KEYBOARD ARRANGEMENT

• US 20110063787A1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.08
• 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 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27463 Predictive input, predictive dialling by comparing the dialled sequence with the content of a telephone directory
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation

Abstract

A physical keyboard includes a plurality of multi-functional keys with a reduced column QWERTY key arrangement overlaid with a numeric phone key arrangement for use in both text entry and telephony. Another physical keyboard includes a plurality of multi-functional keys having an array of alphabetic characters and an overlaid numeric array of numbers. A handheld mobile station has a first user interface having a standard alphabetic key arrangement and a second user interface having a numeric phone key arrangement. The space key of the keyboard may be taller than the remainder of keys in the row.

Claims

1. A keyboard comprising:

a plurality of keys and corresponding indicia, the indicia including alphabetic characters, numerals and functions, and each of the plurality of keys configured to cause data corresponding to the indicia to be entered in response to selection of the key;

the plurality of keys associated with the alphabetic characters is greater than nine and less than twenty-six keys and the alphabetic characters arranged according to a standard keyboard;

the numerals being arranged according to a numeric arrangement of ITU Standard E.161 and at least partially overlaid on the plurality of keys associated with the alphabetic characters;

one of the plurality of keys being associated with a space function, the key associated with the space function having a height that is greater than the height of the remainder of the plurality of keys.

2. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys are arranged in rows and columns.

3. The keyboard as recited in claim 2, wherein the rows comprise four rows in order from top to bottom:

a first row, a second row, a third row and a fourth row; and

the columns comprise five columns in order from left to right;

a first column, a second column, a third column, a fourth column, and a fifth column.

4. The keyboard as recited in claim 3, wherein the key associated with the space function is located in the fourth row and only the space function key extends beyond a bottom line of alignment.

5. The keyboard as recited in claim 3, wherein the numerals are associated with the second column, the third column, and the fourth column.

6. The keyboard as recited in claim 3, wherein the numerals are associated with the first column, the second column, and the third column.

7. The keyboard as recited in claim 3, wherein the keys in the first row comprise a numeral “

1”

in the second column, a numeral “

2”

in the third column, and a numeral “

3”

in the fourth column;

the keys in the second row comprise a numeral “

4”

in the second column, a numeral “

5”

in the third column, and a numeral “

6”

in the fourth column;

the keys in the third row comprise a numeral “

7”

in the second column, a numeral “

8”

in the third column, and a numeral “

9”

in the fourth column, and keys in the fourth row comprise a “

*”

in the second column, a numeral “

0”

in the third column, and a “

#”

in the fourth column.

8. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the key associated with space function is also associated with the numeral “

0”

.

9. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the standard keyboard layout comprises one of QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY and DVORAK.

10. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the alphabetic characters and numerals are oriented in the same direction.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a keyboard coupled to the processor, the keyboard comprising;

a plurality of keys and corresponding indicia, the indicia including alphabetic characters, numerals and functions, and each of the plurality of keys configured to cause data to be entered in response to selection of the key and;

the plurality of keys associated with the alphabetic characters number between 9 and 26 keys and the alphabetic characters arranged according to a standard keyboard;

the numerals being arranged according to a numeric phone key arrangement and at least partially overlaid on the plurality of keys associated with the alphabetic characters;

one of the plurality of keys being associated with a space function, the key associated with the space function having a height that is greater than the height of the remainder of the plurality of keys.

12. The electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of keys are arranged in rows and columns.

13. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the rows comprise four rows in order from top to bottom:

a first row, a second row, a third row and a fourth row; and

the columns comprise five columns in order from left to right;

a first column, a second column, a third column, a fourth column, and a fifth column.

14. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the key associated with the space function is located in the fourth row and extends beyond a bottom line of alignment, which all of the remaining keys in the fourth row do not extend beyond.

15. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the numerals are associated with the second column, the third column, and the fourth column.

16. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the numerals are associated with the first column, the second column, and the third column.

17. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the keys in the first row comprise a numeral “

1”

in the second column, a numeral “

2”

in the third column, and a numeral “

3”

in the fourth column;

the keys in the second row comprise a numeral “

4”

in the second column, a numeral “

5”

in the third column, and a numeral “

6”

in the fourth column;

the keys in the third row comprise a numeral “

7”

in the second column, a numeral “

8”

in the third column, and a numeral “

9”

in the fourth column, and keys in the fourth row comprise a “

*”

in the second column, a numeral “

0”

in the third column, and a “

#”

in the fourth column.

18. The electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the key associated with space function is also associated with the numeral “

0”

.

19. The electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the standard keyboard layout comprises one of QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY and DVORAK.

20. The electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the alphabetic characters and numerals are oriented in the same direction.