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Multiple format keyboard

  • US 4,613,247 A
  • Filed: 12/03/1984
  • Issued: 09/23/1986
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1982
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A multiple format keyboard arrangement adapted for use in a selected one of a number of languages, comprising:

  • a plurality of manually actuable key members at least some of which correspond to letter and punctuation characters in a given language alphabet, wherein information corresponding to said characters is to be conveyed to information receiving means with which the keyboard arrangement is associated,key member support means for supporting the character key members in a fixed array of three rows forming a bottom row, a middle row and a top row, each of said rows comprising ten character key members arranged consecutively wherein the first five character key members of each of said rows, proceeding from left to right, are for actuation by fingers of the left hand, the fourth and fifth key members being actuable by the left index finger, and the next five character key members of each of said rows are for actuation by fingers of the right hand, the sixth and seventh key members being actuable by the right index finger,information conveying means responsive to actuation of said key members for conveying the information corresponding to the characters represented by said character key members to the information receiving means,character array format selecting means located in the vicinity of said key members for access by an operator, for selecting one of three different character array formats for said character key members wherein at least some of the letter character key members are each caused to correspond to one of at least two different letters in said given language alphabet in accordance with the selected character array format, and said information conveying means conveys the information of the selected letter character to the information receiving means when the corresponding letter character key member is actuated,a first one of said character array formats which is selectable by said character array format selecting means being a QWERTY format,a second one of said selectable character array formats being a language adapted touch-type format wherein the ten consecutive character key members of said middle row each correspond to a different one of the ten most frequently used letters in said given language, and wherein the second, third, eighth and ninth of the ten consecutive key members of said middle row, proceeding from left to right, correspond to vowel letters, the remaining ones of said ten key members of said middle row each corresponding to consonant letters, and only the third and the eighth key members of said top row correspond to vowel letters, the two top row vowel letters being those least used in said given language, anda third one of said selectable character array formats being a high frequency letter cluster format wherein the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh character key members of the ten consecutive character key members of each of said rows, each correspond to a different one of the twelve most frequently used letters in said given language for selective actuation by the right and left index fingers of the operator'"'"'s hands, andcharacter indentifying means for indicating, for each of said character key members, the character to which that key member corresponds in the format selected by said character array format selecting means.

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