Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Illuminated input devices
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Application No.: US15170748Application Date: 2016-06-01
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Publication No.: US11360258B1Publication Date: 2022-06-14
- Inventor: Ethan L. Huwe , Glenn K. Trainer , Jun Qi , Rong Liu , Victor H. Yin
- Applicant: Apple Inc.
- Applicant Address: US CA Cupertino
- Assignee: Apple Inc.
- Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Cupertino
- Agency: Treyz Law Group, P.C.
- Agent G. Victor Treyz; Kendall P. Woodruff
- Main IPC: F21V8/00
- IPC: F21V8/00 ; G02B27/30 ; F21V23/04 ; F21V17/10 ; F21Y101/02

Abstract:
An electronic device may have input-output devices such as buttons formed from capacitive touch sensor electrodes. A transparent layer may be provided with opaque masking structures having a symbol-shaped opening aligned with a capacitive touch sensor electrode for a button or other input device. The symbol-shaped opening may be adjacent to the electrode and may be illuminated with light from a lighting system. The lighting system may include a light guide plate. The light guide plate may have edges that are oriented at non-zero angle with respect to each other. Light-emitting diodes of different colors may emit light into the edges. The light may be extracted from the light guide plate using bumps in a light extraction region. Light may be collimated using ribs formed on an opposing side of the light guide plate.
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