Pocket Data Input Board
First Claim
1. - A keyboard for an electronic device, having a working surface harboring a number of keys and markings to denote the function(s) and character(s) each key represents, each key with a sensitive part on its surface called a node, placing a finger on which node will activate said key, where:
- at least part of said working surface rests onto a screen of said device at least while typing;
said working surface is transparent at least across said on screen areas;
said markings are translucent at least across said on screen areas; and
said markings are visible both when said screen is turned on and off,whereby;
all of the screen and the markings can be viewed concurrently;
the keyboard can be at least as large as the screen;
no need to shrink the screen to accommodate the keyboard;
no need to allocate part of the screen to view what is being typed;
the screen need not be used for marking and legending the keys;
no switching the screen from legending use to main use as monitor; and
both the screen and keyboard can be fully utilized concurrently.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is a transparent keyboard with translucent markings to show the functions of each key. It can rest over the screen of a computer, hand held device, smart phone or the like, without obstructing the screen or using it for marking the keys or reducing the size of the screen area that is used as a screen or monitor as against a keyboard. It can be made by translucent markings on existing touchscreen keyboards or a transparent layer over the touchscreen with translucent markings. It can be a transparent screen with programmable markings. It can be touch sensitive, yet use key layouts and sizes to prevent unintended key activation and ease multi finger typing.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. - A keyboard for an electronic device, having a working surface harboring a number of keys and markings to denote the function(s) and character(s) each key represents, each key with a sensitive part on its surface called a node, placing a finger on which node will activate said key, where:
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at least part of said working surface rests onto a screen of said device at least while typing; said working surface is transparent at least across said on screen areas; said markings are translucent at least across said on screen areas; and said markings are visible both when said screen is turned on and off, whereby; all of the screen and the markings can be viewed concurrently; the keyboard can be at least as large as the screen; no need to shrink the screen to accommodate the keyboard; no need to allocate part of the screen to view what is being typed; the screen need not be used for marking and legending the keys; no switching the screen from legending use to main use as monitor; and both the screen and keyboard can be fully utilized concurrently. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
means for providing node activation feedback electronically; means for providing physical tactile feed back; means for providing finger rests, physically; means for providing finger rests, electronically; means for providing changeable character sets; means for reducing overall finger movement; and means for supplying power within means for attaching to device.
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10. - Claim 1 with an actuation force below about 100 grams.
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11. - claim 10 where spans between centers and gaps between perimeters of adjacent nodes are wide enough to ensure that a finger aiming at the center of a node would not activate another.
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12. - claim 11 where spans between centers of most adjacent nodes is wider than the distance between two points where adjacent fingers concurrently typing said nodes first hit said nodes, whereby multi finger typing is easy.
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13. - claim 12, the inner zone of the working surface is defined by the line connecting centers of those adjacent nodes which are adjacent to the working surface perimeter, where parts of perimeter of almost every node which falls within the inner zone:
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is substantially one of (a) circular and (b) hexagonal shapes; narrowest gap between perimeters of adjacent nodes is minimal; span between centers of adjacent nodes is minimal; and nodes are arranged substantially compactly arranged.
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14. - claim 1 where for a number of keys:
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at least one wall on said board, separates the node from a number of adjacent nodes; each wall is tall enough to limit a finger from concurrently activating two keys it divides; each wall is rigid enough to maintain said necessary height under typical typing pressure; each wall covers at least part of the perimeter of at least one node; and each wall is chosen from the types which includes segmented and continuous.
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15. - claim 14, the inner zone of the working surface is defined by the line connecting centers of those adjacent nodes which are adjacent to the working surface perimeter, where within said inner zone, said walls are based substantially on the perimeter of one of a (a) circle and (b) hexagon, which circles and hexagons are arranges such that the area of said inner zone is mathematically substantially minimized.
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16. - claim 1 where its working surface is augmented by one or more pads, which pads need not be transparent, each pad coupled with said working surface in one of (a) directly along a joint linear side and (b) via said device.
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17. - claim 16, where one segment of the working surface functions as an independent keyboard, where user may switch from operating one segment alone to using the whole keyboard and vice versa, where a pad and the transparent working surface are each regarded as a segment.
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18. - claim 1 having hardware and software means to manipulate the shape, size, number, positions territorial boundary lines and functions of said keys, hence forming various key layouts, some layouts have keyless zones, reducing the effective size of the keyboard.
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19. - claim 18 having a removable layer across at least part of its working surface, which layer harbors at least some of said markings, and can be replaced by a differently marked layer.
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20. - claim 19 having hardware and software means to manipulate said markings, one of many uses of said layer is to modify the markings to suit one of said layouts.
Specification