IP Library Granted Patent US 7,891,828
Granted Patent B2
US 7,891,828 · App. 12/358,087 · Granted Feb 22, 2011

Electronic device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,891,828
App. No.
12/358,087
Granted
Feb 22, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing and a touch sensor mounted in the housing. The touch sensor further includes a translucent panel provided in a part of the housing, a printed circuit board which senses a touch on the translucent panel by a user, a light source mounted to the printed circuit board, which irradiates light towards the translucent panel, and a diffusion sheet provided between the translucent panel and the light source, which diffuses the light irradiated from the light source. The diffusion sheet further includes a first region formed transparent to directly transmit the light, and a second region frosted to diffuse the light towards an outer peripheral portion of the translucent panel. The second region is provided at a position corresponding to the light source, and the first region is provided to surround the second region.

Claims (31)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing; and

a touch sensor mounted in a part of the housing, wherein the touch sensor further comprising:

a translucent panel including a part indicating at least one of character, pattern and symbol;

a printed circuit board which senses a touch on the translucent panel by a user;

a light emitting diode mounted in the printed circuit board at a position directly opposing the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol, which irradiates light towards the translucent panel; and

a diffusion sheet provided between the translucent panel and the light emitting diode, which diffuses the light irradiated from the light emitting diode, the diffusion sheet further comprising:

a first region formed transparent to directly transmit the light; and

a second region frosted to diffuse the light towards an outer peripheral portion of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol of the translucent panel, wherein

the first region being provided to surround the second region, and

the second region is a region provided at a section of the diffusion sheet, which directly faces the light emitting diode, closer to a center of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol with respect to a virtual pyramid defined by line segments connecting the outer peripheral portions of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol and the light emitting diode to each other.

2. An electronic device comprising:

a housing; and

a touch sensor mounted in a part of the housing, wherein the touch sensor further comprising:

a translucent panel including a part indicating at least one of character, pattern and symbol;

a printed circuit board which senses a touch on the translucent panel by a user;

a light emitting diode mounted in the printed circuit board at a position directly opposing the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol, which irradiates light towards the translucent panel; and

a diffusion sheet provided between the translucent panel and the light emitting diode, which diffuses the light irradiated from the light emitting diode, the diffusion sheet further comprising:

a first region formed transparent to directly transmit the light; and

a second region frosted to diffuse the light towards an outer peripheral portion of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol of the translucent panel, wherein

the first region being provided to surround the second region, and

the second region is a belt-like region including a section of the diffusion sheet, which directly faces the light emitting diode, closer to a center of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol with respect to a virtual pyramid defined by line segments connecting the outer peripheral portions of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol and the light emitting diode to each other.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein in the second region, a degree of cloudiness increases towards a central portion of the second region.

4. An electronic device comprising:

a housing; and

a touch sensor mounted in a part of the housing, wherein the touch sensor further comprising:

a translucent panel including a part indicating at least one of character, pattern and symbol;

a printed circuit board which senses activity on the translucent panel, the printed circuit board including a light emitting diode directly opposite the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol; and

a diffusion sheet provided between the translucent panel and the light emitting diode and diffusing light irradiated from the light emitting diode, the diffusion sheet comprises a first region and a second region, wherein

the first region being transparent and surrounding the second region; and

the second region to diffuse the light towards an outer peripheral portion of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol of the translucent panel, the second region provided at a section of the diffusion sheet directly facing the light emitting diode and being situated toward a center of the part indicating said at least one of character, pattern and symbol so that light obliquely irradiated from the light emitting diode is not subjected to diffusion by the second region.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2018
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA CLIENT SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 048991/0183 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2009
From: NAKAMURA, TOSHIKATSU
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 022145/0024 →