2
6979792 Lai Dec 2005 B1
6987466 Welch et al. Jan 2006 B1
6987503 Inoue Jan 2006 B2
7012206 Oikawa Mar 2006 B2
7038832 Kanbe May 2006 B2
7126499 Lin et al. Oct 2006 B2
7129930 Cathey et al. Oct 2006 B1
7134205 Bruennel Nov 2006 B2
7146701 Mahoney et al. Dec 2006 B2
7151236 Ducruet et al. Dec 2006 B2
7151237 Mahoney et al. Dec 2006 B2
7154059 Chou Dec 2006 B2
7166813 Soma Jan 2007 B2
7172303 Shipman et al. Feb 2007 B2
7189932 Kim Mar 2007 B2
7256766 Albert et al. Aug 2007 B2
7283119 Kishi Oct 2007 B2
7301113 Nishimura et al. Nov 2007 B2
7312790 Sato et al. Dec 2007 B2
7378607 Koyano et al. May 2008 B2
7414213 Hwang Aug 2008 B2
7429707 Yanai et al. Sep 2008 B2
7432460 Clegg Oct 2008 B2
7510342 Lane et al. Mar 2009 B2
7531764 Lev et al. May 2009 B1
7541554 Hou Jun 2009 B2
7589292 Jung et al. Sep 2009 B2
7639187 Caballero et al. Dec 2009 B2
7651231 Chou et al. Jan 2010 B2
7679010 Wingett Mar 2010 B2
7781690 Ishii Aug 2010 B2
7813774 Perez-Noguera Oct 2010 B2
7842895 Lee Nov 2010 B2
7847204 Tsai Dec 2010 B2
7851819 Shi Dec 2010 B2
7866866 Wahlstrom Jan 2011 B2
7893376 Chen Feb 2011 B2
7923653 Ohsumi Apr 2011 B2
7947915 Lee May 2011 B2
7999748 Ligtenberg et al. Aug 2011 B2
8063325 Sung et al. Nov 2011 B2
8080744 Yeh et al. Dec 2011 B2
8109650 Chang et al. Feb 2012 B2
8119945 Lin Feb 2012 B2
8124903 Tatehata et al. Feb 2012 B2
8134094 Tsao et al. Mar 2012 B2
8143982 Lauder et al. Mar 2012 B1
8156172 Muehl et al. Apr 2012 B2
8178808 Strittmatter et al. May 2012 B2
8184021 Chou May 2012 B2
8212160 Tsao Jul 2012 B2
8212162 Zhou Jul 2012 B2
8218301 Lee Jul 2012 B2
8232958 Tolbert Jul 2012 B2
8246228 Ko et al. Aug 2012 B2
8253048 Ozias Aug 2012 B2
8253052 Chen Sep 2012 B2
8263887 Chen et al. Sep 2012 B2
8289280 Travis Oct 2012 B2
8299382 Takemae et al. Oct 2012 B2
8317384 Chung et al. Nov 2012 B2
8319298 Hsu Nov 2012 B2
8325141 Marsden Dec 2012 B2
8330725 Mahowald et al. Dec 2012 B2
8354629 Lin Jan 2013 B2
8378857 Pance Feb 2013 B2
8383972 Liu Feb 2013 B2
8384566 Bocirnea Feb 2013 B2
8404990 Lutgring et al. Mar 2013 B2
8451146 Mahowald et al. Mar 2013 B2
8431849 Chen Apr 2013 B2
8436265 Koike et al. May 2013 B2
8462514 Myers et al. Jun 2013 B2
8500348 Dumont et al. Aug 2013 B2
8502094 Chen Aug 2013 B2
8542194 Akens et al. Sep 2013 B2
8569639 Strittmatter Oct 2013 B2
8575632 Kuramoto et al. Nov 2013 B2
8581127 Jhuang Nov 2013 B2
8592699 Kessler et al. Nov 2013 B2
8592702 Tsai Nov 2013 B2
8592703 Johnson et al. Nov 2013 B2
8604370 Chao Dec 2013 B2
8629362 Knighton et al. Jan 2014 B1
8642904 Chiba et al. Feb 2014 B2
8651720 Sherman et al. Feb 2014 B2
8659882 Liang et al. Feb 2014 B2
8731618 Jarvis et al. May 2014 B2
8748767 Ozias Jun 2014 B2
8759705 Funakoshi et al. Jun 2014 B2
8760405 Nam Jun 2014 B2
8786548 Oh et al. Jul 2014 B2
8791378 Lan Jul 2014 B2
8835784 Hirota Sep 2014 B2
8847090 Ozaki Sep 2014 B2
8847711 Yang et al. Sep 2014 B2
8853580 Chen Oct 2014 B2
8854312 Meierling Oct 2014 B2
8870477 Merminod et al. Oct 2014 B2
8884174 Chou Nov 2014 B2
8921473 Hyman Dec 2014 B1
8922476 Stewart et al. Dec 2014 B2
8976117 Krahenbuhl et al. Mar 2015 B2
8994641 Stewart et al. Mar 2015 B2
9007297 Stewart et al. Apr 2015 B2
9012795 Niu et al. Apr 2015 B2
9024214 Niu et al. May 2015 B2
9029723 Pegg May 2015 B2
9063627 Yairi et al. Jun 2015 B2
9064642 Welch et al. Jun 2015 B2
9086733 Pance Jul 2015 B2
9087663 Los Jul 2015 B2
9093229 Leong et al. Jul 2015 B2
9213416 Chen Dec 2015 B2
9223352 Smith et al. Dec 2015 B2
9234486 Das et al. Jan 2016 B2
9235236 Nam Jan 2016 B2
9274654 Slobodin et al. Mar 2016 B2
9275810 Pance et al. Mar 2016 B2
9300033 Han et al. Mar 2016 B2
9305496 Kimura Apr 2016 B2
9405369 Modarres et al. Aug 2016 B2
9412533 Hendren et al. Aug 2016 B2
9443672 Martisauskas Sep 2016 B2
9448628 Tan et al. Sep 2016 B2
9448631 Winter et al. Sep 2016 B2
9449772 Leong et al. Sep 2016 B2
9471185 Guard Oct 2016 B2
9477382 Hicks et al. Oct 2016 B2
9502193 Niu et al. Nov 2016 B2
9640347 Kwan et al. May 2017 B2
9734965 Martinez et al. Aug 2017 B2
20020079211 Katayama et al. Jun 2002 A1
20020093436 Lien Jul 2002 A1
20020149835 Kanbe Oct 2002 A1
20030169232 Ito Sep 2003 A1
20060011458 Purcocks Jan 2006 A1
20060020469 Rast Jan 2006 A1
20060120790 Chang Jun 2006 A1
20060181511 Woolley Aug 2006 A1
20060243987 Lai Nov 2006 A1
20070200823 Bytheway et al. Aug 2007 A1
20070285393 Ishakov Dec 2007 A1
20080131184 Brown et al. Jun 2008 A1
20080136782 Mundt et al. Jun 2008 A1
20080251370 Aoki Oct 2008 A1
20090046053 Shigehiro et al. Feb 2009 A1
20090103964 Takagi et al. Apr 2009 A1
20090128496 Huang May 2009 A1
20090262085 Wassingbo et al. Oct 2009 A1
20100066568 Lee Mar 2010 A1
20100109921 Annerfors May 2010 A1
20100156796 Kim et al. Jun 2010 A1
20100253630 Homma et al. Oct 2010 A1
20110032127 Roush Feb 2011 A1
20110056817 Wu Mar 2011 A1
20110056836 Tatebe et al. Mar 2011 A1
20110205179 Braun Aug 2011 A1
20110267272 Meyer et al. Nov 2011 A1
20110284355 Yang Nov 2011 A1
20120012446 Hwa Jan 2012 A1
20120090973 Liu Apr 2012 A1
20120098751 Liu Apr 2012 A1
20120286701 Yang et al. Nov 2012 A1
20120298496 Zhang Nov 2012 A1
20120313856 Hsieh Dec 2012 A1
20130093500 Bruwer Apr 2013 A1
20130100030 Los et al. Apr 2013 A1
20130120265 Horii et al. May 2013 A1
20130161170 Fan et al. Jun 2013 A1
20130215079 Johnson et al. Aug 2013 A1
20130270090 Lee Oct 2013 A1
20140015777 Park et al. Jan 2014 A1
20140027259 Kawana et al. Jan 2014 A1
20140071654 Chien Mar 2014 A1
20140082490 Jung et al. Mar 2014 A1
20140090967 Inagaki Apr 2014 A1
20140098042 Kuo et al. Apr 2014 A1
20140118264 Leong et al. May 2014 A1
20140151211 Zhang Jun 2014 A1
20140184496 Gribetz et al. Jul 2014 A1
20140191973 Zellers et al. Jul 2014 A1
20140218851 Klein et al. Aug 2014 A1
20140252881 Dinh et al. Sep 2014 A1
20140291133 Fu et al. Oct 2014 A1
20140375141 Nakajima Dec 2014 A1
20150016038 Niu et al. Jan 2015 A1
20150083561 Han et al. Mar 2015 A1
20150090571 Leong et al. Apr 2015 A1
20150270073 Yarak, III et al. Sep 2015 A1
20150277559 Vescovi et al. Oct 2015 A1
20150287553 Welch et al. Oct 2015 A1
20150309538 Zhang Oct 2015 A1
20150332874 Brock et al. Nov 2015 A1
20150348726 Hendren Dec 2015 A1
20150370339 Ligtenberg et al. Dec 2015 A1
20150378391 Huitema et al. Dec 2015 A1
20160049266 Stringer et al. Feb 2016 A1
20160093452 Zercoe et al. Mar 2016 A1
20160172129 Zercoe et al. Jun 2016 A1
20160189890 Leong et al. Jun 2016 A1
20160189891 Zercoe et al. Jun 2016 A1
20160329166 Hou et al. Nov 2016 A1
20160336127 Leong et al. Nov 2016 A1
20160336128 Leong et al. Nov 2016 A1
20160343523 Hendren et al. Nov 2016 A1
20160351360 Knopf et al. Dec 2016 A1
20160365204 Cao et al. Dec 2016 A1
20160378234 Ligtenberg et al. Dec 2016 A1
20160379775 Leong et al. Dec 2016 A1
20170004937 Leong et al. Jan 2017 A1
20170004939 Kwan et al. Jan 2017 A1
20170011869 Knopf et al. Jan 2017 A1
20170090106 Cao et al. Mar 2017 A1
20170301487 Leong et al. Oct 2017 A1
Foreign Referenced Citations (172)
Number Date Country
2155620 Feb 1994 CN
2394309 Aug 2000 CN
1533128 Sep 2004 CN
1542497 Nov 2004 CN
2672832 Jan 2005 CN
1624842 Jun 2005 CN
1812030 Aug 2006 CN
1838036 Sep 2006 CN
1855332 Nov 2006 CN
101051569 Oct 2007 CN
200986871 Dec 2007 CN
101146137 Mar 2008 CN
201054315 Apr 2008 CN
201084602 Jul 2008 CN
201123174 Sep 2008 CN
201149829 Nov 2008 CN
101315841 Dec 2008 CN
201210457 Mar 2009 CN
101438228 May 2009 CN
101465226 Jun 2009 CN
101494130 Jul 2009 CN
101502082 Aug 2009 CN
201298481 Aug 2009 CN
101546667 Sep 2009 CN
101572195 Nov 2009 CN
101800281 Aug 2010 CN
101807482 Aug 2010 CN
201655616 Nov 2010 CN
102110542 Jun 2011 CN
102119430 Jul 2011 CN
201904256 Jul 2011 CN
102163084 Aug 2011 CN
201927524 Aug 2011 CN
201945951 Aug 2011 CN
201945952 Aug 2011 CN
201956238 Aug 2011 CN
102197452 Sep 2011 CN
202008941 Oct 2011 CN
202040690 Nov 2011 CN
102280292 Dec 2011 CN
102338348 Feb 2012 CN
102375550 Mar 2012 CN
202205161 Apr 2012 CN
102496509 Jun 2012 CN
10269527 Aug 2012 CN
102622089 Aug 2012 CN
102629526 Aug 2012 CN
202372927 Aug 2012 CN
102683072 Sep 2012 CN
202434387 Sep 2012 CN
202523007 Nov 2012 CN
102832068 Dec 2012 CN
102955573 Mar 2013 CN
102956386 Mar 2013 CN
102969183 Mar 2013 CN
103000417 Mar 2013 CN
103165327 Jun 2013 CN
103180979 Jun 2013 CN
203012648 Jun 2013 CN
203135988 Aug 2013 CN
103377841 Oct 2013 CN
103489986 Jan 2014 CN
203414880 Jan 2014 CN
103681056 Mar 2014 CN
103699181 Apr 2014 CN
203520312 Apr 2014 CN
203588895 May 2014 CN
103839715 Jun 2014 CN
103839720 Jun 2014 CN
103839722 Jun 2014 CN
103903891 Jul 2014 CN
103956290 Jul 2014 CN
203733685 Jul 2014 CN
104021968 Sep 2014 CN
204102769 Jan 2015 CN
204117915 Jan 2015 CN
104517769 Apr 2015 CN
204632641 Sep 2015 CN
105097341 Nov 2015 CN
2530176 Jan 1977 DE
3002772 Jul 1981 DE
29704100 Apr 1997 DE
0441993 Aug 1991 EP
1835272 Sep 2007 EP
1928008 Jun 2008 EP
2202606 Jun 2010 EP
2426688 Mar 2012 EP
2439760 Apr 2012 EP
2664979 Nov 2013 EP
2147420 Mar 1973 FR
2911000 Jul 2008 FR
2950193 Mar 2011 FR
1361459 Jul 1974 GB
S50115562 Sep 1975 JP
S60055477 Mar 1985 JP
S61172422 Oct 1986 JP
S62072429 Apr 1987 JP
S63182024 Nov 1988 JP
H0422024 Apr 1992 JP
H0520963 Jan 1993 JP
H0524512 Aug 1993 JP
H05342944 Dec 1993 JP
H09204148 Aug 1997 JP
H10312726 Nov 1998 JP
H11194882 Jul 1999 JP
2000010709 Jan 2000 JP
2000057871 Feb 2000 JP
2000339097 Dec 2000 JP
2001100889 Apr 2001 JP
2002260478 Sep 2002 JP
2002298689 Oct 2002 JP
2003522998 Jul 2003 JP
2005108041 Apr 2005 JP
2006164929 Jun 2006 JP
2006185906 Jul 2006 JP
2006521664 Sep 2006 JP
2006269439 Oct 2006 JP
2006277013 Oct 2006 JP
2006344609 Dec 2006 JP
2007115633 May 2007 JP
2007514247 May 2007 JP
2007156983 Jun 2007 JP
2008021428 Jan 2008 JP
2008041431 Feb 2008 JP
2008100129 May 2008 JP
2008191850 Aug 2008 JP
2008533559 Aug 2008 JP
2009099503 May 2009 JP
2009181894 Aug 2009 JP
2010061956 Mar 2010 JP
2010244088 Oct 2010 JP
2010244302 Oct 2010 JP
2011065126 Mar 2011 JP
2011150804 Aug 2011 JP
2011165630 Aug 2011 JP
2011524066 Aug 2011 JP
2012043705 Mar 2012 JP
2012063630 Mar 2012 JP
2012098873 May 2012 JP
2012134064 Jul 2012 JP
2012186067 Sep 2012 JP
2012230256 Nov 2012 JP
2014017179 Jan 2014 JP
2014216190 Nov 2014 JP
2014220039 Nov 2014 JP
1019990007394 Jan 1999 KR
1020020001668 Jan 2002 KR
100454203 Oct 2004 KR
1020060083032 Jul 2006 KR
1020080064116 Jul 2008 KR
1020080066164 Jul 2008 KR
2020110006385 Jun 2011 KR
1020120062797 Jun 2012 KR
1020130040131 Apr 2013 KR
20150024201 Mar 2015 KR
200703396 Jan 2007 TW
M334397 Jun 2008 TW
201108284 Mar 2011 TW
201108286 Mar 2011 TW
M407429 Jul 2011 TW
201246251 Nov 2012 TW
201403646 Jan 2014 TW
WO9744946 Nov 1997 WO
WO2005057320 Jun 2005 WO
WO2006022313 Mar 2006 WO
WO2007049253 May 2007 WO
WO2008045833 Apr 2008 WO
WO2009005026 Jan 2009 WO
WO2012011282 Jan 2012 WO
WO2012027978 Mar 2012 WO
WO2013096478 Jun 2013 WO
WO2014175446 Oct 2014 WO
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry
Elekson, “Reliable and Tested Wearable Electronics Embedment Solutions,” http://www.wearable.technology/our-technologies, 3 pages, at least as early as Jan. 6, 2016.
Related Publications (1)
Number Date Country
20160336124 A1 Nov 2016 US
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
62161038 May 2015 US