KEY INPUT UNIT

• US 20110240451A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, Young-Joo, CHON, Hae-Don, HONG, Sun-Gi
• Application Number:
  US13/075,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20110240451A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/5.A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1673 Arrangements for projecting a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• 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: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

Provided is a key input unit for facilitating a user'"'"'s input operation, including a plurality of keys and a space key provided between two predetermined key columns among the plurality of keys. The key input unit also includes a plurality of keys and a predetermined region surrounding the plurality of keys, in which the predetermined region is used as a space function.

Claims

1. A key input unit comprising:

a plurality of keys; and

a space key provided between two predetermined key columns among the plurality of keys.

2. The key input unit of claim 1, wherein the space key has an elongated shape arranged in a transverse direction and is positioned at a center among the plurality of keys.

3. The key input unit of claim 1, wherein the two predetermined key columns comprise character keys and/or number keys which are used more than a predetermined number of times.

4. The key input unit of claim 1, wherein the two predetermined key columns form a QWERTY key arrangement having a first key column with “

T”

, “

G” and

“

B”

keys disposed on one side and a second key column with “

Y”

, “

H” and

“

N”

keys disposed on an other side of the space key.

5. The key input unit of claim 1, wherein the key input unit is arranged using physical keys.

6. The key input unit of claim 1, wherein the key input unit is arranged using a touch screen module.

7. A key input unit comprising:

a plurality of keys; and

a predetermined region surrounding the plurality of keys,

wherein the predetermined region is used as a space function.

8. The key input unit of claim 7, wherein a predetermined space is provided between two predetermined key columns among the plurality of keys.

9. The key input unit of claim 8, wherein the predetermined space is provided by reducing a size of the plurality of keys included in the two predetermined key columns.

10. The key input unit of claim 8, wherein the two predetermined key columns comprise character keys and/or number keys which are used more than a predetermined number of times.

11. The key input unit of claim 8, wherein the two predetermined two key columns form a QWERTY key arrangement having a first key column with “

T”

, “

G” and

“

B”

keys disposed on one side and a second key column with “

Y”

, “

H” and

“

N”

keys disposed on an other side of the predetermined space.

12. The key input unit of claim 7, wherein the key input unit arranged using a touch screen.

13. The key input unit of claim 7, wherein a space function is executed by touching a device that includes the key input unit.

14. The key input unit of claim 13, further comprising a sensor for executing the space function when the device is touched.