Dynamically controlled keyboard

摘要

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing a computer peripheral including one or more keys. Each key has several light emitting diodes disposed on a face of the key. Each of the light emitting diodes can switch on or off in response to a data signal received from an application specific integrated circuit dedicated to the key. A corresponding key and manufacturing method, as well as a computer system including one or more such keys are also described.

主权项

1. An electronic device comprising:
a key pad having a plurality of mechanically responsive keys; each key of the plurality of keys to directly responds to an application of force thereon by providing an input signal to the electronic device, and comprises: a single glass substrate forming a top face of said each key on which the application of force is applied causing said each key to move from a neutral state to a compressed state; a plurality of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) disposed in a plane below the single glass substrate; a plurality of depressible posts controlling a movement of the top face of said each key from the neutral state to the compressed state, wherein each depressible post of the plurality of posts electrically connects to a different one of the plurality of OLEDs to a printed circuit board; and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is electrically connected to each OLED of the plurality of OLEDs through a corresponding one of the plurality of posts; wherein said each OLED of the plurality of OLEDs is individually controllable by the ASIC to cooperate in real time with each other to present a composite image at the key pad, the composite image comprising partial images cooperatively presented by the plurality of OLEDs of said each key of the plurality of keys, and wherein the top face of said each key of the plurality of keys is dynamically altered by using the ASIC to turn on and off certain OLEDs of the plurality of the OLEDs.