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:
Mar. 23, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 18, 2002
Eckhard Kunigkeit, Stuggart, DE;
Thomas Walz, Niefern, DE;
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
The present invention discloses a foil keyboard with a security system for detecting and preventing unauthorized mechanical access to the key contacts. The foil keyboard comprising a foil having for each key an elastic key spring area in which an electrical contact is arranged, a printed circuit board (PCB) having electrical contacts that are contacted by the electrical contacts of the keys during the key travel, and a security system which is fully integrated into the foil and the PCB. A closed circuit between keyboard foil and PCB forms a security grid that secures that unauthorized mechanical accesses against key contacts are recognized.