초록 ▼

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device may be used as a device for receiving data from a human operator, that is, an LCD device may be used as a keyboard for receiving data from a human operator. The LCD device preferably has a rear substrate, a transparent front plate, a plurality of segments formed

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device may be used as a device for receiving data from a human operator, that is, an LCD device may be used as a keyboard for receiving data from a human operator. The LCD device preferably has a rear substrate, a transparent front plate, a plurality of segments formed on the substrate and on the plate, liquid crystal material disposed between the cover and the substrate and the plate, and means for sealing the liquid crystal material between the substrate and the plate. The front plate material, which may be glass, plastic or other transparent materials, has sufficient flexibility to deflect toward the substrate in response to the application of pressure by the human operator. The application of pressure occurs, for instance, when the human operator depresses selected areas of the LCD device in much the same manner as when a human operator applies pressure to a keyboard to input information. Selected segments of the LCD device are preferably actuated to define one or more areas on the device where the operator may input information and the segments disposed in the regions of the one or more areas are sensed for a change in capacitance between the segments disposed on the substrate and the segments disposed on the front plate, the change in capacitance occurring when the operator applies pressure to the plate and deflects it toward the substrate.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of inputting information to a liquid crystal display device, said device having a plurality of segments suitable for outputting information and a flexible front substrate, said method comprising: activating selected segments of the liquid crystal display device to define selected areas wher

A method of inputting information to a liquid crystal display device, said device having a plurality of segments suitable for outputting information and a flexible front substrate, said method comprising: activating selected segments of the liquid crystal display device to define selected areas where a human operator may input information to the liquid crystal display device by depressing the flexible front substrate thereof; inputting information to the liquid crystal display device by selectively depressing a portion of the flexible front substrate associated with a particular activated selected area to change the impedance between at least one segment pair in the particular activated selected area corresponding to the depressed portion of the flexible front substrate; sensing the impedance between at least one segment pair in each of the activated selected areas; and determining the particular activated selected area corresponding to the portion of the flexible front substrate as selectively depressed by sensing an impedance change between at least one segment pair in the particular activated selected area corresponding to the depressed portion of the flexible front substrate.