公开(公告)号：US20200103981A1

公开(公告)日：2020-04-02

申请号：US16147384

申请日：2018-09-28

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yung-Yu HSU ,  Mingjing HA ,  Zhiyuan SUN ,  Paul S. DRZAIC ,  Anuranjini PRAGADA ,  George Ho Yin MAK ,  Antonio Y. LAYON HALUN ,  Wesley W. ZUBER

IPC: G06F3/02 ,  H03K17/96 ,  H01H13/704 ,  H01H13/7065

Abstract: Touch sensitive mechanical keyboards and processes for detecting touch events and key depressions on the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard are provided. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can include a set of individually depressible mechanical keys having a touch sensitive surface. A touch sensor layer can be disposed on top of a key mechanism and flexible interconnections provided between key segments of the touch sensor layer can allow for depression of the key mechanism of individual keys. In some examples, the flexible interconnections can be formed by patterning a spring-like structure into the touch sensor layer. In some examples, the touch sensor layer can be transparent or include openings to allow a backlight to shine through. In some examples, addressable LED backlighting with buckling interconnects can also be provided to illuminate keycaps of the mechanical keyboard.