Information handling system keyboard assymetric magnetic charger
An information handling system gaming keyboard couples to a charger cable with an asymmetric magnet arrangement that attracts the charger when correctly oriented and repels the charger when misoriented. Charging pins and communication pins are laterally asymmetric so that misaligned insertion of the charger cable into the keyboard will not align the positive and ground pins. A wireless dongle couples to the cable to provide wireless communication with the keyboard through the cable interface to an information handling system.
1. An information handling system comprising: a housing; a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions that process information; a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information; a keyboard having plural keys to accept end user key inputs, a wireless network interface controller to communicate the key inputs to the processor, and a charger port to accept power, the charger port having a first magnet on a first side with a first pole orientation and a second magnet on a second side having a second pole orientation opposite the first pole orientation, the charging port further having at least four separate contacts including at least a separate power contact, a separate ground contact, and first and second separate communication contacts; and a charging connector sized to fit in the charging port, the charging connector having a third magnet with the first pole orientation and a fourth magnet with the second pole orientation, a power contact, a ground contact and first and second communication contacts; wherein the separate power contact and the power contact align when the first magnet attracts to the fourth magnet and the second magnet attracts to the third magnet when the charging connector couples in a first orientation relative to the charging port to communicate power, and the power contact fails to communicate power when the charging connector couples in a second orientation relative to the charging port and inverse the first orientation; and wherein when the first magnet aliens with the third magnet: the power contact aligns with one of the first and second separate communication contacts; and the ground contact aligns with the other of the first and second separate communication contacts.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a communication port included in the charging connector; and
a wireless dongle coupled to the communication port and operable to communicate through a cable with the processor and through wireless communication with the keyboard.
3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein:
the keyboard charging port further comprises a USB port formed in the keyboard and an adapted fitting into the USB port at one end and having the first and second magnets at a second end.
4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein:
the charging connector further comprises a USB connector extending from one end and having the third and fourth magnets at a second end, the USB connector coupling to a USB cable.
5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth magnets have a horseshoe shape.
6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the first and second communication contacts support power transfer adjustments.
7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard further comprises a contact pad disposed at an upper surface and operable to accept touch inputs.
8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the contact pad comprises a PDMS film with vertically stacked capacitor layers.
9. A method for charging a keyboard, the method comprising: assembling a keyboard charger port to accept power and having a first magnet on a first side with a first pole orientation and a second magnet on a second side having a second pole orientation opposite the first pole orientation, the charging port further having a separate power contact, a separate ground contact, and first and second separate communication contacts; assembling a charging connector sized to fit in the charging port, the charging connector having a third magnet with the first pole orientation and a fourth magnet with the second pole orientation, a power contact, a ground contact and first and second communication contacts; aligning the keyboard charger port and the charging connector in a first orientation by magnetic attraction to couple the separate power contact and the power contact, the separate ground contact and the ground contact, and the first and second communication contacts and first and second separate communication contacts to perform power transfer; and reversing the keyboard charger port and charging connector to a second orientation opposite the first orientation to align the power contact and ground contact with the first and second separate communication contacts to prevent power transfer.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
coupling a wireless dongle to the charging connector;
interfacing the wireless dongle with an information handling system through a cable coupled to the charging connector; and
communicating between the information handling system and keyboard through the wireless dongle.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
separating the keyboard charger port from the keyboard at a USB port; and
separating the charging connector from the cable at a USB connector.
12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
negotiating power transfer through the communication contacts; and
transferring power through the power contact according to the negotiating.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth magnets have a horseshoe shape.
14. The method of claim 9 further comprising accepting touch inputs at a contact pad coupled to the keyboard upper surface and having a PDMS film with vertically stacked capacitor layers.
15. A keyboard comprising: plural keys to accept end user key inputs; a wireless network interface controller to communicate the key inputs to an information handling system; a charger port to accept power, the charger port having a first magnet on a first side with a first pole orientation and a second magnet on a second side having a second pole orientation opposite the first pole orientation, the charging port further having a separate power contact, a separate ground contact, and first and second separate communication contacts; and a charging connector sized to fit in the charging port, the charging connector having a third magnet with the first pole orientation and a fourth magnet with the second pole orientation, a power contact, a ground contact and first and second communication contacts; wherein the separate power contact and the power contact align when the first magnet attracts to the fourth magnet and the second magnet attracts to the third magnet when the charging connector couples in a first orientation relative to the charging port to communicate power, and the power contact fails to communicate power when the charging connector couples in a second orientation relative to the charging port and inverse the first orientation; and wherein when the first magnet aligns with the third magnet: the power contact aligns with one of the first and second separate communication contacts; and the ground contact aligns with the other of the first and second separate communication contacts.
16. The keyboard of claim 15 further comprising:
a communication port included in the charging connector; and
a wireless dongle coupled to the communication port and operable to communicate through a cable with the processor and through wireless communication with the keyboard.
17. The keyboard of claim 16 wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth magnets have a horseshoe shape.
18. The keyboard of claim 15 further comprising a contact pad disposed at an upper surface and operable to accept touch inputs, the contact pad comprises a PDMS film with vertically stacked capacitor layers.