Keyboard control mechanism and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of electronic equipment, in particular to a keyboard control mechanism and electronic equipment. The keyboard control mechanism comprises an operation part, an installation part and a light-emitting part, the operation part is connected with a device main board and used for carrying out moving operation on a cursor displayed on a picture of the information input device, installation feet are formed on the operation part, and a refraction structure is formed on the operation part; a mounting hole is formed in the mounting part, and the mounting foot penetrates through the mounting hole and is connected with the mounting part; the light-emitting part is arranged at the bottom of the operation part, the light-emitting part is connected with a keyboard backlight light bar and then connected with a device mainboard, and light emitted by the light-emitting part can penetrate through the operation part and is guided to the top of the operation part through the refraction structure. According to the keyboard backlight module, the light-emitting part and the keyboard backlight module are integrated to form a new module, the operation part is lightened, and better experience can be provided for a user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent relates to the technical field of electronic equipment, and in particular to a keyboard operating mechanism and electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] Input operations for computers and other information processing machines and devices generally rely on keyboards, mice, pointing sticks, trackballs, and later touch pads, etc.

[0003] Traditional pointing sticks have no lighting effects, have a poor user experience, and cannot meet the needs of some users for lighting effects. Summary of the invention

[0004] This patent provides a keyboard operating mechanism and an electronic device to at least solve the above technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] The first aspect of the present invention provides a keyboard operating mechanism, comprising:

[0006] An operating unit connected to the device mainboard and used to move a cursor displayed on a screen of the information input device, wherein the operating unit is formed with a mounting foot and a refractive structure;

[0007] A mounting portion, formed with a mounting hole, wherein the mounting foot passes through the mounting hole and is connected to the mounting portion;

[0008] A light emitting component is arranged at the bottom of the operating part. The light emitting component is connected to the keyboard backlight strip and then to the device mainboard. The light emitted by the light emitting component can pass through the operating part and is guided to the top of the operating part by the refraction structure.

[0009] Furthermore, the device mainboard controls the light emitted by the light emitting element according to the currently running application program.

[0010] Furthermore, the operating rod is made of light-guiding material.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a light shielding layer, which is arranged on the operating part and surrounds the light-emitting component.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a keycap, which is arranged on the top of the operating part and is made of a light-transmitting material. The light emitted by the light-emitting component can pass through the operating part and is guided to the keycap by the refraction structure.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a first circuit and a second circuit, wherein the first circuit is connected to the keyboard backlight circuit board and the light-emitting element respectively, and one end of the second circuit is connected to the device mainboard, and the other end is connected to the keyboard backlight circuit board.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a controller, which is connected to the mainboard of the device.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a plurality of sensor elements, which are arranged on the operating part and are used to detect the deflection amounts of a plurality of positions of the operating part.

[0016] Furthermore, the light-emitting element includes a plurality of LED lamps.

[0017] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, comprising the keyboard operating mechanism described in the first aspect.

[0018] The technical solution provided by this patent embodiment has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0019] The keyboard operating mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present patent includes an operating part, a mounting part and a light-emitting part; the operating part is connected to the main board of the device, and is used to move the cursor displayed on the screen of the information input device, the operating part is formed with a mounting foot, and the operating part is formed with a refraction structure; the mounting part is formed with a mounting hole, the mounting foot passes through the mounting hole and is connected to the mounting part, so that the operating part can stand up; the light-emitting part is arranged at the bottom of the operating part, and the light-emitting part is connected to the main board of the device after being connected to the keyboard backlight strip, and the light emitted by the light-emitting part can pass through the operating part and the refraction structure guides the light to the top of the operating part. In this embodiment, the light-emitting part is integrated with the keyboard backlight module to form a new module, and the operating part is lit, which can provide users with a better experience.

[0020] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of this patent, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this patent. Other features of this patent will become easy to understand through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above and other purposes, features and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become readily understood by reading the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present invention are shown in an exemplary and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0022] In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts.

[0023] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the keyboard operating mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 2 The structure diagram of the keyboard operating mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 ;

[0025] Figure 3 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the keyboard operating mechanism provided by an embodiment of this patent is shown.

[0026] Explanation of the numbers in the figure: 1. Operating part; 11. Mounting foot; 12. FPC of operating part; 2. Mounting part; 21. Mounting hole; 3. Light-emitting component; 4. Device main board; 5. First circuit; 6. Second circuit; 7. Keycap; 8. Interface for connecting the keyboard backlight circuit to the system circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, features, and advantages of this patent more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this patent will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this patent. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this patent, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this patent, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0028] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the keyboard operating mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes an operating part 1, a mounting part 2 and a light-emitting part 3; the operating part 1 is connected to the device mainboard 4, and is used to move the cursor displayed on the screen of the information input device. The operating part 1 is formed with a mounting foot 11. Optionally, the operating part 1 and the mounting foot 11 are an integrated structure, and the operating part 1 is formed with a refraction structure; the mounting part 2 is formed with a mounting hole 21, and the mounting foot 11 passes through the mounting hole 21 and is connected to the mounting part 2, so that the operating part 1 can stand up. Optionally, the mounting foot 11 passes through the mounting hole 21 and is connected to the mounting part 2 by hot melting; the light-emitting part 3 is arranged at the bottom of the operating part 1, and the light-emitting part 3 is connected to the device mainboard 4 after being connected to the keyboard backlight strip. The light emitted by the light-emitting part 3 can pass through the operating part 1 and the refraction structure guides the light to the top of the operating part 1. In this embodiment, the light-emitting part 3 is integrated with the keyboard backlight module to form a new module, and the operating part 1 is lit, which can provide a better experience for the user.

[0029] Optionally, the mounting portion 2 may be a bracket, and the bracket may support the operating portion 1 .

[0030] The operating part 1 can be a plastic part, which can penetrate the force of finger contact and can also conduct and refract light. Specifically, the operating part 1 can be made of materials such as PC or ABS.

[0031] The FPC 12 of the operation part connects the operation part 1 with the device main board 4 and is used for the operation part 1 and the device main board 4 to communicate.

[0032] Optionally, the light emitting element 3 is connected to the FPC of the backlight module. Specifically, the FPC of the backlight module adds two pins so that the chip on the mainboard connected to the keyboard backlight module can control the light emitting element 3.

[0033] FPC is an insulating material with a material impedance value of more than 1010Ω. It is usually an insulating soft board. Specifically, it can be a material that can carry circuits, such as Membrane, FPC, FFC, Polyamide or FR4.

[0034] The light emitting element 3 can be refracted through the operating portion 1 to illuminate the operating portion 1 or the front of the key cap 7 located above the operating portion 1. The device mainboard 4 can control the light emitting element 3 to be turned on and off.

[0035] Specifically, the device mainboard 4 includes a circuit board, the circuit board is connected to a power source, the light-emitting element 3 is connected to the circuit board, and the light-emitting element 3 can be controlled to be turned on and off through the circuit board.

[0036] Optionally, the light emitting element 3 may be any structure capable of emitting light, for example, any light source such as a light emitting diode (LED) or a cold cathode tube.

[0037] Optionally, the operating portion 1 is annular, and a plurality of sensor elements are provided between the operating portion 1 and the mounting portion 2. The sensor element is a strain gauge, and the sensor is connected to the device mainboard 4, and current flows steadily into the plurality of sensor elements. When an operation is performed to apply a force that causes the operating portion 1 to tip over, the resistance value of at least part of the sensor elements changes. Since current flows into the sensor elements, the change in voltage caused by the change in resistance value can be detected. By calculating the change in voltage by the circuit unit, the direction in which the operating portion 1 tips over and the magnitude of the pressing force (tipping amount) can be detected.

[0038] The keyboard operating mechanism provided by this patent has a simple structure, low requirements for new manufacturers, and is conducive to reducing costs. It can add a variety of lighting functions to allow users to better distinguish it from other brands. The lighting process of the lighting part 3 can extend multi-functional applications and increase the user's context and experience.

[0039] In some specific embodiments, when the TPQM (Track Point Quick Menu) is triggered, the light emitting element 3 will light up. The brightness of the light can be controlled by the keyboard hot key (Fn+); when the device is turned on, it will light up in a breathing light mode; when the copilot key is activated, it will flash; when in sleep mode, it will flash slowly if a message is received.

[0040] In some specific implementations, the operating portion 1 can be designed as a transparent light guide column, so that the operating portion 1 can guide the light generated by the light-emitting element 3 upward, thereby lighting up the operating portion 1 and providing a better experience for the user.

[0041] In some specific implementations, the device mainboard 4 controls the light emitted by the light emitting element 3 according to the currently running application. The light emitting process of the light emitting element 3 can be different, thereby increasing the context and experience of the user.

[0042] In some specific implementations, the operating rod is made of a light-conducting material so that the scattered light emitted by the light-emitting element 3 can pass through.

[0043] In some specific implementations, the keyboard operating mechanism further includes a light shielding layer, which is disposed on the operating portion 1 and surrounds the light emitting element 3 to reduce the possibility of light scattering to the surroundings.

[0044] In some specific embodiments, the keyboard operating mechanism also includes a keycap 7, which is arranged on the top of the operating part 1. The keycap 7 is made of a light-transmitting material. The light emitted by the light-emitting component 3 can pass through the operating part 1 and is guided to the keycap 7 by the refraction structure.

[0045] The key cap 7 is an insulating material with a material impedance value of more than 1012Ω. It is mainly used as a contact interface for light and force transmission, and can be specifically made of materials such as NBR or silicone.

[0046] The light-emitting component 3 is disposed below the key cap 7 , and the power supply module is connected to the light-emitting component 3 .

[0047] The inner side surface of the key cap 7 extends in the direction of the mounting portion 2 to form a cylindrical fixing portion with one end open, and the fixing portion is cylindrical.

[0048] In some specific implementations, a first circuit 5 and a second circuit 6 are further included, wherein the first circuit 5 is connected to the keyboard backlight circuit board and the light-emitting element 3 respectively, and one end of the second circuit 6 is connected to the device mainboard 4, and the other end is connected to the keyboard backlight circuit board. In this embodiment, the system can control the on and off of the light-emitting element 3, and the light-emitting element 3 is integrated with the keyboard backlight module to form a new module, so as to light up the operating unit 1 and provide a better experience for the user.

[0049] The first circuit 5 is provided with an interface 8 for connecting the keyboard backlight circuit to the system circuit.

[0050] The first circuit 5 and the second circuit 6 may be sheet-shaped circuits or strip-shaped circuits.

[0051] In some specific implementations, a controller is further included, and the controller is connected to the device mainboard 4. The controller can control the on and off of the light emitting element 3 and the brightness and light emitting mode of the light emitting element 3, which can provide a better experience for the user.

[0052] The controller can pull the potential up or down through PWM, and the light-emitting diode will have a light-emitting effect after the voltage difference is generated. When the power supply 5v enters, the controller pulls the voltage potential to 0v through PWM to generate a 5v voltage difference to make the LED light up, so the GND pin can be omitted. If PWM is pulled high, the LED will not light up, and if PWM is pulled low, the LED will light up.

[0053] PWM (Pulse-width modulation) is the abbreviation of pulse width modulation. Pulse width modulation is a method of digitally encoding analog signal levels. Pulse width modulation PWM is a way to reduce the average power transmitted by the electrical signal by dispersing the effective electrical signal into discrete forms. Therefore, according to the area equivalence law, the waveform of the corresponding amplitude and frequency required for synthesis can be equivalently obtained by changing the time width of the pulse. Realizing digital control of analog circuits can significantly reduce system cost and power consumption. Many microcontrollers and digital signal processors (DSPs) already include PWM controller chips, so digital control can be implemented more easily. PWM signals adjust changes in signals, energy, etc. by adjusting changes in duty cycle.

[0054] In some specific embodiments, a plurality of sensor elements are further included, and the plurality of sensor elements are disposed on the operating portion 1 for detecting the deflection amounts at a plurality of positions of the operating portion 1. When a force is applied to tilt the operating portion 1, the deflection amounts at least at some positions change, thereby being able to detect the tilting direction of the operating portion 1 and the magnitude of the pressing force (tilting amount).

[0055] In some specific embodiments, the light emitting element 3 includes a plurality of LED lights. By controlling the on and off of the plurality of LED lights and the brightness and light emission mode of the light emitting element 3 through the device mainboard 4 or the controller, a better experience can be provided for the user.

[0056] The electronic device provided by the embodiment of this patent can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, etc., as long as any electronic device including a physical keyboard can be used. The electronic device provided by the embodiment of this patent includes the keyboard operating mechanism provided by the embodiment of this patent. Since the electronic device provided by the embodiment of this patent has the same advantages as the keyboard operating mechanism provided by the embodiment of this patent, they will not be repeated here.

[0057] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps recorded in this patent can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the expected results of the technical solution of this patent can be achieved, and this document does not limit it here.

[0058] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this patent, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0059] The above are only specific implementations of this patent, but the protection scope of this patent is not limited to this. Any technician familiar with this technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this patent, which should be covered by the protection scope of this patent. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A keyboard operating mechanism, characterized in that: include: An operating unit (1) is connected to a device mainboard (4) and is used to move a cursor displayed on a screen of the information input device, wherein the operating unit (1) is provided with a mounting foot (11) and a refractive structure; A mounting portion (2) is formed with a mounting hole (21), and the mounting foot (11) passes through the mounting hole (21) and is connected to the mounting portion (2); A light emitting component (3) is arranged at the bottom of the operating part (1); the light emitting component (3) is connected to the keyboard backlight strip and then to the device mainboard (4); the light emitted by the light emitting component (3) can pass through the operating part (1) and the refraction structure guides the light to the top of the operating part (1).

2. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device mainboard (4) controls the light emitted by the light-emitting element (3) according to the currently running application program.

3. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operating rod is made of light-guiding material.

4. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a light shielding layer, which is arranged on the operating portion (1) and surrounds the light emitting element (3).

5. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a key cap (7), wherein the key cap (7) is arranged on the top of the operating part (1), and the key cap (7) is made of a light-transmitting material, and the light emitted by the light-emitting element (3) can pass through the operating part (1) and the refractive structure guides the light to the key cap (7).

6. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a first circuit (5) and a second circuit (6), wherein the first circuit (5) is connected to the keyboard backlight circuit board and the light-emitting element (3) respectively, and the second circuit (6) has one end connected to the device mainboard (4) and the other end connected to the keyboard backlight circuit board.

7. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a controller, which is connected to the device mainboard (4).

8. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a plurality of sensor elements, which are arranged on the operating part (1) and are used to detect the deflection amounts at a plurality of positions of the operating part (1).

9. The keyboard operating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light-emitting element (3) comprises a plurality of LED lamps.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: A keyboard operating mechanism comprising any one of claims 1 to 9.

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