Piezoelectric Haptic Keyboard Backlight Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to create a thinner and more lightweight keyboard for information handling systems while maintaining effective haptic feedback and backlighting, as traditional keyboards with mechanical components are bulky and prone to wear.
Innovation Solution
The integration of piezoelectric elements and a dual-purpose contact foil layer that provides both electrical coupling for haptic feedback and LED backlighting, eliminating the need for additional mechanical components like scissor mechanisms and light guide layers, thereby reducing the overall thickness and weight of the keyboard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If traditional mechanical components (scissor mechanisms, light guide layers) are used in keyboard construction, then structural support and light guidance functions are achieved, but keyboard thickness and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the contact foil layer: it serves as both the electrical contact layer for piezoelectric elements and the light guide layer for LED backlighting. This merging eliminates the need for separate mechanical support structures and light guide components, directly reducing keyboard thickness and component count while maintaining both haptic feedback and backlighting functions
Solution Approach 2:
The contact foil is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: providing electrical coupling for piezoelectric sensors, guiding light from LEDs for backlighting, and serving as a structural element in the keyboard stack. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated separate components, resolving the contradiction between thinness and functional complexity
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional mechanical components are added for structural support, then keyboard stability is improved, but weight and thickness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact foil layer is integrated to provide both electrical functionality and structural support, eliminating the need for separate mechanical support components. This integration maintains keyboard stability through the distributed structure of the contact foil while significantly reducing overall weight by removing redundant mechanical elements
3Length of moving object
If piezoelectric elements are integrated without additional mechanical components, then keyboard thickness is reduced, but electrical coupling for haptic feedback must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The contact foil is designed to simultaneously provide electrical coupling for piezoelectric elements needed for haptic feedback while serving as the light guide for backlighting. This multi-functional design ensures that haptic feedback reliability is maintained through proper electrical connections without requiring additional mechanical components that would increase thickness
4Illumination intensity
If separate light guide layers are used for LED backlighting, then light distribution is improved, but keyboard thickness and component count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact foil layer is designed to function as both the electrical contact layer and the light guide layer for LED backlighting. By merging these two functions into a single layer, the patent reduces the total number of layers in the keyboard stack while maintaining effective light distribution for backlighting, directly addressing the contradiction between illumination quality and structural complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution results in a more robust and thinner keyboard with improved haptic feedback and reduced mechanical wear, allowing for increased space within the information handling system for other components and enhanced portability.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the actuation location of the input actuation device and generate an electrical charge
Implementation Method 2
A light emitting diode may be operably coupled to the contact foil to provide backlighting for the keyboard
Data Source
AI summary
A backlit haptic keyboard of an information handling system may comprise a contact foil placed between a coversheet and a support layer, operatively coupling an LED controller to an LED via metallic traces printed upon a top surface of the contact foil and operatively coupling a piezoelectric element to a keyboard controller via metallic traces printed upon a bottom surface of the contact foil. The system may further comprise the LED placed between the coversheet and the contact foil, and a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at a key and generate an electric actuation signal. A keyboard controller of the information handling system may receive an electric actuation signal from the piezoelectric element via the bottom metallic traces and send an electrical haptic response control signal to the piezoelectric element to cause it to generate haptic feedback at the key.