System and method for a thin capacitive split keyboard stack including a light-emitting diode (LED) layer and light guide for an information handling system

An information handling system having a keyboard with a split keyboard structure comprising:

• a hardware processor, a data storage device, and a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the hardware processor and data storage device;
• the split keyboard structure having a first removable tactile input layer to receive user input from a user, a sealed input layer forming a top surface of a keyboard chassis of the information handling system, and a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed on a multi-layer flexible printed circuit (FPC) board or on a thin two-sided substrate membrane underneath a bottom surface of the sealed input surface to detect capacitive changes of user inputs on or above the first removable tactile input layer;
• the keyboard sensing hardware structure includes:
• a plurality of capacitive sensor pads in a capacitive pads layer, wherein the plurality of capacitive sensor pads are carbon pads sputter coated onto a top surface of the multi-layer flexible printed circuit (FPC) board or the thin two-sided substrate membrane and disposed vertically below a plurality of keyboard keys of the first removable tactile input layer;
• a plurality of active shielding pads in an active shielding layer;
• a light-emitting diode (LED) layer comprising a plurality of LEDs formed coplanar with the capacitive sensor pads of the capacitive pads layer;
• a grounding layer formed under the active shielding layer to provide a grounding source for the capacitive sensor pads;
• the sealed input layer of the keyboard chassis to transmit light emitted from the plurality of LEDs through the sealed input surface and up into the first removable tactile input layer;
• and
• a capacitive sensor microprocessor executing machine readable code instructions of a capacitive sensor driver detect the capacitive changes in capacitive fields of the capacitive sensor pads from the user inputs on or above the first removable tactile input layer, wherein the first removable tactile input layer is removable from the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis and replaceable with a second removable tactile input layer via reciprocal latching, interference fit, or magnetic operative coupling structures.

An information handling system having a keyboard with a split keyboard structure comprising:

• a hardware processor, a data storage device, and a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the hardware processor and data storage device;
• the split keyboard structure having a first removable tactile input layer to receive user input from a user, a sealed input layer forming a top surface of a keyboard chassis of the information handling system, and a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed on a multi-layer flexible printed circuit (FPC) board or on a thin two-sided substrate membrane underneath a bottom surface of the sealed input surface to detect capacitive changes of user inputs on or above the first removable tactile input layer;
• the keyboard sensing hardware structure includes:
• a plurality of capacitive sensor pads in a capacitive pads layer;
• a plurality of active shielding pads in an active shielding layer;
• a light-emitting diode (LED) layer comprising a plurality of LEDs formed coplanar with the capacitive sensor pads of the capacitive pads layer;
• a grounding layer formed under the active shielding layer to provide a grounding source for the capacitive sensor pads;
• the sealed input layer is formed into a recessed housing well within a c-cover surface over the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis having a first reciprocal latching, interference fit, or magnetic operative coupling structure and transmits light emitted from the plurality of LEDs through the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis;
• a support frame of the first removable tactile input layer including a second reciprocal latching, interference fit, or magnetic operative coupling structure for operative coupling the first removable tactile input layer within the recessed housing well and over the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis wherein the first removable tactile input layer is removable from the sealed input surface via the second reciprocal latching, interference fit, or magnetic operative coupling structure and replaceable with a second removable tactile input layer;
• and
• a capacitive sensor microprocessor executing machine readable code instructions of a capacitive sensor driver detect the capacitive changes in capacitive fields of the capacitive sensor pads from the user inputs on or above the first removable tactile input layer.