Keyboard switch design for ultra-thin computing devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a keyboard switch design for ultra-thin computing devices. In one embodiment, a keyboard includes keys disposed in respective apertures of a housing, a set of first conductive pads coupled to the respective keys, and a set of second conductive pads coupled to a surface of the housing defining the respective apertures. The key is configured such that the first conductive pad of the key is not in contact with the second conductive pad of the aperture corresponding to the key when the key is in a first position (e.g., not actuated), and the first conductive pad of the key is in contact with the second conductive pad of the aperture corresponding to the key when the key is in a second position (e.g., actuated).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to keyboard switch designs for ultra-thin computing devices. Background Art

[0002] A mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer) may include a keyboard that uses a flexible printed circuit (FPC) located beneath a set of keys. The keys may be actuated by a user to cause contact between conductive pads coupled to the keys and conductive pads of the FPC beneath the keys. The FPC includes conductive pads (e.g., those beneath each key), traces, and / or circuits to provide signals to a computing device component (e.g., a processor) that one or more keys have been actuated by the user. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device, comprising: a shell defining a plurality of holes; a plurality of keys, each key being arranged in a corresponding hole of the shell; a group of first conductive pads, each first conductive pad being coupled to a corresponding key; and a group of second conductive pads, each second conductive pad being coupled to a surface of the shell defining a corresponding hole; wherein, when the key is in a first position, the first conductive pad of the key does not contact the second conductive pad of the hole corresponding to the key, and when the key is in a second position, the first conductive pad of the key contacts the second conductive pad of the hole corresponding to the key.

[0004] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computing device is provided, comprising: a cover; and a base coupled to the cover, the base comprising: a lower housing portion; an upper housing portion coupled to the lower housing portion, the upper housing portion comprising a group of holes; and a group of keys, each key being arranged in a corresponding hole of the upper housing portion; wherein each key comprises a first conductive pad coupled to a bottom surface of the key, wherein the upper housing portion comprises a second conductive pad located on a surface defining each corresponding hole, and the group of keys is arranged so that when the key is actuated, the first conductive pad of the key contacts the corresponding second conductive pad.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided, comprising: a keyboard, the keyboard comprising: a shell; a conductive trace coupled to a surface of the shell; a group of keys, each key comprising a conductive pad coupled to the key; and wherein actuation of a particular key causes the conductive pad coupled to the particular key to be electrically connected to the conductive trace coupled to the surface of the shell; and a circuit coupled to the keyboard, the circuit receiving a signal from the conductive trace of the shell based on the actuation of the key. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 An example computing device is shown in which aspects of the present disclosure may be incorporated.

[0007] Figure 2A A conventional keyboard switch design is shown.

[0008] Figure 2B Example keyboard switch designs according to aspects of the present disclosure are shown.

[0009] Figure 3 Another example keyboard switch design according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 4 Yet another example keyboard switch design according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 5 Still another example keyboard switch design according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 6 An example keyboard addressing scheme that may be used in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 7 An example block diagram of a computing device is shown in which aspects of the present disclosure may be incorporated.

[0014] Figure 8 is a block diagram of computing device components that may be included in a mobile computing device incorporating aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary processor unit capable of executing instructions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Various aspects of the present disclosure provide a keyboard switch mechanism that can allow for a thinner keyboard, and thereby a thinner computing device. In current laptop computing devices, for example, the keyboard thickness may be between 3-4 mm, and in some cases may account for about 30-40% of the overall computing device thickness. Various aspects of this document can allow for a reduction in overall keyboard thickness by incorporating actuation circuitry near, within, or around the keys, rather than incorporating actuation circuitry under the keys as in some current designs (e.g., those that use flexible printed circuits (FPCs) under the keys).

[0017] In the following description, specific details are set forth, but aspects of the technology described herein can be implemented without these specific details. Well-known circuits, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of this description. "One embodiment", "various embodiments", "some embodiments", etc. may include features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic.

[0018] Some embodiments may have some, all, or none of the features described for other embodiments. "First," "second," "third," and the like describe common objects and represent different instances of the same object referred to. Such adjectives do not mean that the objects so described must be in a given order in time or space, in a ranking or in any other way. "Connected" may mean that elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other, and "coupled" may mean that elements cooperate or interact with each other, but they may or may not be in direct physical or electrical contact. Terms modified by the word "substantially" include arrangements, orientations, spacings, or positions that are slightly different from the meaning of the unmodified terms. For example, a description of a cover of a mobile computing device that can rotate to substantially 360 degrees relative to the base of the mobile computing device includes a cover that can rotate to within a few degrees of 360 degrees relative to the base of the device.

[0019] The description may use the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," "in some embodiments," and / or "in various embodiments," each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like, used with respect to various aspects of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

[0020] Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, in which similar or identical reference numerals may be used to designate identical or similar parts in different figures. The use of similar or identical reference numerals in different figures does not imply that all figures including similar or identical reference numerals constitute a single or identical embodiment. Similar reference numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various embodiments discussed in this document by way of example and not by way of limitation.

[0021] In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding thereof. However, it is apparent that the novel embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate their description. It is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the scope of the claims. Although aspects of the present disclosure may be used in any suitable type of computing device, the following examples describe example mobile computing devices / environments in which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0022] Figure 1An example computing device 100 is shown in which aspects of the present disclosure may be incorporated. The computing device 100 may be a laptop mobile computing device (as shown) or another type of mobile computing device with a similar form factor, such as a foldable tablet or a smartphone. In some cases, aspects of the present disclosure may be incorporated into a stand-alone display monitor with a user-facing camera, which may be connected to a computing device that controls the display and camera.

[0023] The computing device 100 includes a housing including a lid 123 having an A cover 124 that is a "world-facing" surface of the lid 123 when the computing device 100 is in a closed configuration and a B cover 125 that includes a display 121 facing the user when the lid 123 is open (e.g., as shown). The computing device 100 also includes a base 129 having a C cover 126 that includes a keyboard 122 that faces upward when the device 100 is in an open configuration (e.g., as shown) and a D cover 127 that forms the bottom of the base 129. In some embodiments, the base 129 includes the main computing resources of the device 100 (e.g., host processor unit(s), graphics processor unit (GPU)), as well as a battery, memory, and storage, and communicates with the lid 123 via wires passing through a hinge 128 that connects the base 129 to the lid 123. In some embodiments, computing device 100 may be a dual display device with a second display that includes a portion of C-cover 126. For example, in some embodiments, an "off-screen display" (AOD) may occupy an area of ​​the C-cover below the keyboard that is visible when cover 123 is closed. In other embodiments, the second display screen covers a majority of the surface of the C-cover, and a removable keyboard may be placed above the second display screen, or the second display screen may present a virtual keyboard to allow keyboard input.

[0024] The example keyboard designs described herein may be implemented in a computing device such as device 100, for example, using C-cap 126 of device 100 to arrange traces as described below.

[0025] Figure 2A A conventional keyboard switch design 200 is shown, while Figure 2B An example keyboard switch design embodiment 250 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2A, example design 200 includes a keyboard mechanical frame 220 on which a keyboard flexible printed circuit (FPC) 222 is located. Frame 220 can be located within a housing of a device incorporating the keyboard design, for example, between a C cover and a D cover of a laptop computing device such as device 100. FPC 222 includes circuitry, such as traces and conductive pads (e.g., 230B) for providing signals to one or more components (e.g., a processor) of a computing device incorporating FPC 222. Design 200 includes C cover 224 (e.g., Figure 1 C cover 126), in which a key 226 of the keyboard is located. In the example shown, key 226 is actuated by a spring (e.g., 228), but the key can be actuated by other mechanisms (e.g., a scissor switch key mechanism or a "butterfly" mechanism). As used herein, actuation of a key can refer to the key being pressed or otherwise moved (e.g., moved by a user) so that the key generates a signal indicating that the key has been selected. For example, in the example shown, key 226A is not actuated (e.g., not pressed by a user), while key 226B is actuated (e.g., pressed by a user). Similarly, key 236A is not actuated, while key 236B is actuated. In each of the examples shown, actuation causes an electrical connection to be established between a conductive pad coupled to the key and another conductive pad, which results in the generation of an electrical signal to indicate that the key has been actuated / selected.

[0026] As shown, each key 226 is disposed within a hole of the C cover 224 and includes a conductive pad 230A coupled thereto. The conductive pad 230A is arranged so that it does not contact the corresponding conductive pad 230B of the keyboard FPC 222 when the key is not actuated, and contacts the corresponding conductive pad 230B of the keyboard FPC 222 when the key is actuated. The contact between the pads 230A, 230B can cause current and / or voltage to flow in the FPC 222 and accordingly signal that the key 226B has been actuated.

[0027] In contrast, Figure 2BThe example keyboard switch design 250 includes a conductive pad 240B coupled to the bottom side of the C cover 234, and the pad 240B is coupled to the surface of the C cover defining the hole in which the corresponding key is located. In the example shown, the pad 240A is coupled to the inclined lower surface of the key 236 (i.e., inclined relative to the top surface 238 of the key 236 and / or the side surface 239 of the key 236 (in some embodiments, it can be orthogonal to the surface 238)), the pad 240B is coupled to the inclined surface of the C cover 234, and the pads 240 are substantially parallel to each other (e.g., parallel to each other within a range of + / - 5-10°). In addition, the key 236 in the example design 250 includes a portion 237 extending away from the main body of the key, and the portion 237 includes an inclined surface. In the example shown, the portion 237 is at least partially located below the overhang portion 235 of the C cover 234. As shown, the inclined surface of the C cover 234 including the pad 240B is located below the overhang portion 235.

[0028] Pad 240B may be coupled to a trace (eg, 240C) that is also coupled to the underside of C-cap 234. As shown, key 236 includes a conductive pad 240A on an outer bottom surface. Figure 2B The pads 240A and 240B can be respectively connected to Figure 2A That is, when the key is actuated (e.g., Figure 2B When the key is not actuated (e.g., when the key is not actuated), the pad 240A coupled to the key comes into contact with the pad 240B located on the underside of the C cover 234, causing current and / or voltage to flow and accordingly signaling that the key has been actuated. Figure 2B In the key 236A shown, the pads 240A, 240B are not in contact with each other.

[0029] As shown, the keys of the example design 250 can implement the same spring-based or spring-like actuation mechanism as conventional designs, so that the user's tactile feel is not changed compared to current designs, and the reliability of current designs is not changed (i.e., reduced). In addition, since the FPC 222 is no longer required, the example design 250 also allows for a reduction in the stack height of the lower portion of the computing device (e.g., the base of a laptop computing device) that incorporates the keyboard. For example, in some cases, this can reduce the stack height by approximately 0.3 mm, which can account for approximately 10% of the keyboard height. Since the FPC is no longer required, devices incorporating the design can therefore provide a reduced carbon footprint because the FPC manufacturing, transportation, storage, etc. is no longer required.

[0030] In some embodiments, keyboard design 250 can also provide other advantages. For example, keyboard design 250 can provide a watertight or waterproof seal between the top side of C cover 234 and the bottom side of C cover 234. For example, in some embodiments, when the key is not actuated, the upper surface of key 236A (i.e., portion 237 extending away from key 236) can contact the lower surface of portion 235 of C cover 234. In addition, keyboard design 250 can provide better key backlighting because no FPC or other components (e.g., components in conventional design 200) are required under key 236. In addition, example keyboard design 250 can be easier to assemble than conventional design 200. For example, the keycaps can be simply pressed into place and secured in place with snaps.

[0031] Figure 3 Another example keyboard switch design 300 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In the example shown, the design 300 includes a keyboard mechanical frame 320 that is the same as or similar to the keyboard mechanical frames described above. As shown, the design 300 includes a C-cap 324 having an "underhang" portion 325 that extends downwardly and outwardly below a key 326. As shown, the key 326 includes a conductive pad 330A on the bottom surface, and the underhang portion 325 of the C-cap 324 includes a conductive pad 330B. Figure 3 The pads 330A and 330B can be respectively connected to Figure 2B pads 240A, 240B have the same general function. That is, when the key is actuated (e.g., Figure 3 When the key 336B is shown, the pad 330A coupled to the key comes into contact with the pad 330B located on the underside of the C cover 324, causing current and / or voltage to flow in the trace coupled to the C cover 324 (e.g., enter or leave the page), and accordingly signaling that the key has been actuated. Conversely, when the key is not actuated (e.g., Figure 3 In the key 326A shown, the pads 330A, 330B are not in contact with each other.

[0032] Figure 4 Yet another example keyboard switch design 400 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In the example shown, the design 400 includes a keyboard mechanical frame 420 that is the same as or similar to the keyboard mechanical frame described above. The design 400 is generally similar to Figure 2B 250, but employs a spring mechanism 428 that is different from the spring mechanism 228. For example, as shown, the example design 400 includes a conductive pad 440B coupled to the bottom side of the C-cap 434, and the key 236 includes a conductive pad 440A located on the outer bottom surface. The pads 440A, 440B can be implemented with the respective Figure 2BThe pads 240A and 240B of the key are the same general function. That is, when the key is actuated (e.g., as shown in the key 436B), the pad 440A coupled to the key comes into contact with the pad 440B located on the underside of the C cover 434, so that current and / or voltage flow and accordingly signal that the key has been actuated. Conversely, when the key is not actuated (e.g., as shown in the key 436A), the pads 440A and 440B are not in contact with each other.

[0033] The spring mechanism 428 in the illustrated example is arc-shaped, similar to a leaf spring, and when the key 436 is actuated (e.g., as key 436B), the spring mechanism 428 compresses to push the key back upward when not pressed. In some embodiments, as shown, for example, the spring mechanism 428 can be a conductive metal in contact with the pad 440A. In some embodiments, the pad 440A can be a continuous shape that forms the spring mechanism 428 for its corresponding key 436. In other embodiments, the spring mechanism 428 is formed of a different material (e.g., a non-conductive material) than the pad 440A.

[0034] Although the above examples are described as implementing a signaling scheme in which pressing / actuating a key results in a connection between a pad of the key (e.g., 240A) and a pad of the C cover (e.g., 240B), which causes current (or voltage) to flow and signals key actuation, other embodiments may implement a scheme in which a connection between the pads of the key / C cover indicates that the key is not actuated, and a lack of connection between the pads of the key / C cover indicates that the key is actuated.

[0035] Figure 5 Still another example keyboard switch design 500 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, the example design 500 is similar to Figure 2B The example design shown and described above, but realizes such scheme, wherein the connection indication key between the pads of button / C cover is not actuated, and the unconnected indication key actuation between the pads of button / C cover.For example, as shown in the figure, button 536 includes pad 540A on the upper surface, which extends outward from button 536 and is located below a part of C cover 534.As shown in the figure, C cover 534 includes pad 540B on the bottom surface, which extends toward button 536 and is located above a part of button 536.As shown in the figure, when the button is not actuated (for example, as shown in button 536A), pads 540A, 540B contact each other, so that current or voltage passes.However, different from the example described before, in this example, current / voltage indication is not actuated.When the button is actuated (for example, as shown in button 536B), pads 540A, 540B are disconnected / not in contact with each other, which indicates button actuation in this example.

[0036] Figure 6 An example keyboard addressing scheme 600 that can be used according to embodiments of the present invention is shown. The example scheme 600 is shown with respect to a specific keyboard layout; however, the concepts of the example scheme 600 described below can be applied to any other type of keyboard layout, for example, having a keyboard layout with a larger size than a keyboard. Figure 6 Keyboard layouts with greater numbers of keys and / or additional keys as shown.

[0037] The example addressing scheme 600 includes rows 610 and columns 620, which can allow a device (e.g., a processor of a computing device) to detect which key has been actuated. In some embodiments, a voltage or current can be driven along the row, and the actuation of the key can connect the row trace with the column trace. The voltage / current can be driven by a keyboard controller circuit or other suitable circuit coupled to the keyboard. The voltage / current can be driven in each row in a scanning manner, i.e., first in row 0, then row 1, then row 2, then row 3, and so on. Based on scanning and detecting the voltage / current in a particular column trace, the device can determine which key has been actuated. For example, if key A is actuated, the device can detect the voltage / current in column 0 when row 1 is driven, thereby determining that key A has been actuated (e.g., rather than the Q, Shift, or Ctrl keys in the same column). In other embodiments, the voltage / current can be driven from the column side instead, and the key actuation is detected by the voltage / current at a particular row (based on the scan time).

[0038] The rows and columns shown may represent electrical traces in the C-cap described above (e.g., 240B). However, these traces may not be located at Figure 6 Rather, the electrical pads / traces of the C cover can traverse the keyboard in any suitable manner (e.g., can be routed around each respective key), and the pads connected to the keys can be configured in any suitable manner to connect the row and column traces in the C cover. As an example, the pads / traces connected to the keys can run to the left and top of the keys to connect the row and column traces.

[0039] Figure 7 An example block diagram of a computing device that may incorporate aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The example mobile computing device shown implements a lid controller hub (e.g., 755) having various circuits that enable a reduction in the number of wires across the hinge of the device (i.e., from the base 710 to the lid 720). However, other embodiments may not implement a lid controller hub as shown and described below (e.g., such functionality may be implemented within the SoC 740).

[0040] The computing device 700 includes a base 710 connected to a lid 720 by a hinge 730. The mobile computing device (also referred to herein as a "user device") 700 may be a laptop or a mobile computing device having a similar form factor. The base 710 includes a host system-on-a-chip (SoC) 740, which includes one or more processor units integrated with one or more additional components such as a memory controller, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a cache, an image processing module, and other components described herein. The base 710 may further include a physical keyboard, a touchpad, a battery, a memory, a storage device, and an external port. The lid 720 includes an embedded display panel 745, a timing controller (TCON) 750, a lid controller hub (LCH) 755, a microphone 758, one or more cameras 760, and a touch controller 765. The TCON 750 converts the video data 790 received from the SoC 740 into a signal that drives the display panel 745.

[0041] The display panel 745 can be any type of embedded display in which the display elements responsible for generating light or allowing light to pass through are located in each pixel. Such displays may include TFT LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display), micro LED (micro light emitting diode (LED), OLED (organic LED) and QLED (quantum dot LED) displays. The touch controller 765 drives the touch screen technology used in the display panel 745 and collects touch sensor data provided by the touch screen technology used. The display panel 745 may include a touch screen that includes one or more dedicated layers for implementing touch capabilities, or an "in-cell" or "on-cell" touch screen technology that does not require a dedicated touch screen layer.

[0042] Microphone 758 may include a microphone located in the bezel of the cover or an in-display microphone located in the display area (the area of ​​the panel that displays content). One or more cameras 760 may similarly include a camera located in the bezel or an in-display camera located in the display area.

[0043] The LCH 755 includes an audio module 770, a vision / imaging module 772, a security module 774, and a host module 776. The audio module 770, the vision / imaging module 772, and the host module 776 interact with the lid sensor and process the sensor data generated by the sensor. The audio module 770 interacts with the microphone 758 and processes the audio sensor data generated by the microphone 758, the vision / imaging module 772 interacts with the one or more cameras 760 and processes the image sensor data generated by the one or more cameras 760, and the host module 776 interacts with the touch controller 765 and processes the touch sensor data generated by the touch controller 765. A synchronization signal 780 is shared between the TCON 750 and the LCH 755. The synchronization signal 780 can be used to synchronize the sampling of the touch sensor data and the delivery of the touch sensor data to the SoC 740 with the refresh rate of the display panel 745 to achieve a smooth and responsive touch experience at the system level.

[0044] As used herein, the phrase "sensor data" may refer to sensor data generated or provided by a sensor, as well as sensor data that has been subsequently processed. For example, image sensor data may refer to sensor data received at a frame router interface in a vision / imaging module, as well as processed sensor data output by a frame router processing stack in a vision / imaging module. The phrase "sensor data" may also refer to discrete sensor data (e.g., one or more images captured by a camera) or a sensor data stream (e.g., a video stream generated by a camera, an audio stream generated by a microphone). The phrase "sensor data" may further refer to metadata generated from sensor data, such as a gesture determined from touch sensor data or head orientation or facial landmark information generated from image sensor data.

[0045] The audio module 770 processes the audio sensor data generated by the microphone 758 and, in some embodiments, enables features such as: voice wake-up (exiting the device 700 from a low power state when voice is detected in the audio sensor data), speaker ID (exiting the device 700 from a low power state when the voice of an authenticated user is detected in the audio sensor data), acoustic context awareness (e.g., filtering out unwanted background noise), voice and speech pre-processing to condition the audio sensor data for further processing by the neural network accelerator, dynamic noise reduction, and audio-based adaptive thermal solutions.

[0046] The vision / imaging module 772 processes the image sensor data generated by the one or more cameras 760 and can enable features such as face wake-up (exiting the device 700 from a low power state when a face is detected in the image sensor data) and face ID (exiting the device 700 from a low power state when an authenticated user's face is detected in the image sensor data). In some embodiments, the vision / imaging module 772 can enable one or more of the following features: head orientation detection, determining the location of facial landmarks (e.g., eyes, mouth, nose, eyebrows, cheeks) in an image, and multi-face detection.

[0047] The host module 776 processes the touch sensor data provided by the touch controller 765. The host module 776 is capable of synchronizing touch-related actions with the refresh rate of the embedded panel 745. This allows synchronization of touch and display activities at a system level, which provides an improved touch experience for any application operating on the mobile computing device.

[0048] Hinge 730 can be any physical hinge that allows base 710 and lid 720 to be rotatably connected. Wires passing through hinge 730 include wires for transmitting video data 790 from SoC 740 to TCON 750, wires for transmitting audio data 792 between SoC 740 and audio module 770, wires for providing image data 794 from vision / imaging module 772 to SoC 740, wires for providing touch data 796 from LCH 755 to SoC 740, and wires for providing data 798 determined from image sensor data and other information generated by LCH 755 from host module 776 to SoC 740. In some embodiments, data shown as being transmitted between SoC and LCH through different sets of wires is transmitted through the same set of wires. For example, in some embodiments, all of the different types of data shown can be sent through a single PCIe-based or USB-based data bus.

[0049] In some embodiments, the lid 720 is removably attached to the base 710. In some embodiments, the hinge can allow the base 710 and the lid 720 to rotate substantially 360 degrees relative to each other. In some embodiments, the hinge 730 carries fewer wires to communicatively couple the lid 720 to the base 710 relative to existing computing devices that do not have an LCH. The reduction in wires across the hinge 730 can result in lower device costs, not only because of the reduction in wires, but also because it is a simpler electromagnetic and radio frequency interface (EMI / RFI) solution.

[0050] Figure 7 The components shown in the base of the mobile computing device can be located in the base housing, and Figure 7 The components shown located in the cover of the mobile computing device may be located in a cover housing.

[0051] Figure 8 is a block diagram of computing device components that may be included in a mobile computing device incorporating aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the components shown may be, for example, Figure 7 is implemented in the SoC 740. Generally, Figure 8 The illustrated components may communicate with other illustrated components including those in a lid controller hub, but for ease of illustration, not all connections are shown. Component 800 includes a multi-processor system including a first processor 802 and a second processor 804 and is illustrated as including a point-to-point (PP) interconnect. For example, a point-to-point (PP) interface 806 of processor 802 is coupled to a point-to-point interface 807 of processor 804 via a point-to-point interconnect 805. It will be appreciated that Figure 8 Any or all of the point-to-point interconnects shown may alternatively be implemented as a multi-drop bus, and Figure 8 Any or all of the buses shown may be replaced by point-to-point interconnects.

[0052] like Figure 8 As shown, processors 802 and 804 are multi-core processors. Processor 802 includes processor cores 808 and 809, and processor 804 includes processor cores 810 and 811. Processor cores 808-811 may be combined in a manner similar to the following. Fig. 9 The computer executable instructions may be executed in the manner discussed or otherwise.

[0053] Processors 802 and 804 also include at least one shared cache memory 812 and 814, respectively. Shared caches 812 and 814 can store data (e.g., instructions) used by one or more components of the processor (e.g., processor cores 808-809 and 810-811). Shared caches 812 and 814 can be part of a memory hierarchy of the device. For example, shared cache 812 can locally store data that is also stored in memory 816 to allow components of processor 802 to access the data faster. In some embodiments, shared caches 812 and 814 can include multiple cache layers, such as level 1 (L1), level 2 (L2), level 3 (L3), level 4 (L4) and / or other caches or cache layers, such as a last level cache (LLC).

[0054] Although two processors are shown, the device may include any number of processors or other computing resources, including those in the lid controller hub. In addition, the processor may include any number of processor cores. The processor may take various forms, such as a central processing unit, a controller, a graphics processor, an accelerator (e.g., a graphics accelerator, a digital signal processor (DSP) or an artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator)). The processor in the device may be the same as or different from other processors in the device. In some embodiments, the device may include one or more processors that are heterogeneous or asymmetric with a first processor, an accelerator, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other processor. There may be various differences between the processing elements in the system in terms of the range of value metrics including architecture, microarchitecture, thermal characteristics, power consumption characteristics, etc. These differences actually manifest themselves as asymmetry and heterogeneity between the processors in the system. In some embodiments, processors 802 and 804 reside in a multi-chip package. As used herein, the terms "processor unit" and "processing unit" may refer to any processor, processor core, component, module, engine, circuit, or any other processing element described herein. A processor unit or processing unit may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. The lid controller hub may include one or more processor units.

[0055] Processors 802 and 804 also include memory controller logic (MC) 820 and 822. Figure 8 As shown, MCs 820 and 822 control memories 816 and 818 coupled to processors 802 and 804, respectively. Memories 816 and 818 may include various types of memory, such as volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM)) or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, solid-state drive, chalcogenide-based phase change non-volatile memory). Although MCs 820 and 822 are illustrated as being integrated into processors 802 and 804, in alternative embodiments, the MCs may be logic external to the processors and may include one or more layers of a memory hierarchy.

[0056] Processors 802 and 804 are coupled to an input / output (I / O) subsystem 830 via PP interconnects 832 and 834. Point-to-point interconnect 832 connects a point-to-point interface 836 of processor 802 and a point-to-point interface 838 of I / O subsystem 830, and point-to-point interconnect 834 connects a point-to-point interface 840 of processor 804 and a point-to-point interface 842 of I / O subsystem 830. Input / output subsystem 830 also includes an interface 850 that couples I / O subsystem 830 to a graphics module 852, which may be a high-performance graphics module. I / O subsystem 830 and graphics module 852 are coupled via bus 854. Alternatively, bus 854 may be a point-to-point interconnect.

[0057] The input / output subsystem 830 is further coupled to the first bus 860 via an interface 862. The first bus 860 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI Express (PCIe) bus, another third generation I / O (input / output) interconnect bus, or any other type of bus.

[0058] Various I / O devices 864 may be coupled to the first bus 860. A bus bridge 870 may couple the first bus 860 to a second bus 880. In some embodiments, the second bus 880 may be a low pin count (LPC) bus. Various devices may be coupled to the second bus 880, including, for example, a keyboard / mouse 882, an audio I / O device 888, and a storage device 890, such as a hard drive, a solid-state drive, or other storage device for storing computer executable instructions (code) 892. The code 892 may include computer executable instructions for performing the techniques described herein. Other components that may be coupled to the second bus 880 include (one or more) communication devices or components 884, which may use one or more communication standards (e.g., IEEE 802.11 standards and their supplements) to provide communication between the device and one or more wired or wireless networks 886 (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular or satellite networks) through one or more wired or wireless communication links (e.g., wires, cables, Ethernet connections, radio frequency (RF) channels, infrared channels, Wi-Fi channels).

[0059] The device may include removable memory, such as a flash memory card (e.g., an SD (Secure Digital) card), a memory stick, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. The memory in the computing device (including cache 812 and 814, memory 816 and 818, and storage device 890, and memory in the lid controller hub) can store data and / or computer executable instructions for executing an operating system 894 or application 896. Example data includes web pages, text messages, images, sound files, video data, sensor data, or any other data received from the lid controller hub, or other data sets sent by the device to one or more network servers or other devices and / or received from one or more network servers or other devices via one or more wired or wireless networks, or other data sets for use by the device. The device may also access external memory (not shown), such as an external hard drive or cloud-based storage.

[0060] The operating system 894 can control Figure 8 The components shown are allocated and used to support one or more applications 896. Applications 896 may include common mobile computing device applications (e.g., email applications, calendars, contact managers, web browsers, messaging applications) and other computing applications.

[0061] The device may support a variety of input devices, such as a touch screen, microphone, camera (monocular or stereo), trackball, touchpad, trackpad, mouse, keyboard, proximity sensor, light sensor, pressure sensor, infrared sensor, electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor, galvanic skin response sensor, and one or more output devices, such as one or more speakers or displays. Any input or output device may be internal, external, or detachably attached to the device. External input and output devices may communicate with the device via a wired or wireless connection.

[0062] In addition, the computing device may provide one or more natural user interfaces (NUIs). For example, the operating system 894, the applications 896, or the lid controller hub may include voice recognition as part of a voice user interface that allows a user to operate the device through voice commands. In addition, the device may include input devices and components that allow a user to interact with the device through body, hand, or facial gestures.

[0063] The device may further include one or more communication components 884. Component 884 may include a wireless communication component coupled to one or more antennas to support communication between the device and an external device. The antenna may be located in a base, a cover, or other portion of the device. The wireless communication component may support various wireless communication protocols and technologies, such as near field communication (NFC), IEEE 1002.11 (Wi-Fi) variants, WiMax, Bluetooth, Zigbee, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). In addition, a wireless modem may support communication with one or more cellular networks to perform data and voice communications within a single cellular network, between cellular networks, or between a mobile computing device and a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

[0064] The device may further include at least one input / output port (which may be, for example, a USB, IEEE 1394 (Firewire), Ethernet, and / or RS-232 port) including a physical connector; a power source (e.g., a rechargeable battery); a satellite navigation system receiver, such as a GPS receiver; a gyroscope; an accelerometer; and a compass. The GPS receiver may be coupled to a GPS antenna. The device may further include one or more additional antennas coupled to one or more additional receivers, transmitters, and / or transceivers to enable additional functionality.

[0065] Figure 8 An example computing device architecture is illustrated. Computing devices based on alternative architectures may be used to implement the techniques described herein. For example, a computing device may include a Figure 8 Instead of processors 802 and 804 and graphics module 852 being located on separate integrated circuits, one or more components of the SoC (system on chip) integrated circuit shown may be located on a discrete integrated circuit. In one example, the SoC may include multiple processor cores, buffer memory, display driver, GPU, multiple I / O controllers, AI accelerator, image processing unit driver, I / O controller, AI accelerator, image processing unit. In addition, the computing device may be connected to the Figure 8 Different bus or point-to-point configurations are shown to connect components. Figure 8 The components shown in the drawings are not required or all-inclusive, as shown components may be removed and other components may be added in alternative embodiments.

[0066] Fig. 9900 is a block diagram of an example processor unit 900 that executes computer-executable instructions. Processor unit 900 can be any type of processor or processor core, such as a microprocessor, an embedded processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor, or an accelerator. Processor unit 900 can be a single-threaded core or a multi-threaded core in that it can include more than one hardware thread context (or "logical processor") in each core.

[0067] Fig. 9 Also shown is a memory 910 coupled to the processor 900. The memory 910 may be any memory described herein or any other memory known to those skilled in the art. The memory 910 may store computer executable instructions 915 (code) executable by the processor unit 900.

[0068] The processor core includes front-end logic 920 that receives instructions from memory 910. Instructions may be processed by one or more decoders 930. Decoders 930 may generate micro-operations such as fixed-width micro-operations of a predetermined format as their output, or generate other instructions, micro-instructions, or control signals that reflect the original code instructions. Front-end logic 920 further includes register renaming logic 935 and scheduling logic 940, which generally allocate resources and queue operations corresponding to converting instructions for execution.

[0069] The processor unit 900 also includes execution logic 950, which includes one or more execution units (EU) 965-1 to 965-N. Some processor core embodiments may include multiple execution units dedicated to specific functions or function sets. Other embodiments may include only one execution unit or an execution unit that can perform specific functions. The execution logic 950 performs the operations specified by the code instructions. After completing the execution of the operations specified by the code instructions, the back-end logic 970 uses the retirement logic 975 to retire the instructions. In some embodiments, the processor unit 900 allows out-of-order execution of instructions, but requires orderly retirement of instructions. The retirement logic 975 can take various forms known to those skilled in the art (e.g., a reorder buffer, etc.).

[0070] Processor unit 900 is transformed during instruction execution, at least in terms of the output generated by decoder 930, the hardware registers and tables used by register renaming logic 935, and any registers (not shown) modified by execution logic 950. Fig. 9 Although not shown, the processor may include other elements located on an integrated chip with the processor unit 900. For example, the processor may include additional elements such as memory control logic, one or more graphics modules, I / O control logic, and / or one or more caches.

[0071] As used in any embodiment herein, the term "module" refers to logic that can be implemented in a hardware component or device, software or firmware running on a processor, or a combination thereof to perform one or more operations consistent with the present disclosure. Software may be embodied as a software package, code, instruction, instruction set, and / or data recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Firmware may be embodied as code, instructions, or instruction sets and / or data hard-coded (e.g., non-volatile) in a storage device. As used in any embodiment herein, the term "circuit" may include, for example, hard-wired circuits, programmable circuits (e.g., a computer processor including one or more individual instruction processing cores), state machine circuits, and / or firmware storing instructions executed by programmable circuits, either alone or in any combination. The modules described herein may be collectively or individually embodied as circuits that constitute a part of one or more devices. Therefore, any module may be implemented as a circuit, for example, a continuous item set generation circuit, an entropy-based discretization circuit, etc. A computer device referred to as being programmed to perform a method may be programmed to perform a method by software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0072] In some embodiments, the lid controller hub is a packaged integrated circuit that includes the components described herein as part of the lid controller hub (modules, ports, controllers, drivers, timers, blocks, accelerators, processors, etc.). The lid controller hub components can be implemented as dedicated circuits, programmable circuits operating firmware or software, or a combination thereof. Therefore, modules can be referred to alternatively as "circuits" (e.g., "image preprocessing circuits"). Modules can also be referred to alternatively as "engines" (e.g., "security engines," "host engines," "visual / imaging engines," "audio engines"), and the "engines" can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In addition, lid controller hub modules (e.g., audio modules, visual / imaging modules) can be combined with other modules, and individual modules can be split into independent modules.

[0073] The purpose of using reference signs in the claims and description is to aid understanding of the claims and the description and is not intended to be limiting.

[0074] Any disclosed method can be implemented as computer executable instructions or computer program products. These instructions can enable a computer or one or more processors that can execute computer executable instructions to perform any disclosed method. In general, as used herein, the term "computer" refers to any computing device or system described or mentioned herein, or any other computing device. Therefore, the term "computer executable instructions" refers to instructions that can be executed by any computing device described or mentioned herein, or any other computing device.

[0075] Computer executable instructions or computer program products, as well as any data created and used in implementing the disclosed technology, may be stored on one or more tangible or non-transitory computer readable storage media, such as optical media disks (e.g., DVDs, CDs), volatile memory components (e.g., DRAM, SRAM), or non-volatile memory components (e.g., flash memory, solid-state drives, chalcogenide-based phase change non-volatile memory). Computer readable storage media may be included in computer readable storage devices, such as solid-state drives, USB flash drives, and memory modules. Alternatively, computer executable instructions may be executed by specific hardware components containing hardwired logic for performing all or part of the disclosed methods, or by any combination of computer readable storage media and hardware components.

[0076] Computer executable instructions can be, for example, a dedicated software application, or a software application accessed through a web browser, or part of other software applications (e.g., remote computing applications). Such software can be read and executed by, for example, a single computing device, or using one or more networked computers in a network environment. In addition, it will be understood that the disclosed technology is not limited to any particular computer language or program. For example, the disclosed technology can be implemented by software written in C++, Java, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Adobe Flash, or any other suitable programming language. Likewise, the disclosed technology is not limited to any particular computer or any particular type of hardware.

[0077] In addition, any software-based embodiment (including, for example, computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform any disclosed method) can be uploaded, downloaded, or remotely accessed via appropriate communication means. Such appropriate communication means include, for example, the Internet, the World Wide Web, an intranet, cables (including fiber optic cables), magnetic communications, electromagnetic communications (including RF, microwave, and infrared communications), electronic communications, or other such communication means.

[0078] As used in the application and claims, a list of items connected by the term "and / or" may refer to any combination of the listed items. For example, the phrase "A, B, and / or C" may refer to A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C. In addition, as used in the application and claims, a list of items connected by the term "at least one of..." may refer to any combination of the listed terms. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, or C" may refer to A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C. In addition, as used in the application and claims, a list of items connected by the term "one or more of..." may refer to any combination of the listed terms. For example, the phrase "one or more of A, B, and C" may refer to A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C.

[0079] The disclosed methods, apparatuses, and systems should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed to all novel and non-obvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations with each other. The disclosed methods, apparatuses, and systems are not limited to any particular aspect or feature, or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed embodiments require the existence of any one or more particular advantages or the resolution of any one or more particular problems.

[0080] Although the operations of some disclosed methods are described in a particular order for ease of presentation, it will be understood that this description encompasses rearrangement unless the specific language herein requires a particular ordering. For example, the operations described in order may in some cases be rearranged or performed simultaneously. In addition, for simplicity, the accompanying drawings may not show the various ways in which the disclosed methods may be used in conjunction with other methods.

[0081] Other examples of the present disclosure include the following non-limiting embodiments. Each of the following non-limiting examples can exist independently, or can be arbitrarily arranged or combined with any one or more other examples provided below or in the present disclosure.

[0082] Example 1 is a device comprising: a shell defining a plurality of holes; a plurality of keys, each key being disposed in a corresponding hole of the shell; a group of first conductive pads, each first conductive pad being coupled to a corresponding key; a group of second conductive pads, each second conductive pad being coupled to a surface of the shell defining a corresponding hole; wherein, when the key is in a first position, the first conductive pad of the key is not in contact with the second conductive pad of the hole corresponding to the key, and when the key is in a second position, the first conductive pad of the key is in contact with the second conductive pad of the hole corresponding to the key.

[0083] Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1, wherein the second position corresponds to actuation of a key.

[0084] Example 3 includes the subject matter of Example 1 or 2, wherein a surface of the housing to which the second conductive pad is coupled is substantially parallel to a surface of the key to which the first conductive pad is coupled.

[0085] Example 4 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-3, wherein each key includes a portion extending away from the body of the key, the portion being disposed below an overhanging portion of the housing that at least partially defines the hole, and wherein a first conductive pad is coupled to the portion of the key extending away from the body of the key.

[0086] Example 5 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-3, wherein each first conductive pad is located on a lower surface of the key, and each second conductive pad is located on a surface of the housing disposed below the key.

[0087] Example 6 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-5, wherein each key is coupled to a spring-like mechanism and to a mechanical frame within the housing.

[0088] Example 7 includes the subject matter of Example 6, wherein the spring-like mechanism is a scissor switch mechanism.

[0089] Example 8 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-7, further comprising a conductive trace coupled to the housing and the second conductive pad.

[0090] Example 9 includes the subject matter of Example 8, wherein the conductive traces include first traces arranged in rows and second traces arranged in columns, wherein the first traces and the second traces are coupled to each other at intersections of the rows and columns through a second conductive pad.

[0091] Example 10 includes the subject matter of Example 9, further comprising: circuitry to apply electrical signals to the first traces and detect actuation of the plurality of keys based on signals received via the second traces.

[0092] Example 11 includes the subject matter of Example 9, further comprising: circuitry to apply an electrical signal to the second trace and detect actuation of the plurality of keys based on the signal received via the first trace.

[0093] Example 12 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-11, wherein the apparatus is a laptop computing device, the housing is a base portion of the laptop computing device, and the surface of the housing defining the aperture is a C-cap of the base.

[0094] Example 13 includes the subject matter of Example 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises a lid portion coupled to the base portion via a hinge.

[0095] Example 14 includes the subject matter of Example 12, including a processor and a memory located within the housing.

[0096] Example 15 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 1-14, wherein the apparatus does not include a flexible printed circuit board located below the key.

[0097] Example 16 is a computing device comprising: a lid; and a base coupled to the lid, the base comprising: a lower housing portion; and an upper housing portion coupled to the lower housing portion, the upper housing portion comprising a group of holes; a group of keys, each key being disposed in a corresponding hole of the upper housing portion; wherein each key comprises a first conductive pad coupled to a bottom surface of the key, the upper housing portion comprises a second conductive pad located on a surface defining each corresponding hole, and the group of keys are arranged so that when the key is actuated, the first conductive pad of the key contacts the corresponding second conductive pad.

[0098] Example 17 includes the subject matter of Example 16, wherein each key includes a portion extending away from the body of the key, the portion being disposed below an overhanging portion of the housing that at least partially defines the hole, and wherein the first conductive pad is coupled to the portion of the key extending away from the body of the key.

[0099] Example 18 includes the subject matter of Example 16, wherein each first conductive pad is located on a lower surface of the key, and each second conductive pad is located on a surface of the housing disposed below the key.

[0100] Example 19 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 16-18, wherein each key is coupled to a spring-like mechanism and to a mechanical frame within the housing.

[0101] Example 20 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 16-19, further comprising: a conductive trace coupled to the upper housing and a second conductive pad; and a circuit for applying electrical signals to a first subset of the conductive traces and detecting actuation of a key based on the electrical signals received via a second subset of the conductive traces.

[0102] Example 21 includes the subject matter of Example 20, wherein the conductive traces include first traces arranged in rows and second traces arranged in columns, wherein the first traces and the second traces are coupled to each other at intersections of the rows and columns through a second conductive pad.

[0103] Example 22 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 16-21, wherein the lid and the base are coupled via a hinge.

[0104] Example 23 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 16-22, further comprising a display located in the cover.

[0105] Example 24 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 16-23, further comprising a processor and a memory located in the base.

[0106] Example 25 is a system comprising: a keyboard comprising: a housing; a conductive trace coupled to a surface of the housing; a set of keys, each key comprising a conductive pad coupled to the key; and wherein actuation of a particular key causes the conductive pad coupled to the particular key to electrically connect with the conductive trace coupled to the surface of the housing; and a circuit coupled to the keyboard, the circuit receiving a signal from the conductive trace of the housing based on the actuation of the key.

[0107] Example 26 includes the subject matter of Example 25, wherein each key includes a portion extending away from the body of the key, the portion being disposed below an overhanging portion of the housing that at least partially defines the hole, and wherein the conductive pad of the key is coupled to the portion of the key extending away from the body of the key.

[0108] Example 27 includes the subject matter of Example 25, wherein each conductive pad is located on a lower surface of the key, and the housing includes a surface disposed below the key, the surface having the conductive pads connected to the conductive traces disposed thereon.

[0109] Example 28 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 25-27, wherein each key is coupled to a spring-like mechanism and to a mechanism frame within the housing.

[0110] Example 29 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 25-28, wherein the circuit applies electrical signals to a first subset of the conductive traces and detects actuation of the key based on electrical signals received via a second subset of the conductive traces.

[0111] Example 30 includes the subject matter of Example 29, wherein the conductive traces include first traces arranged in rows and second traces arranged in columns, wherein the first traces and the second traces are coupled to each other at intersections of the rows and columns through a second conductive pad.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a housing defining a plurality of apertures; a plurality of buttons, each button being disposed in a corresponding hole of the housing; a group of first conductive pads, each first conductive pad being coupled to a corresponding key; as well as a set of second conductive pads, each second conductive pad coupled to a surface of the housing defining a corresponding aperture; Wherein, when the key is in a first position, the first conductive pad of the key does not contact the second conductive pad of the hole corresponding to the key, and when the key is in a second position, the first conductive pad of the key contacts the second conductive pad of the hole corresponding to the key.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The second position corresponds to actuation of the key.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The surface of the housing to which the second conductive pad is coupled is substantially parallel to a surface of the key to which the first conductive pad is coupled.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Each key includes a portion extending away from the body of the key, which is disposed below an overhanging portion of the housing that at least partially defines the hole, and wherein the first conductive pad is coupled to the portion of the key extending away from the body of the key.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Each first conductive pad is located on the lower surface of the key, and each second conductive pad is located on the surface of the housing disposed below the key.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Each key is coupled to a spring-like mechanism and to a mechanical frame within the housing.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein: The spring-shaped mechanism is a scissor switch mechanism.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a conductive trace coupled to the housing and the second conductive pad.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein: The conductive traces include first traces arranged in rows and second traces arranged in columns, wherein the first traces and the second traces are coupled to each other through second conductive pads at intersections of the rows and the columns.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: Circuitry is configured to apply an electrical signal to the first trace and detect actuation of the plurality of keys based on signals received via the second trace.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: Circuitry is configured to apply an electrical signal to the second trace and detect actuation of the plurality of keys based on the signal received via the first trace.

12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The apparatus is a laptop computing device, the housing is a base portion of the laptop computing device, and the surface of the housing defining the aperture is a C-cap of the base.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein: The device also includes a cover portion coupled to the base portion via a hinge.

14. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The device does not include a flexible printed circuit board located below the key.

15. A computing device comprising: cover; as well as A base coupled to the cover, the base comprising: a lower housing portion; an upper housing portion coupled to the lower housing portion, the upper housing portion including a set of apertures; and a set of buttons, each button being disposed in a corresponding hole of the upper housing portion; wherein each key comprises a first conductive pad coupled to a bottom surface of the key, wherein the upper housing portion comprises a second conductive pad located on a surface defining each corresponding hole, and wherein the group of keys is configured such that when the key is actuated, the first conductive pad of the key contacts the corresponding second conductive pad.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein: Each key includes a portion extending away from the body of the key, which is disposed below an overhanging portion of the housing that at least partially defines the hole, and wherein the first conductive pad is coupled to the portion of the key extending away from the body of the key.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein: Each first conductive pad is located on the lower surface of the key, and each second conductive pad is located on the surface of the housing disposed below the key.

18. The computing device according to any one of claims 15 to 17, further comprising: a conductive trace coupled to the upper housing and the second conductive pad; as well as Circuitry is provided for applying electrical signals to a first subset of the conductive traces and detecting actuation of a key based on electrical signals received via a second subset of the conductive traces.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein: The conductive traces include first traces arranged in rows and second traces arranged in columns, wherein the first traces and the second traces are coupled to each other through second conductive pads at intersections of the rows and the columns.

20. The computing device of any of claims 15-17, further comprising a display located in the lid and a processor and memory located in the base.

21. A system comprising: A keyboard, the keyboard comprising: case: a conductive trace coupled to a surface of the housing; a set of keys, each key comprising a conductive pad coupled to the key; and wherein actuation of a specific key causes a conductive pad coupled to the specific key to electrically connect with a conductive trace coupled to a surface of the housing; and A circuit is coupled to the keyboard, the circuit receiving a signal from the conductive trace of the housing based on actuation of a key.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein: Each key includes a portion extending away from the body of the key, which is disposed below an overhanging portion of the housing that at least partially defines the hole, and wherein the conductive pad of the key is coupled to the portion of the key extending away from the body of the key.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein: Each conductive pad is located on a lower surface of the key, and the housing includes a surface disposed below the key, on which conductive pads connected to conductive traces are disposed.

24. The system according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein: The circuit applies electrical signals to a first subset of the conductive traces and detects actuation of a key based on electrical signals received via a second subset of the conductive traces.

25. The system according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein: The conductive traces include first traces arranged in rows and second traces arranged in columns, wherein the first traces and the second traces are coupled to each other through second conductive pads at intersections of the rows and the columns.

Images