The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 25, 2020
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2018
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Yung-Yu Hsu, San Jose, CA (US);
Mingjing Ha, Cupertino, CA (US);
Zhiyuan Sun, Chicago, IL (US);
Paul S. Drzaic, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
Anuranjini Pragada, San Jose, CA (US);
George Ho Yin Mak, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Antonio Y. Layon Halun, Los Altos, CA (US);
Wesley W. Zuber, Mountain View, CA (US);
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
Touch sensitive mechanical keyboards and processes for detecting touch events and key depressions on the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard are provided. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can include a set of individually depressible mechanical keys having a touch sensitive surface. A touch sensor layer can be disposed on top of a key mechanism and flexible interconnections provided between key segments of the touch sensor layer can allow for depression of the key mechanism of individual keys. In some examples, the flexible interconnections can be formed by patterning a spring-like structure into the touch sensor layer. In some examples, the touch sensor layer can be transparent or include openings to allow a backlight to shine through. In some examples, addressable LED backlighting with buckling interconnects can also be provided to illuminate keycaps of the mechanical keyboard.