Keyboard assembly with interchangeable keys and method of operating the same
US12131875B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 9, 2021 |
| Grant date | Oct 29, 2024 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 9, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05K2201/10053
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
There is a keyboard assembly for a handheld device, including a housing having a first section and a second section. The keyboard assembly has a plurality of slots formed on the first section. A printed circuit board (PCB) is disposed between the first and second sections. A key mat is sandwiched between the first section and the PCB, the key mat having a plurality of fixed keys and a plurality of interchangeable keys, each key protruding from the key's corresponding slot on the first section. Each interchangeable key has a unique identity, such that when each interchangeable key is replaced onto another slot on the first section, the interchangeable key's unique identity remains with the interchangeable key.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.