Hints needed for iCade driver

Neat! A Bluetooth input device:
http://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/icade
I've had this machine sitting in its box by my desk for 6 months, and
finally opened it.

After writing a better pairing mechanism, I'd like to see what's needed
to make this device into a "proper" joystick.

From the developer manual:

http://www.ionaudio.com/downloads/iCade_Dev_Resource_v1.3.pdf

The device is a Bluetooth HID device. Once paired, the various buttons
and directions will generate a key press/release for each key press and
key release. For example, pressing the first button will generate:
KEY_Y press
KEY_Y release
Releasing that same first button will generate:
KEY_T press
KEY_T release

What would be the best way to handle that sort of device? Do we have any
good example of devices that behave this way, and of a barebones
joystick driver?

Cheers