Patent ID: 7911321

Claim:
A keyless entry system for a door having a latch operable between a locked condition, wherein a door is prevented from opening, and an unlocked condition, wherein a door can be opened, the keyless entry system comprising: a handle housing pivotally mountable to a door; a grip cover for complementary engagement with the handle housing to cooperatively define a door handle grip; a keyless entry pad associated with the grip cover, defining a plurality of keys, each one of the plurality of keys identified with a corresponding symbol to collectively form a textual representation of at least one of a vehicle and a user of a vehicle, the plurality of keys being immovable relative to the grip cover; a plurality of sensors, each sensor in proximity to at least one of the plurality of keys and corresponding symbol, for detecting an object in the vicinity of at least one of the plurality of keys; an illumination source adapted for selective illumination to selectively backlight the plurality of sensors and corresponding symbols; and a light-controlling membrane extending over at least a portion of the keyless entry pad comprising a portion of the first surface; wherein entering a keyless entry code into the keyless entry pad by selecting keys in a predetermined sequence enables a latch to be selectively disposed in either a locked condition or an unlocked condition; and wherein in ambient light, the light-controlling membrane renders the at least one symbol invisible, and when the illumination source backlights the at least one sensor and the at least one symbol, the light-controlling membrane renders the at least one symbol visible.