Computer keyboard with dial for entering repetitive data and commands
DCFirst Claim
1. In a computer system comprising a keyboard including a plurality of keys mounted in a supporting frame, scanning means for sensing activation of said keys, processing means for generating commands and data units from status changes of said keys as detected by said scanning means and communication means for transmitting said commands and said data units from said processing means;
- the improvement comprising a rotatable dial manually operable for production of sequences of repeated commands and data units, said dial being rotatably mounted in said supporting frame, having a center, a rotation axis passing through said center and an exposed operating surface and said dial being rotatable by contact of at least one finger of an operator with said operating surface at a plurality of radial positions spaced from said center;
rotational transducer means for generating an output signal according to an angular rotation speed of said dial in predetermined incremental angular units;
means for generating said sequences of repeated commands and data units from said output signal and means for modifying said sequences of repeated commands and data units by activation of said keys when said dial is rotated by said operator.
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Abstract
The computer system includes a keyboard having a plurality of keys mounted in a supporting frame; a scanning device for sensing activation of keys; a processing device for generating commands and data units from status changes of the keys; a communication device for transmitting the generated commands and data units from the processing device; a rotatable dial having a center, a rotation axis passing through the center and an exposed operating surface and rotatably mounted in the supporting frame so as to be rotatable by contact of at least one finger of an operator with the operating surface at a plurality of radial positions spaced from the center of the dial; a rotational transducer device for generating an output signal according to an angular rotation speed of the dial in predetermined incremental angular units; a device for generating the sequences of repeated commands and data units from this output signal and a device for modifying the sequences of repeated commands and data units by activation of the keys when the dial is rotated by the operator.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. In a computer system comprising a keyboard including a plurality of keys mounted in a supporting frame, scanning means for sensing activation of said keys, processing means for generating commands and data units from status changes of said keys as detected by said scanning means and communication means for transmitting said commands and said data units from said processing means;
- the improvement comprising a rotatable dial manually operable for production of sequences of repeated commands and data units, said dial being rotatably mounted in said supporting frame, having a center, a rotation axis passing through said center and an exposed operating surface and said dial being rotatable by contact of at least one finger of an operator with said operating surface at a plurality of radial positions spaced from said center;
rotational transducer means for generating an output signal according to an angular rotation speed of said dial in predetermined incremental angular units;
means for generating said sequences of repeated commands and data units from said output signal and means for modifying said sequences of repeated commands and data units by activation of said keys when said dial is rotated by said operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- the improvement comprising a rotatable dial manually operable for production of sequences of repeated commands and data units, said dial being rotatably mounted in said supporting frame, having a center, a rotation axis passing through said center and an exposed operating surface and said dial being rotatable by contact of at least one finger of an operator with said operating surface at a plurality of radial positions spaced from said center;
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9. A computer system comprising a keyboard including a plurality of keys mounted on a supporting frame, scanning and processing means for generating commands and data units in response to activations of said keys, communication means for transmitting said commands and said data units from said scanning and processing means, and
a rotatable dial manually operable for production of sequences of repeated commands and data units, wherein said rotatable dial is rotatably mounted on said supporting frame and has a center, a rotation axis passing through said center and an exposed operating surface and said dial is rotatable by contact of at least one finger of an operator with said operating surface at a plurality of radial positions spaced from said center; - transducer means for generating an output signal according to an angular rotation speed of said dial in predetermined incremental angular units;
means for generating said sequences of said repeated commands and said data units from said output signal;
at least two of said keys being positioned in the proximity of said dial so as to provide easy access of said keys;
a plurality of auxiliary keys for switching frequently used ones of said commands and data units, said auxiliary keys being positioned alongside said dial so as to allow simultaneous operation of said dial and at least one of said auxiliary keys by a single hand of said operator; and
means for modifying said sequences of said repeated commands and data units by activation of said keys when said dial is rotated by said operator.
- transducer means for generating an output signal according to an angular rotation speed of said dial in predetermined incremental angular units;
Specification