System and method for a thin capacitive split keyboard stack including a light-emitting diode (LED) layer and light guide layer and metal support plate sealed input surface
A keyboard having a split keyboard structure includes a first removable tactile input layer to receive input from a user and installed on a sealed input surface of a keyboard chassis for an information handling system with a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed below the sealed input surface to detect capacitive changes of the user input above the sealed input surface. The keyboard sensing hardware structure including capacitive pad sensors, shielding pads, and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) formed coplanar with the capacitive pad sensors. The sealed input surface including a light guide layer and a metal support plate formed over a keyboard sensing hardware structure on a non-conductive substrate. The metal support plate includes a plurality of holes to pass light upwards through the light guide layer of the sealed input surface into the first removable tactile input layer.
1 . An information handling system having a keyboard with a split keyboard structure comprising:
a hardware processor, a data storage device, and a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the hardware processor and data storage device formed in a keyboard chassis of the information handling system;
the split keyboard structure including a first removable tactile input layer to receive user input and formed on top of a sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis, wherein the first removable tactile input layer structure is removable from the split keyboard structure and replaceable with a second removable tactile input layer structure without replacing a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed below the sealed input surface;
the split keyboard structure including a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed onto a non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate below the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis to detect capacitive changes in a capacitive sensing field of a plurality of capacitive pad sensors from user input above the sealed input surface and on or above the first removable tactile input layer, wherein the keyboard sensing hardware structure includes the plurality of capacitive pad sensors in a capacitive pads layer, a light-emitting diode (LED) layer comprising a plurality of LEDs, and a plurality of active shielding pads in an active shielding layer; and
the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis includes a light guide layer and a metal support plate having a plurality of holes bonded to a top surface of the light guide layer and formed over the keyboard sensing hardware structure to transmit light from the plurality of LEDs upwards into the first removable tactile input layer, wherein the sealed input surface seals the keyboard sensing hardware structure in the keyboard chassis from contaminants.
2 . The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate is a multi-layer flex printed circuit board (PCB) operatively coupled to a bottom surface of the light guide layer of the sealed input surface and the plurality of capacitive sensors and the LEDs are formed on a first layer of the multi-layer flex PCB and the plurality of shielding pads are formed on a second layer of the multi-layer flex PCB.
3 . The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
the plurality of LEDs of the LED layer are formed on a top surface of the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate and are coplanar to the plurality of capacitive sensor pads of the capacitive pads layer.
4 . The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a grounding layer formed below the active shielding layer of the keyboard sensing hardware structure to shield the plurality of information handling system hardware components disposed within the keyboard chassis from electromagnetic interference (EMI).
5 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes formed in the metal support plate align vertically with a plurality of keyboard keys of the first removable tactile input layer.
6 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of capacitive pad sensors are operatively coupled to a capacitive sensor microprocessor via conductive carbon ink traces formed on the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate and the plurality of LEDs are operatively coupled to the capacitive sensor microprocessor via metallic traces formed on the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate.
7 . The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a recessed housing well formed in a top cover of the keyboard chassis of the information handling system for receiving the first removable tactile input layer of the split keyboard structure among a plurality of removable tactile input layers wherein the recessed housing well includes an edge rim portion and a base floor that is the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis.
8 . The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
a lattice structure comprising interference fit structures that snap into complimentary interference fit structures formed within a recessed housing well formed in a top cover of the keyboard chassis of the information handling system to secure the first removable tactile input layer with sealed input layer of the split keyboard structure.
9 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of capacitive pad sensors are carbon pads sputter coated onto a surface of the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate and disposed vertically below each of a plurality of keyboard keys of the first removable tactile input layer structure.
10 . An information handling system having a keyboard with a split keyboard structure comprising:
a hardware processor, a data storage device, and a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the hardware processor and data storage device formed in a keyboard chassis of the information handling system;
the split keyboard structure including a first removable tactile input layer to receive user input and formed on top of a sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis, wherein the first removable tactile input layer structure is removable from the split keyboard structure and replaceable with a second removable tactile input layer structure without replacing a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed below the sealed input surface;
the split keyboard structure including a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed onto a non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate below the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis to detect capacitive changes in a capacitive sensing field of a plurality of capacitive pad sensors from user input above the sealed input surface and on or above the first removable tactile input layer, wherein the keyboard sensing hardware structure includes the plurality of capacitive pad sensors in a capacitive pads layer and a light-emitting diode (LED) layer comprising a plurality of LEDs formed coplanar with the capacitive pad sensors of the capacitive pads layer on a top surface of the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate, and a plurality of active shielding pads in an active shielding layer on a second surface of the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate; and
the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis includes a light guide layer and a metal support plate having a plurality of holes bonded to a top surface of the light guide layer and formed over the keyboard sensing hardware structure to transmit light from the plurality of LEDs upwards into the first removable tactile input layer, wherein the sealed input surface seals the keyboard sensing hardware structure in the keyboard chassis from contaminants.
11 . The information handling system of claim 10 further comprising:
the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate is a multi-layer flex printed circuit board (PCB) operatively coupled to a bottom surface of the light guide layer of the sealed input surface and the plurality of capacitive sensors and the LEDs are formed on the top surface of a first layer of the multi-layer flex PCB and the plurality of shielding pads are formed on a second layer of the multi-layer flex PCB.
12 . The information handling system of claim 10 further comprising:
the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate is a thin two-sided membrane operatively coupled to a bottom surface of the light guide layer of the sealed input surface and the plurality of capacitive sensors and the LEDs are formed on the top surface of the thin two-sided membrane and the plurality of shielding pads are formed on a second opposite surface of the thin two-sided membrane.
13 . The information handling system of claim 10 further comprising:
a grounding layer formed below the active shielding layer of the keyboard sensing hardware structure to shield the plurality of information handling system hardware components disposed within the keyboard chassis from electromagnetic interference (EMI).
14 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes formed in the metal support plate align vertically with a plurality of keyboard keys of the first removable tactile input layer.
15 . The information handling system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of capacitive pad sensors are carbon pads sputter coated onto the top surface of the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate and operatively coupled to a capacitive sensor microprocessor via conductive carbon traces formed on the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate and the plurality of LEDs are operatively coupled to the capacitive sensor microprocessor via metallic traces formed on the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate.
16 . The information handling system of claim 10 further comprising:
a recessed housing well formed in a top cover of the keyboard chassis of the information handling system for receiving the first removable tactile input layer of the split keyboard structure among a plurality of removable tactile input layers wherein the recessed housing well includes an edge rim portion and a base floor that is the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis.
17 . An information handling system having a keyboard with a split keyboard structure comprising:
a hardware processor, a data storage device, and a power management unit (PMU) to provide power to the hardware processor and data storage device formed in a keyboard chassis of the information handling system;
a recessed housing well formed in a top cover of the keyboard chassis of the information handling system for receiving a first removable tactile input layer of the split keyboard structure among a plurality of removable tactile input layers wherein the recessed housing well includes an edge rim portion and a base floor that is a sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis, wherein the first removable tactile input layer to receive user input on or above the first removable tactile input layer and is removable from the split keyboard structure and replaceable with a second removable tactile input layer structure without replacing a keyboard sensing hardware structure formed below the sealed input surface;
the split keyboard structure including the keyboard sensing hardware structure formed onto a non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate below the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis to detect capacitive changes in a capacitive sensing field of a plurality of capacitive pad sensors from user input above the sealed input surface, wherein the keyboard sensing hardware structure includes the plurality of capacitive pad sensors in a capacitive pads layer, a light-emitting diode (LED) layer comprising a plurality of LEDs, and a plurality of active shielding pads in an active shielding layer; and
the sealed input surface of the keyboard chassis includes a light guide layer and a metal support plate having a plurality of holes bonded to a top surface of the light guide layer and formed over the keyboard sensing hardware structure to transmit light from the plurality of LEDs upwards into the first removable tactile input layer, wherein the sealed input surface seals the keyboard sensing hardware structure in the keyboard chassis from contaminants.
18 . The information handling system of claim 17 further comprising:
the plurality of LEDs of the LED layer are formed on a top surface of the non-conductive keyboard sensing hardware structure substrate and are coplanar to the plurality of capacitive sensor pads of the capacitive pads layer; and
the plurality of holes formed in the metal support plate align vertically with a plurality of keyboard keys of the first removable tactile input layer.
19 . The information handling system of claim 17 further comprising:
a lattice structure comprising interference fit structures that snap into complimentary interference fit structures formed within the recessed housing well formed in the top cover of the keyboard chassis of the information handling system to secure the first removable tactile input layer with sealed input layer of the split keyboard structure.
20 . The information handling system of claim 17 further comprising:
a removable tactile input layer support frame structure comprising interference fit structures that snap into complimentary interference fit structures formed within the recessed housing well formed in the top cover of the keyboard chassis of the information handling system to secure the first removable tactile input layer with sealed input layer of the split keyboard structure.