Patent ID: 7256768

Claim:
A computer keyboard, comprising: a plurality of keys, each key of the plurality having an unpressed condition in which no force is exerted upon the key by a user and a pressed condition in which force is exerted on the key by a user; a force detection circuit configured to scan each key of the plurality to determine if a scanned key is in a pressed condition, quantify, upon determining that a scanned key is in a pressed condition, the force exerted by a user on said key determined to be in a pressed condition, and proceed, upon determining that a scanned key is not in a pressed condition, to another key of said plurality without quantifying a force exerted on the key determined not to be in a pressed condition; a first group of conductors; a second group of conductors positioned in close proximity to the first group of conductors, the first and second groups of conductors forming a plurality of intersections between first group conductors and second group conductors; and a force sensitive resistive element located between the first group conductor and the second group conductor of each of the plurality of intersections, wherein each of the plurality of intersections corresponds to an associated key of the plurality of keys, each of the associated keys configured to compress the resistive element located at the corresponding intersection upon exertion of force on the associated key, the force detection circuit is configured to quantify force exerted upon each of the associated keys based upon changes in resistance value of the resistive element at each corresponding intersection, the force detection circuit comprises a microprocessor and a voltage divider, and the microprocessor is configured to place the voltage divider in a first condition when scanning each key of the plurality to determine if a scanned key is in a pressed condition and in a second condition when quantifying the force exerted by a user on a key determined to be in a pressed condition.