An electropermanent magnet key assembly of an information handling system comprising an electropermanent magnet (EPM) having a low-coercivity magnet and a high-coercivity magnet, wherein the EPM is capable of an on state generating a magnetic field and an off state disabling the magnetic field, a key cap, situated atop a pair of scissor plates, capable of downward movement, via action of the scissor plates, from a raised, neutral position in which a surface of the key cap is moved to a depressed position below the neutral position, wherein the downward movement of the key assembly may record a keystroke, a flange operably connected a first scissor plate of the pair of scissor plates and extending opposite of a hinge of the first scissor plate, such that the flange is attracted toward the magnetic field of the EPM situated beneath the pair of scissor plates to urge the first scissor plate to push the key cap to the neutral position in an on state, and a spring exerting a biasing force to rotate a rocker arm toward the flange for urging the flange away from the EPM opposite to the attraction of the magnetic field of the EPM, wherein the effect of the biasing force on movement of the flange is lesser than the effect of the magnetic field generated by the EPM on movement of the flange in the on state.

An electropermanent magnet key assembly of an information handling system comprising an electropermanent magnet (EPM) having a low-coercivity magnet and a high-coercivity magnet, wherein the EPM is capable of an on state generating a magnetic field and an off state disabling the magnetic field, a key cap, situated atop a pair of scissor plates, capable of downward movement, via action of the scissor plates, from a raised, neutral position in which a surface of the key cap is moved to a depressed position below the neutral position, wherein the downward movement of the key assembly may record a keystroke, a flange operably connected a first scissor plate of the pair of scissor plates and extending opposite of a hinge of the first scissor plate, such that the flange is attracted toward the magnetic field of the EPM situated beneath the pair of scissor plates to urge the first scissor plate to push the key cap to the neutral position in an on state, and a spring exerting a biasing force to rotate a rocker arm toward the flange for urging the flange away from the EPM opposite to the attraction of the magnetic field of the EPM, wherein the effect of the biasing force on movement of the flange is lesser than the effect of the magnetic field generated by the EPM on movement of the flange in the on state.

A method for assembling an electro-permanent magnet (EPM) key assembly of an information handling system may comprise disposing a pair of scissor plate mounts framed onto a base contact assembly upward through a cap support plate opening within a cap support plate comprising a printed circuit board with pressure sensors to record keystrokes for mounting the EPM key assembly, operably connecting the base contact assembly to the cap support plate, disposing a ferromagnetic flange operably coupled to rotate with at least one scissor plate about a hinge downward through the cap support plate opening, operably connecting the pair of scissor plates to the base contact assembly such that each of the pair of scissor plates may rotate away from one another in the presence of downward force on a key cap, and situating the key cap atop the pair of scissor plates.

A method for assembling an electro-permanent magnet (EPM) key assembly of an information handling system may comprise disposing a pair of scissor plate mounts framed onto a base contact assembly upward through a cap support plate opening within a cap support plate comprising a printed circuit board with pressure sensors to record keystrokes for mounting the EPM key assembly, operably connecting the base contact assembly to the cap support plate, disposing a ferromagnetic flange operably coupled to rotate with at least one scissor plate about a hinge downward through the cap support plate opening, operably connecting the pair of scissor plates to the base contact assembly such that each of the pair of scissor plates may rotate away from one another in the presence of downward force on a key cap, and situating the key cap atop the pair of scissor plates.

A configurable control panel system (10) for an agricultural machine, the system comprising: one or more pre-coded pushbuttons (1), each push button having a code mechanism adapted to carry a specific code representing a dedicated function for the push button; a control panel (5) provided with one or more sockets (7) adapted to receive and detachably attach any one of said pre-coded push buttons (1), each socket having a decoding mechanism adapted to generate a code specific control signal based on the code carried by the pre-coded push button when the push button is actuated.

Systems and methods are disclosed that may be implemented to indicate real time availability of individual key assemblies for user input to an information handling system. In one embodiment, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to retract an individual key assembly of a user input device (e.g., such as keyboard matrix, game controller, game pad, computer mouse, etc.) when the key assembly is, or becomes, unavailable for input to a user application (e.g., such as a computer game) that is executing on a host programmable integrated circuit (e.g., such as host CPU) of an information handling system. Such a retracted key assembly may then be extended when it becomes available for input to the user application.

Systems and methods are disclosed that may be implemented to indicate real time availability of individual key assemblies for user input to an information handling system. In one embodiment, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to retract an individual key assembly of a user input device (e.g., such as keyboard matrix, game controller, game pad, computer mouse, etc.) when the key assembly is, or becomes, unavailable for input to a user application (e.g., such as a computer game) that is executing on a host programmable integrated circuit (e.g., such as host CPU) of an information handling system. Such a retracted key assembly may then be extended when it becomes available for input to the user application.

A sensing system for a keyboard. Each key sensor comprises passive and active resonant circuits. The passive resonant circuit has a resonant frequency and the active resonant circuit excites the passive resonant circuit at the resonant frequency. A sensor driver drives the active resonant circuit with an RF drive signal, a multiplexing system multiplexes the drive signal such that simultaneously driven key sensors are separated by at least (k1) keys, and a detector detects a level of RF signal from a driven key sensor for sensing a position and/or velocity of a key.

A sensing system for a keyboard. Each key sensor comprises passive and active resonant circuits. The passive resonant circuit has a resonant frequency and the active resonant circuit excites the passive resonant circuit at the resonant frequency. A sensor driver drives the active resonant circuit with an RF drive signal, a multiplexing system multiplexes the drive signal such that simultaneously driven key sensors are separated by at least (k1) keys, and a detector detects a level of RF signal from a driven key sensor for sensing a position and/or velocity of a key.

An electro-permanent magnet (EPM) key assembly of an information handling system may include an electro-permanent magnet (EPM) that may include a low-coercivity magnet and a high-coercivity magnet and a magnetic field sensor to detect the magnitude of the magnetic field of the EPM; and a calibration module to calibrate the magnitude of the magnetic field of the EPM by receiving a sensed magnitude value of the magnetic field of the EPM and adjusting the magnitude value of the magnetic field of the EPM when that magnitude value deviates from an established value by a threshold amount.