公开(公告)号：JP2002260478A

公开(公告)日：2002-09-13

申请号：JP2001056321

申请日：2001-03-01

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： KAMEI NOBUYUKI ,  NAKANISHI TORU ,  KITANAKA AKIHIKO

IPC: G06F1/26 ,  G06F1/16 ,  G06F3/02 ,  H01H13/02 ,  H01H13/14 ,  H01H13/702 ,  H01L35/28 ,  H01L35/32 ,  H01H13/70

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard that a user can recognize the keys of a notebook personal computer even if it is used in the dark in an airplane and the like. SOLUTION: The keyboard 10 comprises a board 34, a membrane 30, an elastic member 17, a cover sheet 22, and key tops 12, all made of light transmitting material, and is also provided with a light emitting means 39 emitting light from under the board 34 toward the key tops 12. As the key tops are illuminated, the characters displayed on the key surfaces 56 of the key tops 12 become recognizable, so that a key operation error can be prevented. A thermoelectric generating element 42 is used as the power source for emitting the light from the light emitting means 39, so that the working time of the battery of the notebook personal computer is not reduced by the illumination.