US 2024/0257076 A1 · INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM SECURE KEYBOARD HEALTH STATE TRACKING FOR ENHANCED REUSE AND RECYCLING

Abstract

A key input counter stored in non-transitory memory coupled to a keyboard membrane and executing on a processing resource of the keyboard membrane stores a number of key presses detected at the membrane to track health of the keyboard for reuse. Key input values are queued in batches of sufficient size so that communication to non-transitory memory hides inputs made by an end user, such as a password input. In some embodiments, the batches are copied to non-transient memory when a sufficient multiple of a password exists to mask the password value, or when a sufficient amount of time passes to break up any end user key input sequences. In one embodiment, key values are tracked for less than all the keys to prevent malicious reading of key inputs while still tracking particular values for end of life numbers of key inputs.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An information handling system comprising:

a housing having an interior;
a motherboard coupled in the housing interior;
a processor coupled to the motherboard and operable to execute instructions that process information;
a memory coupled to the motherboard and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;
a keyboard coupled over the housing interior, the keyboard having plural keys that press against a membrane that detects key presses, the membrane including a processing resource and a non-transitory memory;
and
a key input counter having instructions stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed on the processing resource cause:
counting of key presses in a queue;
and
storing the count of key presses from the queue into the non-transitory memory in batches of a predetermined number of key presses sufficient to hide key input values when the key press values are read external to the keyboard.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Information handling system secure keyboard health state tracking for enhanced reuse and recycling

Life of this patent

Information handling system secure keyboard health state tracking for enhanced reuse and recycling

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20