Ambidextrous single hand chordic data management device

• US 5,432,510 A
• Filed: 03/22/1993
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walter S. Matthews
• Original Assignee: Walter S. Matthews
• Inventors: Matthews, Walter S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US08/034,901
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/21, 341/22, 364/709.12, 364/709.14, 364/709.15, 364/709.16, 400/479, 400/489, 400/492, 400/472, 400/473
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/08 Character or syllable selected by means of keys or keyboards of the typewriter type
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/967 having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard H03K17/969, H03K17/972, H03K17/98 take precedence

Abstract

An ambidextrous, single hand data management device that has been ergonomically optimized to facilitate multiple key per character input, chording. The device has an arrangement of multiple keys which are so situated that the device can be held in either the left or the right hand, by a large range of hand sizes, and data can be quickly and conveniently input, that is, any combination of keys can be quickly and conveniently actuated with a "Microwriting" chordic type of data input, without a hand strap and without dropping the device. The ergonomic arrangement of keys on the casing allows for the device to remain stationary relative to the palm of the hand while that hand is in a multiplicity of orientations. The device can serve as a primary data input device or as a data storage and retrieval device for things like inventory control, names and addresses or daily schedule reminders or, as a combination of all of these. The device is primarily a mobile data input device that allows access to the entire keyboard of characters without the need to look while data are being input but which provides a visual feedback if desired as to what is being input with an LCD. The information in the device can be conveniently and easily uploaded into a computer via a serial cable adapter.

Claims

1. A self contained, ambidextrous, manually-operable, chordic-keyboard data-input, data management device comprising in combination;

(a) a pocket-sized, ergonomically-designed casing that is sized to be gripped and can be operated by either the left or right hand, with said casing capable of accommodating different hand sizes, said casing gripped by fingers of a hand in contact with a thin, top, finger-key-side of said casing and a part of a palm of said hand in contact with a thin, bottom side of said casing, and said casing gripped by a thumb of said hand in contact with a face side of said casing and the front part of said palm of said hand in contact with a back side of said casing;

(b) a programmable microprocessor, semiconductor memory, a liquid crystal display contained within the housing, and a plurality of digital logic signal lines, said signal lines connected between said microprocessor, memory and display, said signal lines including means to communicate a signal between said microprocessor, said memory and said display;

(c) means for introducing a multiplicity of digital logic signals into the programmable microprocessor, for displaying an alpha numeric representation of said digital logic signals on said liquid crystal display and for storing an electronic record of said logic signals in said semiconductor memory that is accomplished by pressing and then releasing, down close only, single-pole, momentary push button keys;

four of said keys, a set of finger keys, mounted on said thin, top, finger-key side of said casing, at least one of said keys, a right hand thumb button, mounted on said face side of said casing, near the right side of said face side, inaccessible to the left hand holding said device, at least one of said keys, a left hand thumb button, mounted on said face side of said casing on the left side of said face side, inaccessible to the right hand holding said device, each of said keys being associated with only one key-down closing function, and said casing and keys configured so that all said keys can be pressed and released to the extend that all said keys are up and open while said ambidextrous device is being held only with a left or a right hand and said key press and release is accomplished without movement of said device in said hand, independent of the orientation of said hand and without dropping the device, wherein the device further comprises;

(a) means for providing a next letter search mode of operation that is needed because specific letters can not be labeled on the keys or on the unit;

(b) said next letter search mode provides a visual prompt on said liquid crystal display of the device;

(c) said next letter search mode is accessed with a specific combination of key press sequences and when said next letter search mode is accessed, a specific and different graphic appearance will be visible on the liquid crystal display;

(d) said next letter search provides means to improve the ease of use of said ambidextrous device by generating an on-the-liquid-crystal-display prompt which is a graphic representation for the specific keys that were actually pressed to generate the first of the only two letters which are displayed on the liquid crystal display screen;

(e) means for said liquid crystal display screen on said ambidextrous device in the next letter search mode to display the next letter in the alphabet and a graphical representation for said next letter as the second and only other letter on the liquid crystal screen, said screen showing two letters, in alphabetical order and their respective graphical key press combinations, chords, in which the first letter on said display is the last letter entered on the unit, the last chord;

(f) said next letter search mode enables any letter and the next letter in the alphabet, together with said two letters respective graphical representations, to be selected and displayed on the screen.

2. A self contained, ambidextrous, manually-operable, chordic-keyboard data-input, data management device comprising in combination;

(a) a pocket-sized, ergonomically-designed casing that is sized to be gripped and can be operated by either the left or right hand, with said casing capable of accommodating different hand sizes, said casing gripped by fingers of a hand in contact with a thin, top, finger-key-side of said casing and a part of a palm of said hand in contact with a thin, bottom side of said casing, and said casing gripped by a thumb of said hand in contact with a face side of said casing and the front part of said palm of said hand in contact with a back side of said casing;

(b) a programmable microprocessor, semiconductor memory, a liquid crystal display contained within the housing, and a plurality of digital logic signal lines, said signal lines connected between said microprocessor, memory and display, said signal lines including means to communicate a signal between said microprocessor, said memory and said display;

(c) means for introducing a multiplicity of digital logic signals into the programmable microprocessor, for displaying an alpha numeric representation of said digital logic signals on said liquid crystal display and for storing an electronic record of said logic signals in said semiconductor memory that is accomplished by pressing and then releasing, down close only, single-pole, momentary push button keys;

four of said keys, a set of finger keys, mounted on said thin, top, finger-key side of said casing, at least one of said keys, a right hand thumb button, mounted on said face side of said casing, near the right side of said face side, inaccessible to the left hand holding said device, at least one of said keys, a left hand thumb button, mounted on said face side of said casing on the left side of said face side, inaccessible to the right hand holding said device, each of said keys being associated with only one key-down closing function, and said casing and keys configured so that all said keys can be pressed and released to the extend that all said keys are up and open while said ambidextrous device is being held only with a left or a right hand and said key press and release is accomplished without movement of said device in said hand, independent of the orientation of said hand and without dropping the device, wherein the improvement further comprises;

means for providing downloading of software programs from a host computer into said semiconductor memory of the ambidextrous device and which allows the ambidextrous device to adopt a multiplicity of functions that is accomplished by connecting said ambidextrous device to a computer and loading a desired program into an executable space of the semiconductor memory;

wherein the improvement further comprises;

(a) means for providing as an option, a sequential and automated visual training program for learning the specific keys that need to be pressed to generate a desired letter or character, for learning chording;

(b) said learning program to appear on said liquid-crystal-display when said learning program has been downloaded into the semiconductor memory from a computer and when the keys are pressed in a learning program initiation sequence,

(c) said program to provide a suggested next character and a visual representation of the keys that have to be pressed, the chord, required to generate the suggested character, and, after the correct combination of keys, the correct chord, has been pressed, the program provides an additional suggested character with its appropriate key combination graphically displayed on the liquid crystal display;

(d) said process of presenting seemingly random characters being repeated, with different characters so that eventually all of the characters within the desired learning routine are displayed.

3. A self contained, ambidextrous, manually-operable, chordic-keyboard data-input, data management device comprising in combination;

(a) a pocket-sized, ergonomically-designed casing that is sized to be gripped and can be operated by either the left or right hand, with said casing capable of accommodating different hand sizes, said casing gripped by fingers of a hand in contact with a thin, top, finger-key-side of said casing and a part of a palm of said hand in contact with a thin, bottom side of said casing, and said casing gripped by a thumb of said hand in contact with a face side of said casing and the front part of said palm of said hand in contact with a back side of said casing;

(b) a programmable microprocessor, semiconductor memory, a liquid crystal display contained within the housing, and a plurality of digital logic signal lines, said signal lines connected between said microprocessor, memory and display, said signal lines including means to communicate a signal between said microprocessor, said memory and said display;

(c) means for introducing a multiplicity of digital logic signals into the programmable microprocessor, for displaying an alpha numeric representation of said digital logic signals on said liquid crystal display and for storing an electronic record of said logic signals in said semiconductor memory that is accomplished by pressing and then releasing, down close only, single-pole, momentary push button keys;

four of said keys, a set of finger keys, mounted on said thin, top, finger-key side of said casing, at least one of said keys, a right hand thumb button, mounted near a first corner of said face side of said casing adjacent said thin bottom side of said casing, at least one of said keys, a left hand thumb button, mounted near a second corner of said face side of said casing adjacent said thin bottom site of said casing, each of said keys being associated with only one key-down closing function, and said casing configured so that all said keys can be released to the extent that all said keys are up and open while said ambidextrous device is being held only with a left or a right hand and said release is accomplished independent of the orientation of the hand without dropping said device, wherein the improvement further comprises;

means for providing downloading of software programs from a host computer into said semiconductor memory of the ambidextrous device and which allows the ambidextrous device to adopt a multiplicity of functions that is accomplished by connecting said ambidextrous device to a computer and loading a desired program into an executable space of the semiconductor memory;

wherein the improvement further comprises;

(a) means for providing a completely mobile and convenient study and learning tool

(b) said study and learning program provides means for a visual prompt of study material on said liquid crystal display of the device;

(c) said study prompt first displays only a word or phrase without the corresponding meaning for the word or phrase from a list of words or phrases and meanings compiled on a computer, said list having been downloaded from said computer into said semiconductor memory of the device, or, said list having been manually compiled by chording in the information with said keys on said device;

(d) means for cycling to the meaning of the word or phrase, said meaning intimately linked to the word or phrase, that is accomplished by effecting a specific combination of key closures, said meaning having been included on said list with the original download from the computer or said meaning could have been added to the list manually;

(e) means for cycling through said list of words and phrases and their meanings rapidly and means to specifically eliminate words or phrases and their corresponding meanings from said list;

(f) means to cycle through a modified list after items have been deleted and not show the deleted items;

(g) means to scramble within the ambidextrous device the order of said modified list or to scramble the order of the original list and to review either of said scrambled lists without mixing up the one to one correspondence of the words or phrases and their meanings.

4. A self contained, ambidextrous, manually-operable, chordic-keyboard data-input, data management device comprising in combination;

(a) a pocket-sized, ergonomically-designed casing that is sized to be gripped and can be operated by either the left or right hand, with said casing capable of accommodating different hand sizes, said casing gripped by fingers of a hand in contact with a thin, top, finger-key-side of said casing and a part of a palm of said hand in contact with a thin, bottom side of said casing, and said casing gripped by a thumb of said hand in contact with a face side of said casing and the front part of said palm of said hand in contact with a back side of said casing;

(b) a programmable microprocessor semiconductor memory, a liquid crystal display contained within the housing, and a plurality of digital logic signal lines, said signal lines connected between said microprocessor, memory and display, said signal lines including means to communicate a signal between said microprocessor, said memory and said display;

(c) means for introducing a multiplicity of digital logic signals into the programmable microprocessor, for displaying an alpha numeric representation of said digital logic signals on said liquid crystal display and for storing an electronic record of said logic signals in said semiconductor memory that is accomplished by pressing and then releasing, down close only, single-pole, momentary push button keys;

four of said keys, a set of finger keys, mounted on said thin, top, finger-key side of said casing, at least one of said keys, a right hand thumb button, mounted on said face side of said casing, near the right side of said face side, inaccessible to the left hand holding said device, at least one of said keys, a left hand thumb button, mounted on said face side of said casing on the left side of said face side, inaccessible to the right hand holding said device, each of said keys being associated with only one key-down closing function, and said casing and keys configured so that all said keys can be pressed and released to the extend that all said keys are up and open while said ambidextrous device is being held only with a left or a right hand and said key press and release is accomplished without movement of said device in said hand, independent of the orientation of said hand and without dropping the device,

wherein the improvement further comprises;

(a) means to connect two of the ambidextrous devices in tandem;

(b) means for said tandem devices to produce a two handed chording scheme in which a single chord including keys from both devices produces a character in one of the devices is representative of a phonetic sound;

(c) means for recording in one of the two devices the chords from both of said devices in the order that they are generated which would result in only one of the devices having the desired information;

(d) means to alter the tandem function via a download to both units to convert them into a new system of input to produce a ten digit phonetically based input scheme similar to court recording.

5. A device for generating a signal representative of elements of a human language from human hand motions comprising in combination:

a) a casing sized to be graspable by a hand of a user;

b) said casing including a back side, a face side opposite said back side, and a top edge extending between said face side and said back side;

c) a plurality of buttons extending from said casing and having an unpressed position and a pressed position closer to the casing than the unpressed position, said buttons coupled to a means to generate said signal;

d) said plurality of buttons including a plurality of finger buttons extending from said top edge of said casing in a common, finger button plane between said face side and said back side;

e) said plurality of buttons including at least one thumb button extending from said face side of said casing, said thumb button oriented to move along a line non-parallel with said finger button plane.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said casing includes a plane of symmetry substantially perpendicular to said finger button plane, passing through said top edge, and substantially bisecting said casing conceptually into a right half and a left half,

said plurality of buttons including at least two thumb buttons including at least one right thumb button extending from said right half of said face side of casing and at least one left thumb button extending from said left half of said face side of said casing, said left thumb button oriented spaced from said plane of symmetry in a configuration mirroring a configuration of said right thumb button from said plane of symmetry.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein both said right thumb button and said left thumb button are coupled to said means to generate said signal in at least two modes including a right hand mode and a left hand mode, said device in said right hand mode including means to interpret movement of said right thumb button between said unpressed position and said pressed position as being indicative of an element of a human language, and including means to allow movement of said left thumb button between said unpressed position and said pressed position to cause the device to change from said right hand mode to said left hand mode.

8. A device of claim 7 wherein said finger buttons include four of said plurality of buttons extending from said top edge of said casing, said finger buttons including a right hand index finger button, a right hand middle finger button, a right hand ring finger button and a right hand little finger button, said four finger buttons coupled to said means to generate said signal while said device is in both said right hand mode and said left hand mode, said right hand index finger button having a similar affect on said signal when moved between said unpressed position and said pressed position while said device is in said right hand mode as an affect movement of said right hand little finger has on said signal when said device is in said left hand mode.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein said top edge includes at least four troughs therein extending substantially perpendicular to said finger button plane, said troughs having a width similar to a width of a human finger, each said trough including one of said finger buttons therein.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein said finger buttons are oriented closer to said back side of said casing than to said face side of said casing, such that a user with small hands can still reach around said back side with tips of the user'"'"'s fingers to engage said finger buttons and a user with larger hands can extend a palm of the hand over the back side and extend the fingers over the buttons, allowing either a user with large hands or a user with small hands to use a device having a similarly dimensioned casing.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein said face side of said casing includes a display means thereon, said display means including means to graphically represent the elements of the human language that said signal represents.

12. The device of claim 7 wherein said face side includes a left thumb button recess and a right thumb button recess in a portion of said face side adjacent a bottom edge extending between said face side and said back side and opposite said top edge, said recesses oriented substantially parallel to said face side and closer to said back side than a distance between said face side and said back side, whereby thumbs of a user more easily wrap around said casing to address said buttons.

13. The device of claim 7 wherein said buttons are down close only, single-pole, momentary push button keys.

14. The device of claim 7 wherein said device includes a search mode, said search mode including:

means to input a signal caused by the movement of certain of said buttons between said unpressed position and said pressed position in a pattern representative of an element of a human language,

means to determine which elements are sequentially adjacent to the element input by input means, and

means to display on said display means a representation of the configuration of buttons to be moved to generate both the element received by said input means and at least one of said sequentially adjacent elements, whereby a user is trained to effectively operate said device.

15. The device of claim 5 wherein said thumb button is oriented to move along a line substantially perpendicular to said finger button plane, whereby said casing can be grasped by a user'"'"'s hand with a thumb overlying said face side and a palm overlying said back side, supporting said casing while said casing is in any orientation in free space without moving from the hand both while said plurality of buttons are being pushed by the fingers and a thumb of a user and while said buttons are not being pushed, thereby allowing the user to utilize said device while said casing is in any orientation in free space.

16. A device for creating an electronic signal representing a sequence of alphanumeric characters from digit motion of either a human left hand or a human right hand, comprising in combination:

a) a casing including a back side, a face side opposite said back side, a top edge extending between said face side and said back side, and a plane of symmetry passing substantially perpendicularly through said face side, said back side and said top edge;

b) a plurality of finger buttons extending from said top edge of said casing;

c) at least one right thumb button extending from said right half of said face side of said casing;

d) at least one left thumb button extending from said left half of said face side of said casing, said right thumb button and said left thumb button oriented symmetrically with each other about said plane of symmetry;

e) said plane of symmetry oriented such that said casing exhibits a right half and a left half which substantially mirror each other in button orientation.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said device includes a right hand operation mode and a left hand operation mode, said right hand operation mode including means to utilize said right thumb button for creating alphanumeric characters within said signal and said left thumb button with means to switch said device from said right hand mode to said left hand mode, said left hand mode including means to utilize said left thumb button for creating alphanumeric characters within said signal and said right thumb button with means to switch said device from said left hand mode to said right hand mode,

said plurality of finger buttons include a right half end finger button, a right half middle finger button, a left half middle finger button and a left half end finger button,

said right hand mode and said left hand mode configured such that an effect produced by activating a right half end finger button in said right hand mode is similar to an effect produced by activating said left half end finger button in said left hand mode and an effect produced by activating said right half middle finger button in said right hand mode is similar to an effect produced by activating said left half middle finger button in said left hand mode.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein said finger buttons are oriented within a common finger button plane, said thumb buttons oriented to be depressed in a direction not parallel to said finger button plane.

19. A method for entering alphanumeric information into a device with either a left human hand or a right human hand, the steps including:

providing a casing for the device including a face side, a back side opposite the face side, a top edge extending between the face side and the back side, a bottom edge opposite the top edge extending between the face side and the back side, at least four finger keys extending from the top edge of the casing, a right thumb button extending from the face side of the casing and a left thumb button extending from the face side of the casing, the right thumb button located in an orientation with respect to the finger buttons allowing the right hand of the user to grasp the casing in a first orientation, the left thumb button oriented with respect to the finger buttons so that the left hand of the user can grasp the device in a second orientation, the first orientation and the second orientation being substantially mirror-images of each other, such that the device can be grasped with the right hand of the user in a similar manner as the device can be grasped with the left hand of the user except that the right hand of the user has the right thumb button adjacent the right thumb of the user and the left thumb button is oriented adjacent the left thumb of the user,

entering at least one chord of data into the device by moving at least one of the buttons of the device including the right thumb button,

switching the device from a right hand operation mode to a left hand operation mode by moving the left thumb button, and

entering at least one chord of data into the device by moving at least one of the buttons including the left thumb button.