Keyboard for data entry on control purposes
First Claim
1. A keyboard for data entry or control, comprising a base;
- sets of two or more keys mounted on the base, each key including a roller having a superficial touch area with the superficial touch area for each roller of a set of keys being arranged for receiving the tip of a finger of a hand of an operator thereover and configured so that a fingertip of an operator may easily move thereover, the superficial touch areas of each set being sized and clustered together whereby substantially the entire superficial touch areas of a respective set of keys are substantially simultaneously comprehended by and selectively operable by a single finger tip of an operator; and
means controlled by respective keys of the sets of keys.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A keyboard for data entry or control purposes includes a plurality of sets of two or more keys arranged for receving the tips of the finger of a hand of an operator, the keys of each set have such a small superfical touch area and are clustered together so as to be substantially comprehended and selectively operated by a single finger tip of an operator. Additional keys having their superficial touch area spaced from but sufficiently close to the superficial touch area of a set of the sets may be provided to be conveniently operable by a finger tip of user operating the keys of the adjacent set. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the superficial touch area of each key takes the form of a roller and each set of keys is made up of two keys. In some embodiments, the relative spacing between sets of keys or between keys may be adjustable.
44 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A keyboard for data entry or control, comprising a base;
- sets of two or more keys mounted on the base, each key including a roller having a superficial touch area with the superficial touch area for each roller of a set of keys being arranged for receiving the tip of a finger of a hand of an operator thereover and configured so that a fingertip of an operator may easily move thereover, the superficial touch areas of each set being sized and clustered together whereby substantially the entire superficial touch areas of a respective set of keys are substantially simultaneously comprehended by and selectively operable by a single finger tip of an operator; and
means controlled by respective keys of the sets of keys. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- sets of two or more keys mounted on the base, each key including a roller having a superficial touch area with the superficial touch area for each roller of a set of keys being arranged for receiving the tip of a finger of a hand of an operator thereover and configured so that a fingertip of an operator may easily move thereover, the superficial touch areas of each set being sized and clustered together whereby substantially the entire superficial touch areas of a respective set of keys are substantially simultaneously comprehended by and selectively operable by a single finger tip of an operator; and
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18. A keyboard for data entry or control, comprising a base;
- sets of two or more keys mounted on the base, each key having a superficial touch area with the superficial touch area for each key of a set of keys being arranged for receiving the tip of a finger of a hand of an operator thereover and being configured so that a fingertip of an operator may easily move thereover, the superficial touch areas of each set being sized and clustered together whereby substantially the entire superficial touch areas of a respective set of keys are substantially simultaneously comprehended by and selectively operable by a single finger tip of an operator;
means for adjusting the relative positioning of the respective sets of keys in relation to one another; and
means controlled by respective keys of the sets of keys. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
- sets of two or more keys mounted on the base, each key having a superficial touch area with the superficial touch area for each key of a set of keys being arranged for receiving the tip of a finger of a hand of an operator thereover and being configured so that a fingertip of an operator may easily move thereover, the superficial touch areas of each set being sized and clustered together whereby substantially the entire superficial touch areas of a respective set of keys are substantially simultaneously comprehended by and selectively operable by a single finger tip of an operator;
Specification