Keyboard with plural key switch matrices to detect ghosting
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorNathan C Sherman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Keyboard apparatus and methods for processing keyboard depressions are disclosed. One disclosed keyboard apparatus includes a keyboard having a plurality of keys configured to be depressed in a concurrent depression state, and a plurality of key switch matrices. Each key switch of the plurality of key switch matrices may be configured to be actuated by a corresponding key of the keyboard. The keyboard apparatus may further include a keyboard controller configured to determine whether a sensed key depression in the concurrent depression state is a ghost key depression, based on sensed key switch states of respective key switches in each of the plurality of key switch matrices which correspond to the sensed key depression.
Claims20
A keyboard apparatus, comprising:
- a keyboard including a plurality of keys configured to be depressed in a concurrent depression state;
- a plurality of electronic key switch matrices, each key switch matrix comprising a plurality of key switches and each key switch of the plurality of key switch matrices being configured to be actuated by a corresponding key of the keyboard, one or more keys on the keyboard configured to actuate a key switch in each of the plurality of key switch matrices;
- and
- a keyboard controller electronically coupled to the plurality of key switch matrices, the keyboard controller configured to determine whether a sensed key depression in the concurrent depression state is a ghost key depression, based on concurrently sensed key switch states of respective key switches in each of the plurality of key switch matrices which correspond to the sensed key depression.
A method of processing key depressions of a keyboard, comprising:
- sensing a concurrent depression state for a plurality of keys using a first key switch matrix, each of the plurality of keys being associated with a respective key switch of the first key switch matrix, the first key switch matrix being electronic and including a plurality of key switches;
- and
- detecting that a key of the plurality of keys in the concurrent depression state is in a ghost key depression state by concurrently querying a key switch state of a key switch in a second key switch matrix associated with the detected key, the second key switch matrix being electronic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.