Half keyboard

• US 20060279434A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Yi-Shen
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,747 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 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

A half keyboard having a key input system with a set of keys, wherein the set of keys is arranged as a conventional keyboard, such as a Qwerty keyboard, approximately folded in half so that the key of the set of keys indicates more multiple characters, symbols and/or functions.

Claims

1. A key input system comprising a set of keys, wherein the set of keys are approximately arranged by folding an arrangement of a conventional keyboard to make the key indicative of more characters, symbols and/or functions.

2. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the conventional keyboard is at least selected from the group consisting of English letters, phonetic notations, and the notations of various Chinese input methods.

3. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the set of keys comprises additional keys indicative of characters, symbols, or functions of:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, '"'"', ˜

, !, @, #, $, %, ˆ

, &

, *, (,), _, −

, +, =, |, \, {, }, [, ], ;

, ;

, ″

, ′

, <

, “

,”

, >

, ., ?, /; and

Menu, Esc, Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause Break, Number Lock, Space Bar.

4. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided as one of the multiple characters, symbols or functions based on what side of the key is pressed.

5. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by incorporating a shift function key.

6. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by recognizing how many times the key is pressed.

7. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of a character and a numeral is pressed, whether an input is decided as the character or the numeral is based on an input condition.

8. The key input system of claim 7, wherein if the input condition is a numeral field of a contact list and the key indicative of a character and a numeral is pressed, a numeral is inputted.

9. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the set of keys is in one form of a physical keyboard, a virtual keyboard displayed in a monitor or a virtual keyboard projected by an optical device.

10. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the set of keys comprises keys, push buttons, switch buttons, cam switches, rotary switches and scroll wheels.

11. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of the keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by a smart input software.

12. The key input system of claim 1, further comprising a motion detector that detects motions of the hands of a user to determine whether an active hand is a left hand or a right hand of a user and to assist in determining a character, a symbol or a function that the user wants to input when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed.

13. A key input system having a set of keys, the set of keys at least comprising:

a first row of keys sequentially including a first key indicative of Q and Y, a second key indicative of W and U, a third key indicative of E and I, a fourth key indicative of R and O, and a fifth key indicative of T and P;

a second row of keys sequentially including a first key indicative of A and H, a second key indicative of S and J, a third key indicative of D and K, a fourth key indicative of F and L, and a fifth key indicative of G; and

a third row of keys sequentially including a first key indicative of Z and N, a second key indicative of X and M, a third key indicative of C, a fourth key indicative of V, and a fifth key indicative of B.

14. The key input system of claim 13, wherein the set of keys comprises additional keys indicative of characters, symbols, or functions of:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, '"'"', ˜

, !, @, #, $, % , ˆ

, &

, *, (,), _, −

, +, =, |, \, {, }, [, ], ;

, ;

, ″

, ′

, <

, “

,”

, >

, ., ?, /; and

Menu, Esc, Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause Break, Number Lock, Space Bar.

15. The key input system of claim 13, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided as one of the multiple characters, symbols or functions based on what side of the key is pressed.

16. The key input system of claim 13, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by incorporating a shift function key.

17. The key input system of claim 13, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by recognizing how many times the key is pressed.

18. The key input system of claim 13, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of a character and a numeral is pressed, whether an input is decided as the character or the numeral is based on an input condition.

19. The key input system of claim 18, wherein if the input condition is a numeral field of a contact list and the key indicative of a character and a numeral is pressed, a numeral is inputted.

20. The key input system of claim 13, wherein the set of keys is in one form of a physical keyboard, a virtual keyboard displayed in a monitor or a virtual keyboard projected by an optical device.

21. The key input system of claim 13, wherein the set of keys comprises keys, push buttons, switch buttons, cam switches, rotary switches and scroll wheels.

22. The key input system of claim 13, wherein when a key of the set of the keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by a smart input software.

23. The key input system of claim 13, further comprising a motion detector that detects motions of the hands of a user to determine whether an active hand is a left hand or a right hand of a user and to assist in determining a character, a symbol or a function that the user wants to input when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed.