AUGMENTED COMPUTER KEYBOARD

• US 20090060619A1
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald W. Calkins
• Original Assignee: Donald W. Calkins
• Inventors: Calkins, Donald W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033

Abstract

A computer keyboard with palm support surfaces, and controls providing mouse functions, added to each side of the keyboard. The palm support surfaces are downward sloping, and/or downward curved convex surfaces, on either side of the keyboard, descending from peaks near each top rear corner of the keyboard, laterally away from the keyboard, and towards the front of the keyboard. Outside edges of the palm support surfaces may narrow and curve inward toward the front of the keyboard to allow a more natural hand position. The controls include selection buttons, normally located on a mouse, to the left of the keyboard, and a positioning device normally located on a mouse, to the right of the keyboard, and are generally embedded to the rear of each palm support surface. The controls and palm support surfaces allow a more natural hand placement and avoid pressure on the carpal tunnel area.

Claims

1. A keyboard augmentation comprising:

a Personal Computer (PC) keyboard having keys;

right and left controls comprising a pointing device and at least one selection button, the controls residing at a right rear corner of the augmented keyboard and a left rear corner of the augmented keyboard;

a right palm rest surface residing to the right of the keys and in front of the right control and angled down to the right for supporting the right hand of the user while using the right control to reduce pressure on the right wrist which may contribute to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome;

a left palm rest surface residing to the left of the keys and in front of the left control and angled down to the left for supporting the left hand of the user while using the left control to reduce pressure on the left wrist which may contribute to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; and

wherein the controls provide functions of a mouse.

2. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein the right palm rest surface is angled down and to the right at between 25 degrees and 60 degrees below the horizontal and the left palm rest surface is angled down and to the left at between 25 degrees and 60 degrees below the horizontal.

3. The keyboard augmentation of claim 2, wherein the right palm rest surface is angled down and to the right at between 30 degrees and 45 degrees below the horizontal and the left palm rest surface is angled down and to the left at between 30 degrees and 45 degrees below the horizontal.

4. The keyboard augmentation of claim 3, wherein the right palm rest surface is angled down and to the right at approximately 35 degrees below the horizontal and the left palm rest surface is angled down and to the left at approximately 35 degrees below the horizontal.

5. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, further comprising an augmentation dock, wherein:

the augmentation dock includes a cavity adapted to carry the keyboard;

the controls reside to the right and left of the cavity in the augmentation dock; and

the right palm rest, the left palm rest reside to the right and left of the cavity,

6. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, further comprising an augmentation collar wherein:

the augmentation collar is “

U”

shaped and fits around a base and sides of the keyboard; and

the right palm rest, the left palm rest, the pointing device and the at least one selection button reside on the augmentation collar.

7. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, further comprising right and left augmentation members adapted to reside to the right and left of the keyboard respectively, wherein:

the controls reside on the augmentation members;

the right palm rest resides on the right augmentation member; and

the left palm rest reside on the left augmentation member.

8. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein;

the right palm rest comprises a cushioned right palm rest surface positioned to provide support for a right hand of a user when the right hand is positioned to use the controls; and

the left palm rest comprises a cushioned left palm rest surface positioned to provide support for a left hand of the user when the left hand is positioned to use the controls.

9. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, further including module ports on the left and right sides of the keyboard, wherein:

the at least one selection button resides on a button module;

the pointing device resides on a pointing device module; and

the button module and the pointing device modules are insertable into either module port.

10. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein the palm rests are flat and fixed palm rests.

11. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein the palm rests have parallel side edges.

12. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein the palm rests reside entirely to the right and left sides of the keyboard.

13. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein the palm rests angle in to the front of the augmented keyboard.

14. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein the palm rests are rounded.

15. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein:

the augmented keyboard has a front edge and the palm rests extend forward to the front edge;

the palm rests are below an upper surface of the augmented keyboard; and

the palm rests are flat and fixed and have parallel outside and inside edges.

16. The keyboard augmentation of claim 1, wherein the keyboard has a front edge and the palm rests extend forward to the front edge.

17. A method for using an augmented computer keyboard, the method comprising:

rotating a left forearm, left wrist, and left hand until a left palm of the left hand is approximately perpendicular to a plane of an augmented keyboard having a left palm support surface curving down and to the left and curving inward to narrow from the rear of the keyboard to the front, the left palm support surface having selection buttons residing at the rear of the left palm support surface;

placing the left hand parallel to and next to an outside left edge of the left palm support;

rotating the left hand clockwise inward and downward until the left palm comes to rest against the downward sloping palm support;

rotating a right forearm, right wrist, and right hand until a right palm of the right hand is approximately perpendicular to the plane of the augmented keyboard having a right palm support surface curving down and to the right and curving inward to narrow from the rear of the keyboard to the front, the right palm support surface having a pointing device residing at the rear of the right palm support surface;

placing the right hand parallel to and next to an outside right edge of the right palm support; and

rotating the right hand counter-clockwise inward and downward until right palm comes to rest against the downward sloping palm support.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein rotating the left palm clockwise inward and downward further comprises rotating the left palm clockwise inward and downward until at least one finger of the left hand rests on the selection device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein rotating the right palm counter-clockwise inward and downward further comprises rotating the right palm counter-clockwise inward and downward until at least one finger of the right hand rests on the pointing device.

20. An augmented keyboard comprising:

a Personal Computer (PC) keyboard having;

keys;

a front edge towards a user; and

a rear edge away from a user;

controls comprising;

a pointing device selected from a group consisting of a track ball, a touch sensitive area, and a joy stick and residing at a first rear corner of the augmented keyboard; and

selection buttons comprising a left selection button, a wheel, and right selection button and residing at a second rear corner opposite the first rear corner of the augmented keyboard;

a right palm rest surface extending between the front edge and the rear edge of the keyboard and residing to the right of a rightmost of the keys, the right palm rest surface curving outward to the right and then downward and the right palm rest surface tapering narrower towards the front edge of the augmented keyboard, a right cross-section of the right palm rest surface being a quarter circle shape, and as the right palm rest surface tapers narrower towards the front edge of the keyboard, the right palm rest surface forms a quarter cone shape; and

a left palm rest surface extending between the front edge and the rear edge of the keyboard and residing to the left of a leftmost of the keys, the left palm rest surface curving outward to the left and then downward and the left palm rest surface tapering narrower towards the front edge of the augmented keyboard, a left cross-section of the left palm rest surface being a quarter circle shape, and as the left palm rest surface tapers narrower towards the front edge of the keyboard, the left palm rest surface forms a quarter cone shape;

,

wherein;

the right palm support is for supporting the right hand of the user by supporting an inside portion of the right palm of the right hand when the right hand is positioned to control the controls residing at the right rear corner of the augmented keyboard;

the left palm support is for supporting the left hand of the user by supporting an inside portion of the left palm of the left hand when the left hand is positioned to control the controls residing at the left rear corner of the augmented keyboard; and

the pointing device and the selection buttons replace functions of a mouse.