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Apple Files for OLED Keyboard Patent

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the prior-art dept.

pegdhcp writes to mention that Apple has applied for a patent on a 'dynamically controlled keyboard' with OLED keys. This may seem remarkably familiar, since an OLED keyboard has been bandied about by Art Lebedev studios for quite a while now. "while the Optimus Maximus is a bit expensive, Apple could certainly mass-produce something similar for less money, perhaps bringing the price into reality for most users. Lebedev has, however, apparently applied for several patents for the Optimus, so it's unclear just what Apple is up to, or what would happen if the company were ever to release such a product."

5 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Patent Fight *or* License from Art. Lebedev? by Zymergy · · Score: 4, Informative

    IANAL, but it seems that Art. Lebedev Studio could just negotiate a fat licensing fee for the technology/idea with Apple and both would win from the collaboration...?
    Surely that beats a costly Patent fight?
    What about Prior Art?
    Re: Optimus Keyboard With OLED Display Keys http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/14/1335215
    Re: Optimus OLED Keyboard Pre-Orders Start Dec. 12 http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/19/1911235

    I would love to see this technology in an affordable Laptop/Notebook keyboard. (Particularly one that has open source GPL'd base drivers.)

  2. Watch the "prior art" screaming start by Infonaut · · Score: 5, Informative

    Until you've read the actual claims in a patent, it is impossible to know what Apple is actually attempting to patent. The fact that the description is of an OLED keyboard doesn't mean that prior art will negate the claims any more than the existence of LCD screens would necessarily invalidate a patent on an LCD screen.

    Now to settle in and watch the ill-informed rants about patent law multiply like rodents. Anyone have any popcorn?

    --
    Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
  3. Re:apple fanboys by MACC · · Score: 5, Informative

    15 years ago you could buy keyboards with an lcd display in each and
    every keycap.

    Now please tell me the difference to that.

    This is not old but ancient stuff.

    G!
    MACC

  4. What about Prior Art by Udo+Schmitz · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yeah, what about Prior Art? You think Lebedev was first? Check the Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Maximus_keyboard which has links to http://www.unitedkeys.com/ and http://lcd-keys.com/english/history.htm

  5. Re:apple fanboys by MACC · · Score: 4, Informative

    Thanks for the link: http://lcd-keys.com/english/history.htm

    1984! , even earlier than I remembered.

    The first image from the top
              http://www.e3-keys.com/images/image012.jpg
    is the one I had in mind.

    G!
    MACC