Can dynamically display different symbols, Apple's new patent shows the future MacBook backlit keyboard

Thanks to CTOnews.com netizens Wu Yanzu in South China for the delivery of clues! CTOnews.com, December 16 (Xinhua)-- Apple's latest technology patent suggests that in the future, the MacBook's backlit keyboard will provide a separate light source for each keystroke and will improve durability through a glowing keycap.

In order to improve the ease of use of notebook keyboards in low light conditions, manufacturers usually introduce keyboard backlight to illuminate the letters of the keys. However, since most of the keycaps are made of plastic, the English alphabet paint on the keycaps may be rubbed off with use, making it difficult to read.

CTOnews.com learned from Apple's patent description that Apple has designed a new key structure in which each keycap includes a top, a bottom, and a series of holes through the top and bottom. A lamp array is attached to the bottom surface of the key cap, and each lamp in the array corresponds to a perforation, which is connected to the bottom plate under the key cap and the light array, and a moving switch for detecting the base plate corresponding to the key cap.

In some embodiments, the perforated array is arranged in a rectangular grid. The perforated array may not be visible to the human eye. The punch array may include at least one punch having a tapered diameter. The key cap may further include at least partially transparent material, at least partially filling at least some of the perforations of the perforation array. The light array can be controlled to selectively display a first glyph or a second glyph through a perforated array.

Apple points out that the keyboard's keycap can be made of materials (such as aluminum) that are not normally used in traditional keyboards. Therefore, the keyboard key cap can have a top surface that matches the appearance of the keyboard housing surface, and the keyboard key cap can also have a metal surface around it.