US 7,830,368 B2 · Keypad with virtual image

Abstract

A keypad having a virtual floating image that appears to a user to be in a plane other than the apparent plane of the keypad surface. More particularly, the indicia on the keypad appear to float above or below the surface of the device. The keypad can be, for example, the keypad on a cell phone. For such an application there would be more than one array of indicia present on the keypad. For example, there might be ten arrays of indicia, which provide the numerals from 0 to 9 and two more arrays to provide virtual images of the * and # keys. In some embodiments, the keypad is integrated with an illumination source that light up the indicia. The present disclosure also provides a method of manufacturing a key pad with a virtual floating image.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A keypad, comprising:

a film having a first primary surface opposite a second primary surface;
a first and a second array of indicia spaced apart on the first primary surface;
an array of lenses on the second primary surface,
wherein the first and second arrays of indicia and the array of lenses are configured such that they cooperate to generate a first virtual image and second virtual image wherein the virtual images are different and both appear to be in a plane outside of the film;
a flexible printed circuit positioned adjacent the first primary surface of the film, wherein the flexible printed circuit includes a first touch sensitive electrode pad positioned adjacent the first array of indicia and a second touch sensitive electrode pad positioned adjacent the second array of indicia.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/755,819Filed 31 May 2007 · us provisional application

Priority

6 Jun 2006

Published

US 2007/0279391 A16 Dec 2007

Granted

9 Nov 2010

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G06F 3/0238
Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as…:…
G02B 30/27
Of the autostereoscopic type: involving lenticular arrays
G02B 30/56
The image being built up from image elements distributed over a three-dimensional [3D] volume, e.g. voxels: by projecting aerial or floating images
H04N 13/307
For viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays: using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses

Keypad with virtual image

Life of this patent

Keypad with virtual image

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28