Specialized keyboard for dental examinations
First Claim
1. A specialized physical dental keyboard for recording conditions of teeth in a patient during a dental exam, the physical dental keyboard for use with a dental examination software tool resident on a host computer, the host computer having a central processor, at least one output screen or monitor device, and at least one input device, the physical dental keyboard being distinct from the screen or monitor device of the host computer and at least one input device, the 7 physical dental keyboard comprising:
- (a) a keyboard body having a plurality of mechanical input keys;
(b) a first mechanical input key grouping having five mechanical input keys, each mechanical input key of the first mechanical input key grouping representing a tooth surface, comprising;
(i) a central mechanical input key;
(ii) a first side mechanical input key;
(iii) a second side mechanical input key;
(iv) a lower mechanical input key; and
(v) an upper mechanical input key;
(c) the central mechanical input key being centrally positioned between the first side mechanical input key, the second side mechanical input key, the lower mechanical input key, and the upper mechanical input key;
(d) the central mechanical input key positioned between the first side mechanical input key and the second side mechanical input key without any intervening mechanical input keys therebetween, the central mechanical input key positioned between the upper mechanical input key and the lower mechanical input key without any intervening mechanical input keys therebetween;
(e) the central mechanical input key, the first side mechanical input key, the second side mechanical input key, the lower mechanical input key, and the upper mechanical input key are arranged in a cross pattern;
(f) the first mechanical input key grouping being offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the first grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the first grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the first grouping;
(g) a second mechanical input key grouping, each mechanical input key of the second mechanical input key grouping representing a tooth, consisting of;
(i) a first row and a second row of mechanical input keys, the first row and the second row each having 16 or 17 mechanical input keys;
(h) the second mechanical input key grouping being offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the second grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the second grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the second grouping;
(i) said physical dental keyboard having means for bi-directional communication with said dental examination software tool resident on said host computer;
(j) wherein the first mechanical input key grouping facilitates both accuracy and speed of data entry of tooth surface information, and wherein the second mechanical input key grouping facilitates data entry of specific teeth.
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Abstract
The present invention includes a device, system and method of use consisting of a specialized dental keyboard wherein the specialized keyboard resides as virtual keys on a touch screen panel on a device such as a tablet computer including such devices as an Apple iPad. The invention includes a software component that enables customer configurable keyboard layouts including a plurality of specialized keys that provide short-cut macros to streamline data entry during a dental exam.
61 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A specialized physical dental keyboard for recording conditions of teeth in a patient during a dental exam, the physical dental keyboard for use with a dental examination software tool resident on a host computer, the host computer having a central processor, at least one output screen or monitor device, and at least one input device, the physical dental keyboard being distinct from the screen or monitor device of the host computer and at least one input device, the 7 physical dental keyboard comprising:
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(a) a keyboard body having a plurality of mechanical input keys; (b) a first mechanical input key grouping having five mechanical input keys, each mechanical input key of the first mechanical input key grouping representing a tooth surface, comprising; (i) a central mechanical input key; (ii) a first side mechanical input key; (iii) a second side mechanical input key; (iv) a lower mechanical input key; and (v) an upper mechanical input key; (c) the central mechanical input key being centrally positioned between the first side mechanical input key, the second side mechanical input key, the lower mechanical input key, and the upper mechanical input key; (d) the central mechanical input key positioned between the first side mechanical input key and the second side mechanical input key without any intervening mechanical input keys therebetween, the central mechanical input key positioned between the upper mechanical input key and the lower mechanical input key without any intervening mechanical input keys therebetween; (e) the central mechanical input key, the first side mechanical input key, the second side mechanical input key, the lower mechanical input key, and the upper mechanical input key are arranged in a cross pattern; (f) the first mechanical input key grouping being offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the first grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the first grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the first grouping; (g) a second mechanical input key grouping, each mechanical input key of the second mechanical input key grouping representing a tooth, consisting of; (i) a first row and a second row of mechanical input keys, the first row and the second row each having 16 or 17 mechanical input keys; (h) the second mechanical input key grouping being offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the second grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the second grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the second grouping; (i) said physical dental keyboard having means for bi-directional communication with said dental examination software tool resident on said host computer; (j) wherein the first mechanical input key grouping facilitates both accuracy and speed of data entry of tooth surface information, and wherein the second mechanical input key grouping facilitates data entry of specific teeth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A specialized physical dental keyboard for recording conditions of teeth in a patient during a dental exam, the physical dental keyboard adapted to communicate bi-directionally with a dental examination software tool resident on a host computer, the host computer having a central processor, at least one output screen or monitor device, and at least one input device, the specialized physical dental keyboard being distinct from the screen or monitor device of the host computer, the physical dental keyboard comprising:
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(a) a keyboard body having a plurality of mechanical input keys; (b) a first mechanical input key grouping having five mechanical input keys, each mechanical input key of the first mechanical input key grouping representing a tooth surface, comprising; (i) a central mechanical input key; (ii) a first side mechanical input key; (iii) a second side mechanical input key; (iv) a lower mechanical input key; and (v) an upper mechanical input key; (c) the central mechanical input key being centrally positioned between the first side mechanical input key, the second side mechanical input key, the lower mechanical input key, and the upper mechanical input key; (d) the central mechanical input key positioned between the first side mechanical input key and the second side mechanical input key without any intervening mechanical input keys therebetween, the central mechanical input key positioned between the upper mechanical input key and the lower mechanical input key without any intervening mechanical input keys therebetween; (e) the central mechanical input key, the first side mechanical input key, the second side mechanical input key, the lower mechanical input key, and the upper mechanical input key are arranged in a cross pattern; (f) the first mechanical input key grouping being offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the first grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the first grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the first grouping; (g) a second mechanical input key grouping, each mechanical input key of the second mechanical input key grouping representing a tooth, consisting of; (i) a first row and a second row of mechanical input keys, the first row and the second row each having 16 or 17 mechanical input keys; (h) the second mechanical input key grouping being offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the second grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the second grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the second grouping; (i) an integrated display panel to display a sequence of keystrokes. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A specialized physical dental keyboard for recording conditions of teeth in a patient during a dental exam, the physical dental keyboard adapted to communicate bi-directionally with a dental examination software tool resident on a host computer, the host computer having a central processor, at least one output screen or monitor device, and at least one input device, the physical dental keyboard comprising:
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(a) a keyboard body having a plurality of mechanical input keys, five of the mechanical input keys being part of a first grouping of mechanical input keys, and at least thirty-two of the mechanical input keys being part of a second grouping keys; (b) the first grouping of mechanical input keys arranged in a cross pattern, the first grouping of mechanical input keys offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the grouping, the first grouping of mechanical input keys including; (i) a central mechanical input key; (ii) a first side mechanical input key; (iii) a second side mechanical input key; (iv) a lower mechanical input key; and (v) an upper mechanical input key; and (c) the second grouping of mechanical input keys, the second grouping consisting of; (i) a first row of and a second row of mechanical input keys, the first row and the second row each having 16 or 17 mechanical input keys, the first row being positioned substantially adjacent the second row of mechanical input keys to produce two rows of mechanical input keys without any intervening mechanical input keys; and (ii) the second mechanical input key grouping being offset from other mechanical input keys in that distances between adjacent mechanical input keys of the second grouping are smaller than the distances between the mechanical input keys of the second grouping and mechanical input keys not associated with the second grouping. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification