PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11416082-B1
Application Number: US-201815964164-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Input devices with glyphs having a semitransparent mirror layer

Abstract:
An electronic device includes an enclosure, a substrate within the enclosure, a keycap support mechanism, and a keycap supported by the keycap support mechanism and movable relative to the substrate. The keycap includes a body, a mask layer defining a glyph opening, and a semitransparent mirror layer positioned within the glyph opening. The electronic device also includes a light source configured to direct light through the semitransparent mirror layer.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device comprising:
 an enclosure; 
 a substrate within the enclosure; 
 a keycap support mechanism; 
 a keycap supported by the keycap support mechanism and movable relative to the substrate, the keycap comprising:
 a body having a top surface and a bottom surface; 
 a mask layer applied to the bottom surface and defining a glyph opening, the mask layer being configured to non-specularly reflect light passing from the top surface of the body to a top surface of the mask layer; and 
 a semitransparent mirror layer applied to the bottom surface having a first portion positioned within the glyph opening and contacting the bottom surface of the body, and having a second portion positioned below the mask layer; and 
 
 a light source configured to direct light through the semitransparent mirror layer; 
 wherein the semitransparent mirror layer is configured to specularly reflect light passing from the top surface of the body to the glyph opening to produce an appearance of a mirror at the bottom surface of the body of the keycap; and 
 wherein the semitransparent mirror layer comprises a side portion positioned on a side surface of the body and above the second portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the enclosure is a base portion of a laptop computer; 
 the keycap is positioned within the base portion; and 
 the semitransparent mirror layer is a metal coating configured to:
 in a first lighting condition, reflect external light incident on the semitransparent mirror layer; and 
 in a second lighting condition, transmit light from the light source through the semitransparent mirror layer. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the light source is a light emitting diode positioned below the keycap. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first portion of the semitransparent mirror layer fills an entire thickness of the mask layer. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the semitransparent mirror layer is a metal coating. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the metal coating comprises aluminum. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the body is glass. 
     
     
       8. An actuation member for a key assembly, comprising:
 a transparent body having a bottom surface and a side surface; 
 an opaque mask layer contacting the bottom surface and defining a glyph opening; and 
 a semitransparent mirror layer having a bottom portion and a side portion, the bottom portion contacting the bottom surface of the transparent body and aligned with the glyph opening of the opaque mask layer, the semitransparent mirror layer being configured to produce a visible glyph when the actuation member is illuminated either from below the actuation member or from above the actuation member, the side portion being positioned on the side surface of the transparent body and above the bottom portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The actuation member of  claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the semitransparent mirror layer is within the glyph opening. 
     
     
       10. The actuation member of  claim 9 , wherein another portion of the semitransparent mirror layer is below the opaque mask layer. 
     
     
       11. The actuation member of  claim 8 , wherein the semitransparent mirror layer is between about 60% and about 85% reflective. 
     
     
       12. The actuation member of  claim 8 , wherein the semitransparent mirror layer has a thickness between about 5 microns and about 50 microns. 
     
     
       13. The actuation member of  claim 8 , wherein the transparent body is formed from glass. 
     
     
       14. The actuation member of  claim 8 , wherein the transparent body comprises:
 a top surface defining an input surface of the actuation member; 
 the bottom surface opposite the top surface; and 
 the side surface extends between the top surface and the bottom surface. 
 
     
     
       15. A laptop computer comprising:
 a display portion; 
 a display positioned within the display portion; 
 a base portion pivotally coupled to the display portion; 
 a keyboard at least partially surrounded by the base portion and comprising a key; and 
 an optical sensor below the key; 
 wherein the key comprises:
 a keycap; 
 an opaque mask layer on a bottom surface of the keycap and defining an opening; and 
 a semitransparent mirror layer having a first portion on the bottom surface of the keycap and at least partially within the opening of the opaque mask layer, the semitransparent mirror layer having a second portion covering a side surface of the keycap and configured to reflect light into the keycap over the first portion; and 
 
 wherein the optical sensor is configured to receive light through the semitransparent mirror layer and the keycap. 
 
     
     
       16. The laptop computer of  claim 15 , further comprising a light source below the keycap and configured to transmit light through the semitransparent mirror layer. 
     
     
       17. The laptop computer of  claim 16 , wherein the light received by the optical sensor through the semitransparent mirror layer is the light, from the light source, reflected by an object above the keycap. 
     
     
       18. The laptop computer of  claim 15 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect an optical condition indicative of a presence of an object above the keycap. 
     
     
       19. The laptop computer of  claim 15 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect an optical condition indicative of motion of the keycap.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a nonprovisional patent application of and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/554,132, filed Sep. 5, 2017 and titled “Input Devices with Glyphs having a Semitransparent Mirror Layer,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Embodiments described herein relate to input devices, and in particular, to input devices with glyphs formed by semitransparent mirrors. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices can receive user input from a keyboard, some keys of which may be illuminable and thus may be made visible to a user in dimly-lit environments. For example, keys of the keyboard may include keycaps with glyphs (e.g., symbols indicating letters, numbers, punctuation marks, characters, or other information) that indicate the function of the key. Such glyphs may be formed from transparent or translucent regions of a keycap, and may be illuminated by a light source below the keycap. For example, each key may be associated with a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED) that illuminates the glyph from below. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device includes an enclosure, a substrate within the enclosure, a keycap support mechanism, and a keycap supported by the keycap support mechanism and movable relative to the substrate. The keycap includes a body, a mask layer defining a glyph opening, and a semitransparent mirror layer positioned within the glyph opening. The body may be glass. The device also includes a light source configured to direct light through the semitransparent mirror layer. The light source may be a light emitting diode positioned below the keycap. The mask layer may be positioned below the body, and at least part of the semitransparent mirror layer may be positioned below the mask layer. 
     The mask layer may be substantially opaque and may be configured to produce a non-specular reflection, and the semitransparent mirror layer may be a metal coating configured to, in a first lighting condition, reflect external light incident on the semitransparent mirror layer, and in a second lighting condition, transmit light from the light source through the semitransparent mirror layer. 
     The semitransparent mirror layer may be a metal coating. The metal may be selected from the group consisting of silver, aluminum, beryllium, chromium, copper, gold, molybdenum, nickel, and platinum. 
     An actuation member for an key assembly includes a transparent body, a substantially opaque mask layer defining a glyph opening, and a semitransparent mirror layer aligned with the glyph opening and configured to produce a visible glyph when the actuation member is illuminated from below the actuation member or from above the actuation member. At least a portion of the semitransparent mirror layer may be within the glyph opening. Another portion of the semitransparent mirror layer may be below the substantially opaque mask layer. 
     The semitransparent mirror layer may be between about 60% and about 85% reflective. The semitransparent mirror layer may have a thickness between about 5 microns and about 50 microns. 
     The transparent body may be formed from a material selected from the group consisting of glass, plastic, ceramic, and sapphire. The transparent body may include a top surface defining an input surface of the actuation member, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The semitransparent mirror layer may cover at least part of the side surface. 
     A laptop computer may include a display portion, a display positioned within the display portion, a base portion pivotally coupled to the display portion, a keyboard at least partially surrounded by the base portion and comprising a key, and an optical sensor below the key. The key may include a keycap and a semitransparent mirror layer on a bottom of the keycap. The optical sensor may be configured to receive light through the semitransparent mirror layer and the keycap. The optical sensor may be configured to detect an optical condition indicative of a presence of an object above the keycap. The optical sensor may be configured to detect an optical condition indicative of motion of the keycap. 
     The laptop computer may further include a light source below the keycap and configured to transmit light through the semitransparent mirror layer. The light received by the optical sensor through the semitransparent mirror layer may be the light, from the light source, reflected by an object above the keycap. The keycap may further include an opaque mask layer defining an opening, and the semitransparent mirror layer may be positioned at least partially within the opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts an example electronic device. 
         FIGS. 2A-2B  depict an example key having glyph that includes a semitransparent mirror layer. 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  depict partial cross-sectional views of a key under various lighting conditions. 
         FIG. 4  depicts an example key having an optical sensor below the key. 
         FIGS. 5A-5C  depict example keycap configurations having semitransparent mirror layers. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a process of forming a keycap having a semitransparent mirror layer. 
         FIGS. 7A-7E  depict stages of a process of forming a keycap having a semitransparent mirror layer. 
         FIGS. 8A-8D  depict stages of another process of forming a keycap having a semitransparent mirror layer. 
         FIGS. 9A-9C  depict portions of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  having symbols formed with semitransparent mirror layers. 
         FIG. 10A  depicts another example electronic device. 
         FIG. 10B  depicts a detail view of a portion of a keyboard of the electronic device of  FIG. 10A . 
         FIG. 10C  depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device of  FIG. 10A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims. 
     The embodiments herein are generally directed to input devices, such as keyboards, that include illuminable keycaps or other input mechanisms. For example, keycaps may include glyphs (e.g., symbols indicating letters, numbers, punctuation marks, characters, or other information) that can be illuminated via a light source below the keycap. Illuminating the glyphs may increase their visibility, especially in low-light conditions, allowing users to more easily locate keys and identify their particular function. 
     Described herein are keycaps that include a semitransparent mirror layer on a glyph portion of the keycap. The semitransparent mirror layer, similar to a one-way mirror, can allow light from below the keycap (e.g., from a light emitting diode below the keycap) to pass through to produce an illuminated glyph, but can also reflect light from above the keycap (e.g., ambient light) to produce a visible glyph when the backlighting is not active. Such a keycap may thus present a visually distinctive glyph both when backlit, and when lit externally by ambient light. While the application refers to keycaps, the concepts described herein may equally apply to other types of actuation members, such as button members for buttons, switch members for switches (e.g., toggle switches), and the like. 
     The semitransparent mirror layer may be a thin film or coating of reflective metal deposited on a keycap. For example, an opaque mask layer may be applied to a transparent (e.g., glass or plastic) keycap. The mask layer may define a glyph opening, and the reflective metal may be deposited in the glyph opening. The reflective metal layer may be sufficiently thin that light can pass through the metal layer (e.g., from below the keycap), while also appearing to be substantially opaque and reflective under certain lighting conditions. The resulting key thus has an opaque region, defined by the mask, that surrounds and/or defines the glyph, and a semitransparent mirror in the glyph opening and defining the glyph itself. 
     In some cases, a semitransparent mirror layer may be used in other aspects of an electronic device in order to leverage its unique optical properties. For example, semitransparent mirror layers as described herein may be used to produce a logo, design, text, or any other symbol or indicia that can be backlit while also producing a reflective, mirrored surface when viewed under ambient light. As another example, a semitransparent mirror layer on a keycap or other transparent input surface (e.g., a trackpad surface or a surface of a glass keyboard) may be aligned with an optical sensor that detects light through the semitransparent mirror layer. Such optical sensors may be used, for example, to detect the presence or motion of a keycap, a user&#39;s fingers, or other implements on or above input devices such as keys and trackpads. Semitransparent mirror layers may also be used for input devices other than keyboard keys, and may be used on other types of devices. For example, semitransparent mirror layers may be used on buttons (e.g., power buttons, volume buttons, etc.), sliders (e.g., virtual or physical sliding affordances), or any other affordance for which an illuminable glyph may be useful. Moreover, keys and other input devices with illuminable glyphs may be used in applications other than just laptop computers or other personal electronic devices. For example, illuminable symbols using semitransparent mirror layers may be used for input devices or other visual indicia in industrial machinery, vehicles (e.g., dashboard controls, logos, etc.), desktop computers, elevators, or the like. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an electronic device  100  that may use semitransparent mirror layers to produce symbols that may be reflective under some lighting conditions and backlit or illuminated under other lighting conditions. The electronic device  100  is depicted as a laptop computer, though this is merely one example electronic device that may incorporate semitransparent mirror layers as described herein. Accordingly, the concepts discussed herein may apply equally or by analogy to other electronic devices, including mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), wearable electronic devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, biometric sensors), head-mounted displays, digital media players (e.g., mp3 players), implantable electronic devices, or the like. 
     The electronic device  100  includes an enclosure that includes a base portion  102  and a display portion  103 . The display portion may include a cover  108 , such as a glass, plastic, ceramic, or other substantially transparent material, component, or assembly, attached to the display portion  103  and covering a display. The display portion  103  may be pivotally coupled to the base portion  102 . 
     The base portion  102  may include, support, or surround a keyboard  104  that includes a plurality of keys or key regions. Each key of the keyboard may be positioned within or surrounded by the base portion, which is to say that a key web or other part of the base portion may surround a perimeter of each key, and/or that a key (including a keycap of the key) may extend through, protrude from, and/or be depressible into an opening in the base portion. The keyboard  104  is configured to receive typing inputs via the keys or key regions. As described herein, the keys may include keycaps or other input components or areas that include illuminable glyphs formed at least in part by semitransparent mirror layers (e.g., semitransparent coatings, which may be metal coatings or otherwise include metal). In some cases, the base portion  102  may include a substantially continuous glass cover on which individual key regions are visually distinguished without movable keycaps (as described herein with respect to  FIGS. 10A-10C ). In such cases, as described herein, both glyphs and the borders of individual key regions may be defined by or include semitransparent mirror layers. 
     The base portion  102  may also include other input regions. For example, the electronic device  100  may include, in the base portion  102 , a trackpad  106  that is configured to receive touch and/or force based inputs, such as taps, swipes, gestures, multi-finger inputs, clicks, or the like. The electronic device  100  may also include other input devices such as buttons (a power button, a volume button, or the like), a slider (e.g., a virtual or physical sliding affordance), a fingerprint sensor, or the like. As described herein, the trackpad  106  or any other input device incorporated with the electronic device  100  may also include illuminable glyphs or symbols defined by semitransparent mirror layers or materials. 
     The electronic device  100  may also include a logo  110 , which may include a transparent cover, a semitransparent mirror layer, and a backlight. This configuration, similar to the keycap glyphs described herein, may produce a logo  110  that can be illuminated from behind, but may also appear as opaque and reflective when not illuminated from behind. The logo  110  is shown incorporated with the cover  108 , though logos or other indicia using semitransparent mirror layers may be located or positioned elsewhere on the device  100 , such as on an exterior surface of the display portion  103  or any other suitable location (as shown in  FIG. 9C ). Also, while the logo  110  is shown as a lightning bolt, other symbols or shapes are also possible, including text. 
       FIGS. 2A-2B  are detail views of a region A-A in  FIG. 1 , showing a keycap  200  with a glyph  202  in two different lighting conditions. While  FIGS. 2A-2B  show a keycap (e.g., of a keyboard key), the keycap  200  is also representative of other input devices or surfaces, such as actuation members, buttons, sliders, trackpads, fingerprint sensors, touch and/or force sensitive input regions, and the like. 
     In  FIG. 2A , the keycap  200  is in an ambient light condition (which may be referred to as a first lighting condition). For example, an optical component such as a backlight positioned below the keycap  200  may be off or otherwise not producing enough light to be noticeable to an observer. The glyph  202 , which may include a semitransparent mirror layer as described herein, may reflect ambient light that is incident on the glyph  202 , thereby appearing opaque and producing a highly specular reflection similar to a mirror. The glyph  202  may contrast with the surrounding area  201  of the keycap  200  (which may be defined by an opaque mask), which may produce a diffuse or non-specular reflection of the ambient light, or which may otherwise contrast with the appearance of the glyph  202  under ambient light (e.g., non-backlit) conditions. For example, as described herein, the surrounding area  201  may correspond to an opaque mask layer formed from a dye, ink, film, or the like. 
       FIG. 2B  shows the keycap  200  under a second lighting condition, where light from a light source below the keycap  200  is transmitted through the semitransparent mirror layer to illuminate the glyph  202 . As noted above, the surrounding area  201  may correspond to an opaque mask that blocks light from the light source, thus producing an illuminated glyph  202  with an unilluminated area surrounding the glyph  202 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2A-2B , incorporating a semitransparent mirror layer as described herein produces a glyph  202  that is both opaque and visible under ambient light (e.g., non-backlit) conditions, but is also illuminable by a backlight to produce an illuminated glyph. While the description may refer to an ambient light condition as a non-backlit condition, a backlight may be on or active even in cases where the backlighting is not visible. In particular, due to the optical properties of semitransparent mirrors, the relative intensity of light on both sides of a semitransparent mirror layer determine if the glyph  202  appears as an opaque mirror or as an illuminated glyph. For example, if the ambient light incident on the glyph  202  (e.g., from above the keycap  200 ) is brighter than the light directed through the glyph  202  from below the keycap, the glyph  202  may appear to be opaque and reflective (e.g., not illuminated) even though a backlight may be active. On the other hand, if the light directed through the glyph  202  from below the keycap  200  is brighter than the light incident on the glyph  202  from above the keycap  200 , the glyph  202  may appear illuminated, even if the keycap  200  is being viewed in a relatively bright ambient light condition (e.g., during daytime or in a bright environment). 
     Accordingly, a lighting condition, as used herein, may refer to a particular relative brightness or intensity of light on either side of the glyph  202 , rather than any particular state of a backlight. For example, a first lighting condition may correspond to a condition in which the light incident on the top surface of the glyph  202  is sufficiently brighter than the light incident on the bottom surface of the glyph  202  that the glyph  202  appears as an opaque mirror, and a second lighting condition may correspond to a condition in which the light incident on the top surface of the glyph  202  is sufficiently less bright than the light incident on the bottom surface of the glyph  202  that the glyph  202  appears illuminated. 
       FIGS. 3A-3B  show partial cross-sectional views of a key assembly  300  that includes the keycap  200 , viewed along line B-B in  FIG. 2A .  FIG. 3A  shows the key assembly  300  in a first lighting condition (e.g., ambient), while  FIG. 3B  shows the key assembly  300  in a second lighting condition (e.g., illuminated by a backlight). While the instant discussion relates to a key assembly for a keyboard, it will be understood that the same concepts apply equally or by analogy to other types of input devices, such as mechanical buttons, force and/or touch sensitive input surfaces, fingerprint sensors, or the like. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3B , the key assembly  300  includes a keycap  200  having a top surface (or actuation surface) that a user contacts when actuating or pressing the keycap  200 , and a bottom surface opposite the top surface. The keycap  200  may be formed of glass, plastic, ceramic, sapphire, or the like, and may be transparent or substantially transparent. The keycap  200  may include an opaque mask layer  302  that defines a glyph opening, and a semitransparent mirror layer  304  within the glyph opening. The keycap  200  may be movably supported relative to a substrate  308  (e.g., a printed circuit board or any other suitable substrate) by a keycap support mechanism  306 , which may be a butterfly mechanism (e.g., a butterfly hinge), a scissor mechanism, or any other suitable mechanism or support structure that supports the keycap  200  and allows the keycap  200  to move relative to the substrate (e.g., allows the keycap  200  to move between an undepressed or “up” position and a depressed or “down” position). 
     The key assembly  300  may also include a light source  312  (an optical component) below the keycap  200  and configured to direct light through the semitransparent mirror layer. The light source  312  may be any suitable light source, such as an LED or other light emitting component positioned below the keycap  200  and optionally coupled to the substrate  308 . As another example, the light source  312  may be an outlet or light extraction feature of a light guide, where a light emitting element is positioned remote from the keycap  200  (e.g., not directly under the keycap  200 ). Light may be transmitted from the remote light source through the light guide to the outlet or extraction feature of the key assembly  300 , and optionally to other key assemblies as well. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , light  310  from a source external to the key assembly  300 , such as ambient light around the device  100 , may specularly reflect off of the semitransparent mirror layer  304 , thus producing the appearance of an opaque, mirrored glyph. As shown, the semitransparent mirror layer  304  is positioned on a bottom of the keycap  200 . Accordingly, the light  310  travels through the keycap  200  before and after reflecting off of the semitransparent mirror layer  304 . In some cases, the semitransparent mirror layer  304  and the opaque mask layer  302  may be positioned on a top of the keycap  200 , in which case ambient light may be reflected without passing through the keycap  200 . 
     Because the semitransparent mirror layer  304  is only semitransparent, some of the incident light may be transmitted through the semitransparent mirror layer  304  to an area below the keycap  200 . However, such transmitted light may not be visible from above the keycap  200 , which may partially contribute to the opaque appearance of the glyph. Ambient light transmitted through the semitransparent mirror layer  304  to the area below the keycap  200  is omitted from  FIG. 3A  for clarity. Moreover, as noted above, the light source  312  is shown in  FIG. 3A  as not producing or emitting any light, though it will be understood that if the intensity of the ambient light is high enough relative to the intensity of light emitted from the light source  312  (for a given transmissivity of the mirror layer), the glyph may appear not to be backlit even if the light source is active. 
       FIG. 3B  shows the key assembly  300  in a second lighting condition, where the light source  312  is emitting light  316  that is passing through the semitransparent mirror layer  304 . This light  316  may be visible to an observer, and may produce the appearance of an illuminated glyph. Some of the light  314  emitted from the light source  312  may be directed against the opaque mask layer  302 . Such light may be absorbed or reflected by the opaque mask layer  302 . Because the mask layer  302  is opaque, such light may be blocked or otherwise not transmitted through the keycap  200 , and thus may not be visible to an observer of the key assembly  300 . 
       FIG. 3C  shows another example key assembly  320  that includes a semitransparent mirror layer around a peripheral side surface of a keycap body  322 . For example, the key assembly  320  may include a keycap  321 , which may be substantially similar to the keycap  200  described above, and may be formed of the same or similar materials and have the same or similar optical properties as the keycap  200  (e.g., it may be substantially transparent). The keycap  321  may include a mask layer  324  (similar to the mask layer  302 ) and a semitransparent mirror layer  326  (similar to the semitransparent mirror layer  304 ) positioned in a glyph opening defined by the mask layer  324 . The keycap  321  may also include a semitransparent mirror layer  328  covering at least part of a side surface of the keycap body  322 . The semitransparent mirror layer  328  may be configured to allow only some of the light traveling through the keycap body  322  to escape from the side surface of the keycap  321 . For example, light entering the keycap body  322  from the light source  312  (or from an external or ambient light source) may travel through the material of the keycap body  322  and be directed to the side of the keycap  321 . The semitransparent mirror layer  328  may allow some of the light (arrow  330 ) to pass through the semitransparent mirror layer  328 , while reflecting some of the light back into the keycap body  322  (arrow  332 ). The reflectance or opacity of the semitransparent mirror layer  328  may determine how much light is reflected and how much light is transmitted, thus defining the appearance of the light that surrounds the keycap  321 . 
     As noted above, a semitransparent mirror layer may also be used over an optical sensor (e.g., a type of optical component) to allow the optical sensor to detect light through the semitransparent mirror layer and/or the keycap.  FIG. 4  illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a key assembly  400  (which may also represent other input devices or buttons, as noted above) that includes an optical sensor  408  below a keycap  401  with a semitransparent mirror layer  402 . Due to the partial transmissivity of the semitransparent mirror layer  402 , the optical sensor  408  can detect light through the semitransparent mirror layer  402  (illustrated by arrow  414 ) to detect various light or optical conditions. For example, the optical sensor  408  may detect an optical condition indicative of a presence of an object above the keycap  401 , such as a user&#39;s finger. As another example, the optical sensor  408  may detect an optical condition indicative of movement of the user&#39;s finger or movement of the keycap  401  (e.g., the key being moved up or down due to actuation of the key). The optical sensor  408  may detect such conditions by detecting any suitable property or characteristic of light, such as light intensity, brightness, angle of incidence, luminous flux, or changes in these (or other) properties. 
     The key assembly  400  may also include other optical components, such as a light source  410  that is associated with the optical sensor  408 . The light source  410  may project light (arrow  412 ) towards the keycap  401 , some of which may pass through the semitransparent mirror layer  402  (and the keycap  401 ). The optical sensor  408  may detect a reflected portion of the emitted light (arrow  414 ) to detect or assist in detection of the presence of a finger or movement of a finger or the keycap  401 . The light source  410  and the optical sensor  408  may be configured to emit and detect, respectively, nonvisible light, such as infrared light. 
     The semitransparent mirror layer  402  may prevent the optical sensor  408  and optional light source  410  from being visible to an observer. More particularly, the semitransparent mirror layer  402  may allow the optical sensor  408  to receive light through the keycap  401  (e.g., represented by arrow  414 , regardless of its source), but may also reflect external or ambient light, as represented by arrows  416 . Accordingly, the key assembly  400  may appear to have a fully mirrored, opaque keycap while also providing enough transparency for the optical sensor  408  to function. The keycap  401  may also have a glyph, incorporated in any suitable manner. For example, the keycap  401  may have a mask layer that defines a mirrored glyph, as described herein. As another example, the keycap  401  may have an ink, dye, or paint applied to the keycap  401  to form the glyph. While the instant application describes sensors and light sources, other optical components may be configured to transmit and/or receive light through semitransparent mirror layers as described herein, including displays, lasers, cameras, optical biometric sensors, optical fingerprint sensors, or the like. 
       FIGS. 5A-5C  show partial cross-sectional views of example keycaps that include semitransparent mirror layers as described herein.  FIG. 5A  shows a keycap  500  including a body  501 , a mask layer  502 , and a semitransparent mirror layer  504 . The body  501  may be formed from a substantially transparent material, such as glass, sapphire, plastic, ceramic, resin, or the like. 
     The mask layer  502  defines an opening  505  that defines a glyph (e.g., a character, number, punctuation mark, function indicator, icon, or other symbol). The mask layer  502  may be substantially (e.g., entirely) opaque, thus blocking light from below the keycap  500  from being transmitted through the keycap body  501 . 
     The semitransparent mirror layer  504  is disposed in the opening  505  thus producing a mirrored glyph having a shape that is defined by the shape of the opening  505 . The semitransparent mirror layer  504  may be formed of any material that produces a specular reflection (mirror surface) visible on the keycap, but also allows some light to pass through to illuminate the glyph. For example, the semitransparent mirror layer  504  may include a metal layer or coating (e.g., silver, aluminum, gold, copper, or the like) having a thickness in the glyph region (e.g., in the glyph opening  505 ) of between about 5 microns and about 50 microns. In the glyph opening  505 , the semitransparent mirror layer  504  may have a reflectance (from a top or external surface of the keycap) of between about 10% and about 90% reflective, or between about 40% and about 90% reflective, or between about 60% and about 85% reflective, though other values are also contemplated. The semitransparent mirror layer  504  may also or instead be characterized by a transmissivity of between about 10% and about 90%, between about 40% and about 90%, or between about 60% and about 85%, though other values are also contemplated. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5A , the semitransparent mirror layer  504  is positioned in the glyph opening  505 , and also extends over the mask layer  502  as well. In other embodiments, the semitransparent mirror layer  504  may not extend over the mask layer  502 . For example,  FIG. 5B  shows an example keycap  510  that includes a body  511  and a mask layer  512  (similar to the body  501  and mask layer  502 ), as well as a semitransparent mirror layer  514  that is positioned substantially only in the opening  515 . This may result in a thinner keycap and may use less material than a semitransparent mirror layer that covers an entire bottom surface of the keycap. The semitransparent mirror layer  514  may have the same or similar composition and properties as the semitransparent mirror layer  504 . 
     In some cases, the semitransparent mirror layer may not extend into the opening, but rather may be below the opening such that it is visible through the opening. For example,  FIG. 5C  shows an example keycap  520  that includes a body  521  and a mask layer  522  (similar to the body  501  and mask layer  502 ), as well as a semitransparent mirror layer  524  below the mask layer  522 . The keycap  520  also includes a transparent layer  526  in the glyph opening formed by the mask layer  522 . The transparent layer  526  may be any suitable material, such as a plastic, epoxy, adhesive, or any other suitable material, and may, together with the mask layer  522 , define a substantially planar bottom surface of the keycap on which a substantially flat semitransparent mirror layer  524  of substantially uniform thickness may be deposited or otherwise formed. 
       FIG. 6  is a flow chart showing an example method of forming a keycap having a glyph with a semitransparent mirror layer, as described herein. At operation  602 , a glyph opening is formed on a surface of a keycap body. In some cases, a substantially opaque layer of ink, paint, dye, or other opaque material may be applied to the surface in a manner that directly forms the glyph opening. For example, the layer may be formed by screen printing, pad printing, inkjet printing, or any other suitable process. In other cases, the substantially opaque layer may be applied to or otherwise formed on the keycap, and then a portion of the layer may be removed (e.g., via laser ablation, mechanical ablation, machining, etc.) to define the glyph opening. Any suitable process for forming an opaque layer that defines a glyph opening may be used. 
     At operation  604 , a reflective material is applied within or below the glyph opening. The reflective material may be any suitable material and may be coated or otherwise applied in any suitable manner. For example, the reflective material may be a metal such as silver, aluminum, beryllium, chromium, copper, gold, molybdenum, nickel, and platinum. The reflective material may be applied using a deposition process such as chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, laser metal deposition, direct metal deposition, sputtering or any other suitable deposition process. The reflective material may be built up to a thickness between about 5 and about 50 microns. 
       FIGS. 7A-7E  show partial cross-sectional views of a keycap  700  at various stages of a process of forming a semitransparent mirror glyph on the keycap. The process shown in  FIGS. 7A-7E  may produce a keycap similar to that shown in  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 7A  shows a keycap body  701 , which may be a substantially transparent material such as glass, plastic, ceramic, sapphire, or any other suitable material.  FIG. 7B  shows the keycap body  701  with a glyph mask  702  applied to a bottom surface of the body  701 . The glyph mask  702  may have the shape of a glyph to be included on the keycap  700 . The glyph mask  702  may be any suitable material (e.g., ink, dye, paint, film, etc.) and may be applied in any suitable way (e.g., screen printing, pad printing, ink jet printing, spraying, etc.). The glyph mask  702  may be used to mask an area that is to become the glyph opening in the keycap. 
       FIG. 7C  shows the body  701  after a mask layer  704  has been applied. The mask layer  704  may be a substantially opaque material that is configured to remain on the keycap body  701  to define a cosmetic appearance and provide the border of the glyph opening.  FIG. 7D  shows the body  701  after removal of the glyph mask  702  to form the glyph opening  706 . The glyph mask  702  may be removed in any suitable way, such as via laser etching, physical etching, machining, chemical etching, or any other suitable process, after which a semitransparent mirror layer may be applied. 
       FIG. 7E  shows the keycap  700  after a semitransparent mirror layer  708  is applied. The semitransparent mirror layer  708  may be applied in any suitable manner, as described herein (e.g., physical or chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, etc.). 
       FIGS. 8A-8D  show partial cross-sectional views of a keycap  800  at various stages of another process of forming a semitransparent mirror glyph on the keycap. In particular, the process shown in  FIGS. 8A-8D  may produce a keycap similar to that shown in  FIG. 5B .  FIG. 8A  shows the keycap  800  after a mask layer  802  has been applied to a keycap body  801  and a glyph opening  804  has been formed. This configuration may be achieved as described above with respect to  FIGS. 7A-7D . 
       FIG. 8B  shows the keycap  800  after an intermediate mask layer  806  (e.g., a paint, film, or the like) has been applied over the mask layer  802 . The intermediate mask layer  806  may have an opening that corresponds to the glyph opening  804  to allow a semitransparent mirror material to be deposited in the glyph opening  804  without coating the mask layer  802 . 
       FIG. 8C  shows the keycap  800  after a semitransparent mirror layer  808  has been deposited in the glyph opening  804 . As shown, some of the material that forms the semitransparent mirror layer may have been deposited onto the intermediate mask layer  806  during application of the semitransparent mirror material. 
       FIG. 8D  shows the keycap  800  after the intermediate mask layer  806  has been removed (e.g., by etching, laser, physical removal, peeling, or the like). The process of removing the intermediate mask layer  806  may also remove the excess semitransparent mirror material that was deposited onto the intermediate mask layer  806  during the deposition process. The resulting keycap  800  includes a mask layer  802  on a bottom surface of the keycap  800 , with a semitransparent mirror layer  808  in a glyph opening in the mask layer  802 . The semitransparent mirror layer  808  does not, however, extend substantially outside of the glyph opening. 
     While the foregoing embodiments relate generally to glyphs in keycaps for keyboards, semitransparent mirror layers may be used to form glyphs, logos, or other symbols in other components and for other purposes. For example,  FIGS. 9A-9C  show other example applications for the semitransparent mirror layers described herein. 
       FIG. 9A  shows a portion of the electronic device  100  of  FIG. 1  including the trackpad  106 . The trackpad  106  may be formed from or include a transparent member, such as a glass, plastic, sapphire, etc., defining the input surface. The transparent member may include an opaque mask layer that defines openings in the shape of symbols  900  and  902 , and one or more semitransparent mirror layers may be applied to the cover to produce symbols with a mirror-like surface under ambient light conditions, and an illuminated appearance under backlit conditions. The symbols  900 ,  902  may indicate a function of the trackpad  106 . For example, the up and down arrows  900 ,  902  may indicate that sliding a finger over that portion of the trackpad  106  will scroll or move an interface element being displayed on the device  100 . 
       FIG. 9B  shows a portion of the device  100  that includes the logo  110  described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . The logo  110 , which may be any shape, text, symbol, or the like, may be constructed similarly to the other glyphs and symbols described herein. For example, the cover  108  may be or may include a transparent material with an opaque masking layer. The opaque masking layer may be formed on an interior surface of the cover  108 , and may define an opening corresponding to the logo  110 . A semitransparent mirror layer may be overlaid behind the masking layer and in or over the opening to produce the mirror-like appearance described herein. A light source may be positioned behind the logo  110  to illuminate the logo  110 . 
       FIG. 9C  shows another portion of the device  100  that includes a logo  904 . In this case, the logo may be on an outer portion of the display portion  103 . The logo  904  may include a transparent member with a semitransparent mirror layer applied thereto. The transparent member may be inlaid into an opening in the display portion  103 . In such cases, the logo  904  may exclude a mask layer, such that an entire surface of the logo  904  (or visible portion of the surface) may appear to have a reflective mirror coating. The logo  904  may be associated with a light source. For example, the logo  904  may have a dedicated light source for illuminating the logo  904 . As another example, the logo  904  may receive light from a light source that produces light for a display of the electronic device  100 . In such cases, the logo  904  may be illuminated (e.g., backlit) whenever the display is active, and may appear as an opaque mirror whenever the display is inactive. 
     Semitransparent mirror layers may also be used to define other visible aspects of electronic devices. For example,  FIGS. 10A-10C  depict an example electronic device  1000  that includes semitransparent mirror layers to visually define the borders and glyphs of individual keys of a smooth keyboard surface. The electronic device  1000  may be a laptop computer, and may share the same or similar features and components as the electronic device  100  described above. 
       FIG. 10A  shows an electronic device  1000  having a substrate  1003  on which a keyboard  1002  (e.g., a plurality of individual key regions) is defined by semitransparent mirror layers on the input substrate  1003 . For example, the substrate  1003  may be a transparent substrate, such as plastic, ceramic, glass, or the like, on which mask layers and semitransparent mirror layers are applied to define the borders and glyphs of the key regions. Similar to the description of the glyphs and other symbols described above, the borders and glyphs of the key regions may appear as opaque, mirrored regions under ambient light conditions, and may appear illuminated when backlit. 
       FIG. 10B  is a detail view of area C-C in  FIG. 10A , showing details of an individual key region of the keyboard  1002 . The key region is defined by a border  1004 , and includes a glyph  1006 . The substrate  1003  may be substantially smooth (e.g., a featureless, planar sheet), and the border  1004  and glyph  1006  may be formed on a bottom surface of the substrate  1003 , similar to the keycaps and logos described above. Accordingly, the top of the substrate  1003  that will be touched by a user during typing may lack coatings, paints, or other materials, thus providing a smooth input surface. Moreover, because the materials that define the glyphs and borders of the key regions may be formed on the bottom of the substrate  1003 , the durability of the keyboard  1002  may be increased as the materials will not be subject to wear and abrasion and other damage from typing inputs (or other use or misuse). 
       FIG. 10C  is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the electronic device  1000 , viewed along line D-D in  FIG. 10A . In particular,  FIG. 10C  shows the substrate  1003  and the layers that define the borders and glyphs of key regions  1008  and  1010  of the keyboard  1002 . For example, a substantially opaque mask layer  1013  may be positioned on a bottom surface of the substrate  1003 . The mask layer  1013  may be similar to the mask layers described above (e.g., the mask layer  302 ,  FIGS. 3A-3B ), and may be formed using any of the materials and techniques described above. The mask layer  1013  may define openings that correspond to the borders and glyphs of the key regions  1008 ,  1010 , and semitransparent mirror layers may be positioned in the openings. 
     For example, a semitransparent mirror layer  1012  may define the border of the key region  1008 , and semitransparent mirror layer  1014  may define a glyph of the key region  1008 . Similarly, a semitransparent mirror layer  1016  may define the border of the key region  1010 , and semitransparent mirror layer  1018  may define a glyph of the key region  1010 . The electronic device  1000  may also include a light source below the substrate  1003 . Accordingly, when the light source is active, light may be transmitted through the semitransparent mirror layers  1012 ,  1014 ,  1016 , and  1018  (as well as other semitransparent mirror layers defining other key regions and glyphs) to illuminate the borders and glyphs of all or a subset of the key regions of the keyboard  1002 . And, as described above, because the semitransparent mirror layers are opaque under some lighting conditions (e.g., ambient), each key border and glyph may also be visible and may present an opaque mirrored appearance when the backlight is not active. 
     As shown, the semitransparent mirror layers in  FIG. 10C  are separate layers that are localized to particular openings in the mask layer  1013 , similar to the configuration shown and described with respect to  FIG. 5B . In other examples, multiple glyphs and borders may be produced by a continuous, shared semitransparent mirror layer, similar to the configuration shown and described with respect to  FIG. 5A . In such cases, the semitransparent mirror layer may substantially cover portions of the mask layer  1013  between various glyph and border openings. 
     Also,  FIG. 10A  shows the substrate  1003  as a separate component than another portion of the base portion of the device  1000 . For example, the substrate  1003  may be bordered by a frame  1005  or other structural component that defines a large portion of the top surface of the base portion of the device  1000 . The frame  1005  may partially overlap a top of the substrate  1003  in order to prevent ingress of material into the device  1000 . In other cases, however, the entire top surface of the base portion  1001  is a single, continuous sheet of material, such as glass, plastic, sapphire, ceramic, or the like. In such cases, semitransparent mirror layers may be used to define other input regions or visual indicia on the continuous sheet, such as the border regions of a trackpad region (e.g., the trackpad region  106 ,  FIG. 1 ), logos, symbols, input regions or other affordances (e.g., virtual keys), or the like. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. For example, while the methods or processes disclosed herein have been described and shown with reference to particular operations performed in a particular order, these operations may be combined, sub-divided, or re-ordered to form equivalent methods or processes without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. Moreover, structures, features, components, materials, steps, processes, or the like, that are described herein with respect to one embodiment may be omitted from that embodiment or incorporated into other embodiments.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180427
Publication Date: 20220816
Grant Date: 20220816
Priority Date: 20170905
Inventors: LANCASTER-LAROCQUE, SIMON R.
MATHEW, DINESH C.
LIGTENBERG, CHRISTIAAN A.
SILVANTO, MIKAEL M.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01H2219/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1662", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/03547", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0202", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H9/182", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1662", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21Y2115/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1616", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21V7/28", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/021", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21V7/28", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/021", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H9/182", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1662", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1616", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21Y2115/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 82803034