Keyboard tester
View Patent ↗Apparatus and methods are described for pressing and releasing keys and measuring timing data of the key presses and releases of a keyboard input device to determine characteristics of different types of keyboards. A key of the keyboard may be pressed and released by a machine at measured speed; and resulting keystroke timing data may be collected from to identify timing delays and differences in delays between when the key is pressed and when the resulting timing data is collected by a computer. The timing delays and differences in delays may be used generate more accurate biometric templates and authentication inputs when a type of keyboard is used.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first machine implemented means comprising a first cam for depressing a first key of a keyboard;
a second machine implemented means comprising a second cam for depressing a second key of the keyboard;
a machine implemented means for measuring a rotational speed of the first and second cam, wherein the machine implemented means for measuring a rotational speed further comprises:
a first means comprising a first light meter, a first propeller and a first flashlight for measuring a rotation of an electric motor;
a means for gearing down the rotational speed of the electric motor to a slower speed for the axle;
a second means comprising a second light meter, a second propeller and a second flashlight for measuring the rotation speed of the axle; and
a computer implemented means for collecting a plurality of press and release timing measurement data from the first and second keys, in response to depressing the first and second keys.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a means comprising an axle coupled to the first and second cams for rotating the first and second cams to depress the first and second keys.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first machine implemented means further comprises a first shaft coupled between the first cam and the first key to press the first key; and wherein the second machine implemented means further comprises a second shaft coupled between the first cam and the first key to press the second key.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
an adjusting means to adjust a height of a base supporting the keyboard, the adjusting means coupled to the base.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first supporting means for supporting the axle and a first and second depression means for depressing the first and second keys of the keyboard.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer implemented means collects rotational speed data from the machine implemented means for measuring the rotational speed of the first and second cams.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a computer implemented means for storing and displaying the rotational speed data and the plurality of press and release timing measurement data.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising means for powering the electric motor using a regulated power supply.
9. A method comprising:
(a) repeatedly pressing and releasing a pair of keys of a keyboard using a mechanical device comprising a pair of cams attached to a rotating axle;
(b) measuring a rotational speed of the axle;
(c) collecting a plurality of press and release timing measurement data for the pressed and released pair of keys;
(d) setting up the keyboard comprising:
measuring a testbed height from a table, to the testbed supporting the keyboard;
measuring a distance from a bottom of a first cam of the pair of cams to a bottom of a depressed first key of the pair of keys; and
measuring a distance from the axle to a top of a second key of the pair of keys.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
setting up a control keyboard in the mechanical device;
performing (a), (b) and (c) for the control keyboard; and
performing (a), (b) and (c) for a plurality of target keyboards.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
performing data analysis on the collected a plurality of press and release timing measurement data of the control keyboard and of the target keyboards.
12. A method comprising:
(a) repeatedly pressing and releasing a pair of keys of a keyboard using a mechanical device comprising a pair of cams attached to a rotating axle;
(b) measuring a rotational speed of the axle;
(c) collecting a plurality of press and release timing measurement data for the pressed and released pair of keys, further comprising performing (a), (b) and (c) for a plurality of keyboards, wherein performing further comprising:
positioning the plurality of keyboards to be equidistant from the axle;
setting a first key height of each of the plurality of keyboards to an equal value;
verifying a same key on each of the plurality of keyboards is to be a first key to be depressed; and
performing (a), (b) and (c) comprising performing an equal number of rotations of the rotating axle during (a).
13. An apparatus comprising:
a first cam to push a first shaft to depress a first key of a keyboard;
a second cam to push a second shaft to depress a second key of the keyboard;
a rotating axle attached to the first and second cams to rotate to the first and second cams;
a meter to measure a rotational speed of the axle;
gears coupling an electric motor to the axle, the gears to gearing down the rotational speed of the axle as compared to the motor; and wherein the meter comprises:
a first light meter, a first propeller and a first flashlight for measuring a rotation of the electric motor; and
a second light meter, a second propeller and a second flashlight for measuring the rotation speed of the axle.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a computer coupled to the keyboard to collect a plurality of press and release timing measurement data from the first and second keys in response to the first and second shafts pressing the first and second keys.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the computer is coupled to the meter to detect the rotational speed of the axle, and analyzes the collected plurality of press and release timing measurement data.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first shaft comprises a first pad coupled between a bottom end of the first shaft and the first key, and wherein the second shaft comprises a second pad coupled between a bottom end of the second shaft and the second key.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:
an adjustable base supporting the keyboard and adjustable to adjust a distance between depressed keys of the keyboard and the first cam in the down position.