Shielded keyboard for a portable communication device

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved keyboard for a cellular telephone or the like. The improved keyboard includes an additional shielding layer which is added to the keypad to prevent RF leakage in the direction of the user. The shielding layer includes an insulating layer and a conductive layer. The conductive layer may be added in one of two ways. First, a conductive layer made of nickel foil or other suitable material may be molded directly into the keypad. Second, the conductive layer may be plated or painted on the surface of the keypad. In any such process, a layer of insulating material is added to the bottom surface of the conductive layer to prevent shorts. Finally, doping of the keypad may be used to improve the effectiveness of the shielding by using it with either of the aforementioned methods of implementation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.