Keymat
AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorsTapani Jokinen, Michael Mckay, Nikolaj H. Bestle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keymat for use with a mobile station. The keymat includes a web for interconnecting a plurality of keys, the web and the keys lying external to the mobile-station enclosure when the mobile station is fully assembled. Means for retaining the keymat provide for it to be held in place during normal operation but permitting it to be removed so that user may exchange it for another. A plurality of key pins extending from the keys through openings in the mobile-station external housing may, but are not necessarily exchangeable with the keymat.
Claims20
In a key-operated device having internal switches substantially enclosed by at least a front cover forming openings through which the internal switches may be operated, an externally accessible switch-operating means, comprising:
- a key pin for extending through a front-cover opening proximate to an internal switch such that a force applied to the key pin from without the device causes it to operate the switch;
- a keymat for removably attaching to the device exteriorly of the front cover such that pressing on a selected area of the keymat causes an operating force to be applied to a key pin disposed proximate to the selected area.
A keymat for use with a mobile station, having a plurality of key openings, formed in an external housing for access to internal switches, comprising:
- a plurality of keys;
- a web interconnecting the plurality of keys for disposing them outside of the external housing such that at least some of the keys are adjacent to some of the plurality of key openings;
- and
- a plurality of key pins extending from the keys adjacent to the key openings to the internal switches.
A mobile station, comprising:
- an internal assembly having a plurality of internal switches for affecting the operation of the mobile station;
- an exterior housing for enclosing the internal assembly, the exterior housing forming a plurality of openings providing access to the internal switches;
- and
- a keymat disposed exterior to the exterior housing, the keymat comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected keys;
- and
- a plurality of key pins, each extending through an external-housing opening for transmitting a user-applied force from a key to an internal switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.