Keypad apparatus

An apparatus comprising:

• a substrate;
• a dome supported by the substrate;
• and
• a capacitor circuit supported by the substrate and comprising:
• a capacitive sensor element, said capacitive sensor element having a first electrode and a second electrode that are in the capacitor circuit, the capacitive sensor element being configured to form a first capacitor with an object touching or being in proximity of the first electrode;
• an output for producing to a controller an output signal indicative of the object touching or being in proximity of the first electrode;
• wherein the capacitive sensor element is configured to generate the output signal responsive to the object touching or coming into proximity of the capacitive sensor element;
• and
• wherein, the capacitor circuit comprises two serially connected capacitors one of which comprises the third electrode and the fourth electrode,
• wherein the third electrode is coupled to the second electrode and the fourth electrode is coupled to a switch;
• and
• the remaining one of the two serially connected capacitors comprises a fifth electrode coupled to the fourth electrode and a sixth electrode coupled to the first electrode;
• and
• wherein the dome is configured to modify by closing the switch, responsive to the dome being depressed, capacitance of the capacitor circuit so as to modify the output signal indicative of the dome being depressed.