Patent ID: 7528824

Claim:
A keyboard for providing input to a computer or other device, comprising: a plurality of keys, each key of the plurality being movable so as to place within a detection region a target coupled to the key, the target including a first face and a second face; a range finder having a first sensor positioned to detect the target placed in the detection region when a key of the plurality is pressed, the range finder determining a distance from the first sensor to the first face of the target when the key of the plurality is moved to a position that reflects light from the first face of the target to the first sensor, the range finder also determining a distance from the first sensor to the second face of the target when the key of the plurality is moved to a position that reflects light from the second face of the target to the first sensor, the target being positioned such that the first face of said target is closer to the first sensor than the second face of said target; and a controller receiving distance data from the range finder and configured to identify the moved key based upon the received distance data, the controller being configured to determine whether the key of the plurality has been pressed or released, and the controller being configured to determine a direction of key movement based on a temporal order in which distance data is received for the first and second faces of the target.