Keyboard with navigational control functions

A system for navigating a host device, comprising:

• a host device, including:
• a display serving as a graphical user interface (GUI);
• and
• a host communication interface to receive one or more navigational control signals received from one or more key-top touch sensors and one or more edge touch sensors;
• and
• a keyboard with navigational control functions, including:
• a frame;
• a plurality of keys supported by the frame;
• the one or more key-top touch sensors, each sensor located on a surface of one of the plurality of keys;
• the one or more edge touch sensors, each sensor located on an edge of the frame;
• and
• a keyboard communication interface to output the one or more navigational control signals received from the one or more key-top touch sensors or the one or more edge touch sensors.

A method of operating a keyboard, comprising:

• detecting a trigger activation from a key-top touch sensor located on a trigger key;
• and
• entering an operating mode of the keyboard based on the trigger activation, such that:
• if the trigger activation is not detected, the operating mode is a text input mode;
• and
• if the trigger activation is detected, the operating mode is one of a mouse cursor input mode, a gesture input mode, and a cursor-gesture input mode.