Optical actuators in keypads
AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorsPasi Saarikko, Pauli Laitinen, Juha Pietarinen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The specification and drawings present a new apparatus and manufacturing method for optical protrusions (e.g., dome pins or actuators) attached to a light guide for providing backlight, actuation function and/or tactile feedback in keypad modules of electronic devices. Spatially and spectrally selective out-coupling of light from the light guide (e.g., a planar light guide plate) can be accomplished using these optical actuators integrated with the light guide for keypad illumination to control out-coupling efficiency and/or spectra of the out-coupled light to enable modification of the visual appearance (intensity, colored/white) of individual keys of the keypad.
Claims20
An electronic device, comprising:
- a light guide having a first surface and a second surface;
- and
- one or more protrusions made of an optical material and attached to said first surface,
- wherein at least one protrusion out of said one or more protrusions is configured to:
- couple a portion of light propagating through said light guide out of said second surface if said first surface does not reflect or absorb said light, and
- perform an actuating function for providing a predetermined command to the electronic device when a predetermined force is applied to said second surface opposite to said at least one protrusion causing a predefined local motion of said light guide with said at least one protrusion.
A method for manufacturing a keypad, comprising:
- disposing one or more droplets made of an optical material on a first surface of a light guide having said first surface and a second surface;
- and
- hardening said droplets using a cure process to permanently attach the droplets to the light guide and form one or more protrusions,
- wherein at least one protrusion out of said one or more protrusions is configured to:
- couple a portion of light propagating through said light guide out of said second surface if said first surface does not absorb or reflect said light, and
- perform an actuating function for providing a predetermined command to an electronic device when a predetermined force is applied to said second surface opposite to said at least one protrusion causing a predefined local motion of said light guide with said at least one protrusion.
A keypad, comprising:
- a light guide having a first surface and a second surface;
- and
- one or more protrusions made of an optical material and attached to said first surface,
- wherein at least one protrusion out of said one or more protrusions is configured to:
- couple a portion of light propagating through said light guide out of said second surface if said first surface does not reflect or absorb said light, and
- perform an actuating function for providing a predetermined command to the electronic device when a predetermined force is applied to said second surface opposite to said at least one protrusion causing a predefined local motion of said light guide with said at least one protrusion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.