# US 2024/0201796 A1 · Information handling system keyboard support with rail guide structure assembly to a housing rail

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- Number: US 2024/0201796 A1
- Document ID: US20240201796A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/081,061
- Filed: 2022-12-14
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-14
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: John Trevor Morrison; Jason S. Morrison; Chiu-Jung Tsen; Jace W. Files; Chun-Wei Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201796A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/0213: {Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick (for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033)}
- G06F 1/1616: {with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position}
- G06F 1/1662: {Details related to the integrated keyboard}
- G06F 1/1681: {Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683)}
- G06F 1/169: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033)}
- G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface}
- G06F 3/038: Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A portable information handling system is assembled and disassembled by a keystone assembly that couples at an upper surface of the portable housing to overlap a keyboard assembly that covers processing components disposed in the portable housing. The keyboard assembly includes a membrane having a first portion with key press detection sensors contiguous to a second portion with a touch detection sensor that supports a touchpad. In one embodiment, the membrane integrates a printed circuit board that couples a key matrix controller and a touch detection controller interfaced with a communications hub, such as a USB hub, to communicate key and touchpad inputs to a motherboard through a flexible connector portion of the membrane.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information handling system comprising:
a housing having first and second housing portions rotationally coupled by a hinge;
a processor disposed in the first housing portion and operable to execute instructions that process information;
a memory disposed in the first housing portion and interfaced with the processor, the memory storing the instructions and information; and
a keyboard assembly having plural keys at an upper surface configured to accept end user key press inputs and having a membrane with first and second contiguous portions formed in a common membrane film, the first contiguous portion having key press detection sensors to detect the end user key press inputs, the second contiguous portion having a touch detection surface to detect touchpad touch inputs.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a printed circuit board integrated with the membrane;
a key matrix controller coupled to the printed circuit board to detect key touches at the key press detection sensors; and
a touch detection controller coupled to the printed circuit board to detect touchpad touch inputs.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The information handling system of claim 2 further comprising:
a motherboard disposed in the housing and supporting communication between the processor and memory; and
a communication hub coupled to the printed circuit board and interfaced with the key matrix controller and the touch detection controller;
wherein the printed circuit board comprises a flexible printed circuit board having a connector interfaced with the communication hub and positioned to fold to align with a connector of the motherboard.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the keyboard assembly further comprises:
a housing cover coupled to the housing to enclose the motherboard; and
a key lattice having the plural keys, the keyboard membrane disposed between the housing cover and the key lattice.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The information handling system of claim 4 further comprising:
a touchpad stiffener plate disposed below the keyboard membrane second contiguous portion; and
a palm rest coupled to the housing cover over the keyboard membrane second contiguous portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the key lattice further comprises:
the plural keys coupled by a lattice;
a scissor coupled under each key to manage key movement; and
snaps formed the lattice and aligned to couple to connection points of the housing cover to couple the lattice over the keyboard membrane.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The information handling system of claim 6 further comprising:
a rail formed in the housing; and
a guide formed in the housing cover, the guide sliding onto the rail to couple the keyboard assembly to the housing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a keystone assembly configured to couple in a gap between the keyboard assembly and the cover when the guide slides onto the rail, keystone assembly retaining the keyboard assembly to the housing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising a security device disposed in a security opening of the housing at one end of the keystone assembly, a release of the keystone assembly accessed through the security opening.

### Claim 10

A method for assembly of an information handling system, the method comprising:
forming a keyboard membrane to have a first portion with key press detection sensors and a second portion with a capacitive touch detection sensor in a common membrane film;
assembling the keyboard membrane into a keyboard assembly having plural keys exposed on an upper surface of a housing cover;
coupling the housing cover to a housing of the information handling system; and
covering the second portion of the keyboard membrane with a palm rest configured to accept touches detectable through the palm rest by the capacitive touch sensor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein:
defining a touchpad outline in the palm rest; and
reporting touches in the touchpad outline detected by the capacitive touch sensor as touchpad inputs.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising:
forming a circuit board in the keyboard membrane;
coupling a key matrix controller to the circuit board and interfaced with the key press detection sensors through the keyboard membrane; and
coupling a touch detection controller to the circuit board and interfaced with the capacitive touch sensor through the keyboard membrane.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising:
coupling a communication hub to the circuit board and interfaced with the key matrix controller and the capacitive touch sensor; and
interfacing the communication hub with a central processing unit of the information handling system to communicate key and touchpad inputs.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 further comprising:
forming the circuit board as a flexible printed circuit board contiguous with the membrane;
extending the flexible printed circuit board at one side to define and connector; and
folding the connector to couple to a motherboard disposed below the keyboard assembly.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising:
coupling an audio processor to the motherboard;
extending the flexible printed circuit board to define speaker contact pads; and
communicating speaker signals from the audio processor through the flexible printed circuit board to the contact pads.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising:
coupling an audio processor to the flexible printed circuit board;
extending the flexible printed circuit board to define speaker contact pads; and
communicating speaker signals from the audio processor through the flexible printed circuit board to the contact pads.

### Claim 17

A keyboard assembly comprising:
plural keys exposed at an upper surface to accept key inputs; and
a membrane with first and second contiguous portions formed in a common membrane film, the first contiguous portion having key press detection sensors to detect the end user key press inputs, the second contiguous portion having a touch detection surface to detect touchpad touch inputs.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The keyboard assembly of claim 17 further comprising:
a printed circuit board integrated with the membrane;
a key matrix controller coupled to the printed circuit board to detect key touches at the key press detection sensors; and
a touch detection controller coupled to the printed circuit board to detect touchpad touch inputs.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The keyboard assembly of claim 18 further comprising:
a communication hub coupled to the printed circuit board and interfaced with the key matrix controller and the touch detection controller;
wherein the printed circuit board comprises a flexible printed circuit board having a connector interfaced with the communication hub and positioned to fold to align with a connector of a motherboard.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The keyboard assembly of claim 19 further comprising:
a housing cover configured to couple to an information handling system;
a key lattice having the plural keys, the keyboard membrane disposed between the housing cover and the key lattice;
a touchpad stiffener plate disposed below the keyboard membrane second contiguous portion; and
a palm rest coupled to the housing cover over the keyboard membrane second contiguous portion.