Patent ID: 8642908

Claim:
An electronic device, said electronic device comprising a housing having an outer face and an inner face; a key provided on said housing, said key comprising: a micro hole formed in said housing so as to extend from said inner face to said outer face and having a diameter smaller than said key, a conductive material extending within said micro hole to said outer face of said housing, and at least one further micro hole formed in said housing so as to extend from said inner face to said outer face; said micro hole and said at least one further micro hole being formed such that a distance between centers of openings defined by said micro hole and said at least one further micro hole at said outer face is greater than a distance between centers of openings defined by said micro hole and said at least one further micro hole at said inner face; and a sensor coupled to said conductive material, said sensor being configured to monitor an electrical characteristic to detect whether an object is brought into contact or out of contact with said conductive material of said micro hole at said outer face of said housing.