Patent ID: 7855715

Claim:
An optical switch with positional detection, comprising: a key cap adjoined to a key stem; an emitter to emit an emitted beam; a detector for detecting said emitted beam; a microprocessor for receiving signals from said detector, said signals pertaining to attenuation from said emitted beam detected by said detector; said key stem moves in a downward direction protruding through and being constrained in a lateral direction by a sliding surface; said key stem having a lower surface; said microprocessor calculates an interim downward position of said key stem; said microprocessor calculates velocity of said key stem in said downward direction to said interim downward position where said velocity calculations stop, and said microprocessor transmits velocity codes representative of said key stem velocity to said interim downward position to a host; and said microprocessor, after said velocity calculations of said key stem movement to said interim downward position are transmitted to said host, calculates after pressure changes in said key stem position in an upward direction or a downward direction from said interim downward position and transmits after pressure codes representative of said after pressure changes to said host.