Keyboard

• US 4,443,789 A
• Filed: 11/13/1981
• Issued: 04/17/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1974
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microwriter Limited
• Original Assignee: Microwriter Limited
• Inventors: Endfield, Cyril, Rainey, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Application Number:
  US06/320,925
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 340/365 R, 340/365 S, 178/17 C, 178/21, 179/90 K, 400/485, 400/486, 400/90, 400/89, 400/477, 400/479, 400/472, 400/489
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/08 Character or syllable selected by means of keys or keyboards of the typewriter type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electrical keyboard having five keys arranged conveniently for the fingers of an operators hand, a memory to store the signals from each key, logic circuit to instruct said stored data after release of the last of said keys and an encoder to receive said stored signals and produce electrical output signals corresponding to readable characters; each character signal requiring a single operation of a unique combination of said input keys for production of said signal.

Claims

1. A keyboard operated signal producing apparatus comprising an input keyboard having a set of five manually operable finger keys arranged for operation with only one hand, and each of said keys being arranged for operation with a different finger of said one hand, said keys being selectively operable to provide a different pre-selected combination of operated and non-operated ones of said keys for each alphabetic character in an alphabetic system having a total number of characters greatly exceeding the number of said keys, means responsive to operation of selected ones of said keys for producing a unique coded electrical output for each of the different combinations of operated and non-operated ones of said keys, whereby each unique coded output represents a different character in said system, there being a unique pre-selected combination of said keys assigned for operation to represent each character in a majority of the characters making up said system to thereby provide a group of unique key combinations in which each unique key combination of the group represents a different character in said majority of characters, the arrangement of said keys being pre-selected to provide a pictographic relationship between each key combination in a majority of said unique combinations and the alphabetic character represented thereby.

2. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the pre-selected key arrangement providing said pictographic relationship is such that the keys making up each unique key combination in said majority of unique key combinations lie along spaced apart points of a geodesic outline of the alphabetic character represented by the unique key combination.

3. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the letter f is represented by one of the key combinations in said majority of unique key combinations and wherein the keys assigned to represent the letter f are the ones positioned to be operated by the operator'"'"'s thumb, index finger, middle finger and ring finger.

4. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the letter j is represented by one of the key combinations in said majority of unique key combinations, and wherein the keys assigned to represent the letter j are the ones positioned to be operated by the operator'"'"'s thumb, little finger and ring finger.

5. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the letter 1 is represented by one of the key combinations in said majority of unique key combinations, and wherein the keys assigned to represent the letter 1 are the ones positioned to be operated by the operator'"'"'s index finger, thumb and little finger.

6. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the letter c is represented by one of the key combinations in said majority of unique key combinations, and wherein the keys assigned to represent the letter c are the ones positioned to be operated by the operator'"'"'s middle finger, index finger, thumb and little finger.

7. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the letter r is represented by one of the key combinations in said majority of unique key combinations, and wherein the keys assigned to represent the letter r are the ones positioned to be operated by the operator'"'"'s thumb, index finger and ring finger.

8. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in any one of the preceding claims 1-7 wherein said keys are arranged along an arcuate line.

9. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in any one of the preceding claims 1-7 wherein said keys are arranged along an arch-shaped line.

10. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in any one of the preceding claims 1-7 wherein four of said keys are non-thumb finger keys and are the only non-thumb finger keys in said keyboard.

11. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in any one of the preceding claims 1-2 wherein said alphabetic system is the English alphabet.

12. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 1 including read/write memory means electrically connected to said coded output producing means, and logic circuit means electrically connected to said coded output producing means and to said memory means, said keys being operated by manually depressing them, said logic circuit means supplying a write signal to said memory means in response to the depression of one or more of said keys, and said logic circuit means removing said write signal upon the expiration of a pre-selected time period following the release of the last of the keys which were depressed to produce a given coded output, said memory means being responsive to said write signal to store the coded output produced by said coded output producing means, and said memory means further being responsive to the removal of said write signal to read out the stored output.

13. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein each of the coded outputs is in the form of a plural bit binary word, and wherein the bits of said word are transferred in parallel from said coded output producing means to said memory means.

14. The keyboard operated signal producing apparatus defined in any one of the preceding claims 1, 2 or 12 wherein each of the coded outputs is in the form of a five-bit binary word, and wherein each key in said set determines the binary state of only one pre-selected bit in said word.

15. The keyboard defined in claim 1 wherein said unique coded electrical output is a five bit binary code.

16. The keyboard defined in claim 1 wherein each unique coded electrical output is produced by a single operation of pre-selected ones of said keys.

17. An electrical keyboard device comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) switch means consisting of five alphabet character-controlling key-switches only, connected in parallel so as to provide individual key-switch signal outputs and positioned to be operated each by a respective one of the five fingers of an operator'"'"'s hand, for producing a signal responsive to such operation, a said signal being generated when at least one said key-switches is operated, and a key-switch being operated or not operated when contacted or not contacted by the corresponding finger of the operator, said key-switches being operated singly and in combination of two to five key-switches in an operational stroke wherein all of the key-switches corresponding to a single given character are contacted so as to generate a unique output representing a said single given character for each different said stroke;

(c) storage means, located within said housing and connected to the signal outputs of said five key-switches by each operational stroke;

(d) logic means, located within said housing for controlling said storage means such that a said operational stroke of a selection from said five key-switches by respective fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand causes a corresponding signal to be presented to and stored by said storage means, each of said selections being unique and representing a said single given character, and a corresponding output representing a said character being presented by said storage means after completion of each said stroke;

said five key-switches being arranged on a surface of said housing so that each key-switch is located conveniently to a respective one of said five fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand when the hand is resting on the housing, said five key-switches corresponding to the points of a given five point pattern of which at least one respective point lies on the outline of each letter of the Roman (English) alphabet, a respective said character corresponding to each of the letters of the alphabet and the relationship between the majority of said letters and their respective characters being a pictographic correlation between a major part of the shape of the respective letter and the physical positions of the points of said pattern which correspond to the selection of key-switches required to present the respective character to said storage means, the five character-controlling key-switches comprising upper and lower right-most key-switches, upper and left-most key-switches and a central uppermost key-switch, the letter "l" being represented by the two left-most key-switches and the lower right-most key-switch, and the letter "j" being represented by the two right-most key-switches and the lower left-most key-switch.

18. An electrical keyboard device comprising five alphabet character-controlling key-switches only, arranged in an array on a surface with each key-switch located conveniently to a respective one of the five fingers of an operator'"'"'s hand such that a selection from said five key-switches can be effected by respective fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand in an operational stroke, said key-switches generating an output responsive to the contacting of said key-switches with the fingers, a said output being generated when at least one key-switch is operated, and a said switch being operated or not operated when contacted or not contacted by a uni-directional movement of the corresponding finger of the operator, said key-switches being operated singly and in combination of from two to five key-switches, in a said operational stroke wherein all of the key-switches corresponding to a single, given character are contacted so as to generate a unique signal, representing a said single given character, for each different said operational stroke;

logic controlled storage means, and logic means connected to said five key-switches and said logic controlled storage means for causing a signal corresponding to an operational stroke and representing a said single given character to be presented to and stored in said storage means when said stroke has been completed, each letter of the Roman (English) alphabet being obtainable as one of the single given characters represented by one of said unique selections, four of the letters of said alphabet being obtainable as a signal at the output of said storage means by the operation of a respective single key and the remaining letters being obtainable as a signal at the output of said storage means each by the operation of at least two keys in positions so correlated with the fingers of the hand and a major part of the shape of the respective letter as to represent distinctive points on the outline of the respective letter, the five character-controlling key-switches comprising upper and lower rightmost key-switches, upper and lower leftmost key-switches and a central uppermost key-switch, the letter "l" being represented by the two left-most key-switches and the lower rightmost key-switch, and the letter "j" being represented by the two rightmost key-switches and the lower leftmost key-switch.

19. An electrical keyboard device comprising:

(a) a signal generator providing an output;

(b) switch means comprising five key-switches connected in parallel with the output of said signal generator to provide five outputs and positioned to be operated each by a respective one of the five fingers of an operator'"'"'s hand, for producing a signal responsive to such operation, a said signal being generated when at least one said key-switches is operated, and a said key-switch being operated or not operated when contacted or not contacted by a uni-directional movement of the corresponding finger of the operator, said key-switches being operated singly and in combination of from two to five key-switches;

in an operational stroke wherein all of the key-switches corresponding to a single given character are contacted so as to generate a unique output, representing a said single given character, for each different said operational stroke, said five key-switches corresponding to the points of a given five point pattern of which at least one respective point lies on the outline of each letter of the Roman (English) alphabet, the letters of said alphabet each corresponding respectively to a respective said character, and the relationship between at least a majority but less than all of said letters and the characters corresponding to the unique outputs generated by said key-switches being a pictographic correlation between a major part of the actual shape and configuration of the respective letter and the physical positions of the points of said pattern which correspond to the selection of key-switches required to produce the respective character, the five character-controlling key-switches comprising upper and lower rightmost key-switches, upper and lower leftmost key-switches and a central uppermost key switch, the letter "l" being represented by the two leftmost key-switches and the lower rightmost key-switch, and the letter "j" being represented by the two rightmost key-switches and the lower leftmost key-switch;

(c) storage means, connected to the outputs of said five key-switches, for receiving and storing each signal produced by said five key-switches by each single stroke operation;

(d) logic means for controlling said storage means such that a said stroke of a selection from said five key-switches by respective fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand causes a corresponding selection of signals to be presented to and stored by said storage means, each of said selections being unique and representing a said single given character.

20. An electrical keyboard device comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) switch means consisting of five alphabet character-controlling key-switches only, connected in parallel so as to provide individual key-switch outputs and positioned to be operated each by a respective one of the five fingers of an operator'"'"'s hand, for producing a signal responsive to such operation, a said signal being generated when at least one said key-switches is operated, and a said key-switch being operated when contacted or not contacted by a uni-directional movement by the corresponding finger of the operator, said key-switches being operated singly and in combination of two to five key-switches, in an operational stroke wherein all of the key-switches corresponding to a single given character are contacted so as to generate a unique output representing a said single given character for each different said stroke;

(c) storage means, located within said housing and connected to the outputs of said five key-switches, for receiving and storing the signal produced by said five key-switches by each operational stroke operation;

(d) logic means, located within said housing, for controlling said storage means such that a said operational stroke of a selection from said five key-switches by respective fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand causes a corresponding signal to be presented to and stored by said storage means, each of said selections being unique and representing a said single given character, and a corresponding output representing a said character being presented by said storage means after completion of each said stroke, a said output representing a said character being produced when the key-switches corresponding to that character are contacted in any order;

said five-switches being arranged on a surface of said housing so that each key-switch is located conveniently to a respective one of said five fingers of the operator'"'"'s hand when the hand is resting on the housing, said five key-switches corresponding to the points of a given five point pattern of which at least one respective point lies on the outline of each letter of the Roman (English) alphabet, a respective said character corresponding to each of the letters of the alphabet, and the relationship between the majority of said letters and the respective character being a pictographic correlation between a major part of the shape of the respective letter and the physical positions of points of said pattern which correspond to the selection of key-switches required to present the respective character to said storage means, the five character-controlling key-switches comprising upper and lower rightmost key-switches, upper and lower leftmost key-switches and a central uppermost key switch, the letter "l" being represented by the two leftmost key-switches and the lower rightmost key-switch, and the letter "j" being represented by the two rightmost key-switches and the lower leftmost key-switch.