Compressed standardized keyboard

• US 20060028358A1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Bollman
• Original Assignee: Taylor Bollman
• Inventors: Bollman, Taylor
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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: H01H 2217/036 Plural multifunctional miniature keys for one symbol
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/06 by operating the multifunction key itself in different ways

Abstract

A keyboard of reduced size is provided in which multiple characters are assigned to each of the primary keys. The selection of the characters to be assigned to each specific primary key is based on the touch typing rules associated with a specific standardized keyboard, preferably allowing at least three rows of keys to be reduced to a single row of keys. A disambiguating system is used to interpret which of the characters and/or symbols assigned to a particular key is intended, typically by applying a set of disambiguating rules to generated input sequences.

Claims

1. A keyboard system, comprising:

a plurality of input keys, wherein each of said plurality of input keys corresponds to at least three individual keys on a standardized keyboard, wherein each of said at least three individual keys is associated with a single, specific finger for touch typing on said standardized keyboard, and wherein each of said plurality of input keys generates a signal when selected associated with each of said at least three individual keys;

a memory for storing a plurality of signal sequences, wherein each of said plurality of signal sequences is comprised of multiple signals generated by the selection of multiple input keys selected from said plurality of input keys; and

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor applying a set of disambiguating rules to each of said plurality of signal sequences and outputting a chosen signal sequence based on said set of disambiguating rules for each of said plurality of signal sequences.

2. The keyboard system of claim 1, wherein a first portion of said plurality of input keys corresponds to a user'"'"'s left hand and a second portion of said plurality of input keys corresponds to a user'"'"'s right hand.

3. The keyboard system of claim 1, wherein said standardized keyboard is a QWERTY keyboard.

4. The keyboard system of claim 1, wherein said standardized keyboard is a DVORAK keyboard.

5. The keyboard system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of input keys corresponds to a numeral in addition to said at least three individual keys.

6. The keyboard system of claim 1, further comprising an input means for controlling a cursor position.

7. The keyboard system of claim 1, further comprising at least one function input key.

8. The keyboard system of claim 1, further comprising at least one grammatical symbol input key.

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