6-Key keyboard for touch typing

• US 20050099397A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Katsuyasu Ono
• Original Assignee: Katsuyasu Ono
• Inventors: Ono, Katsuyasu
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/08 by operating selected combinations of multifunction keys

Abstract

A keyboard having six keys. Characters are entered in two strokes. That is, the user selects a group including a desired character by the first stroke, and selects the desired character by the second stroke. On the key top, each key has legends of characters corresponding to key layout so that it is intuitively recognizable which keys the respective characters are assigned to after the group is selected. By means of such a keyboard, characters can be entered with the fewer keys. This facilitates key entry by touch typing.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

six keys; and

a control unit which outputs predetermined character codes when the six keys are pressed, wherein the control unit realizes;

dividing a predetermined character set into no more than six groups each including six characters or less, and assigning each of the groups to one of the six keys;

after a key to which any one of the groups is assigned is pressed, assigning each of the characters included in the group assigned to the pressed key to one of the keys; and

when a key to which any one of the characters is assigned is pressed, outputting a character code of the character.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

any of the keys has legends of the characters included in a group under a predetermined rule, so as to show visually which keys the respective characters included in the group are assigned to after the group is selected.

3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein

the legends of the characters included in the group replicate a layout of the keys.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the six keys are arranged in two rows and three columns.

5. The input device according to claim 2, wherein

the six keys are arranged in two rows and three columns.

6. The input device according to claim 3, wherein

the six keys are arranged in two rows and three columns.

7. An input device comprising:

an input unit which accepts six types of first identification information respectively assigned to six keys arranged in two rows and three columns;

a storing unit which retains combinations of the first identification information, and associated pieces of second identification information for identifying predetermined characters;

a control unit which retrieves a piece of the second identification information corresponding to the combination of the first identification information accepted by the input unit, from the storing unit with the combination of the first identification information accepted by the input unit as a search key; and

an output unit which outputs the piece of second identification information retrieved.

8. The input device according to claim 7, wherein

the input unit converts a character code accepted from an external keyboard into the first identification information.

9. A program which makes a computer to function as:

an input unit which accepts six types of first identification information respectively assigned to six keys arranged in two rows and three columns;

a storing unit which retains combinations of the first identification information, and associated pieces of second identification information for identifying predetermined characters;

a control unit which retrieves a piece of the second identification information corresponding to the combination of the first identification information accepted by the input unit, from the storing unit with the combination of the first identification information accepted by the input unit as a search key; and

an output unit which outputs the piece of second identification information retrieved.

10. An input device comprising:

a plurality of keys; and

a control unit which outputs predetermined character codes when the keys are pressed, wherein

the control unit realizes;

dividing a predetermined character set into a plurality of groups each including no more than a predetermined number of characters, and assigning each of the groups to one of the plurality of keys;

after a key to which any one of the groups is assigned is pressed, assigning each of the characters included in the group assigned to the pressed key to one of the keys; and

when a key to which any one of the characters is assigned is pressed, outputting a character code of the character.

11. The input device according to claim 10, wherein

the predetermined number is less than or equal to the number of keys provided on the input device.