Continuous touch keyboard

• US 5,486,058 A
• Filed: 08/09/1994
• Issued: 01/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allen, Donald E.
• Original Assignee: Allen, Donald E.
• Inventors: Allen, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yan, Ren
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLEY, STEVEN SHAUN
• Application Number:
  US08/287,785
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 400/477, 400/485, 400/486, 400/490, 400/492, 400/494, 400/472, 400/481, 400/488, 400/489, 345/168, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 400/485
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/10 Arrangements of keyboards , e.g. key button disposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/807 characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/034 Support for hands or arms
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/022 other then row-column disposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/022 with opto-electronic switch

Abstract

A continuous touch keyboard usable on a computer terminal, word processor or typewriter and configured to contain fourteen three-way switches, two for each thumb, one for each finger and one under each palm rest. The design is such that the hands and fingers do not need to move about to enter data, the keys being actuated by moving the fingers palmward, outward or pressing down and with equivalent motions of the thumbs and palms. Each switch controls the format of a signal from an emitter via optical fiber to a decoder. A microprocessor provides a digital scanning means and interprets or decodes the proper key position and thus the letter, numeral or function being entered.

Claims

1. A keyboard for in-putting data into an information processing device, and which keyboard may be operated by the operator without removing the hands from the keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard base or enclosure;

a plurality of four position actuators mounted on said keyboard base or enclosure arranged conformably to the natural position of both right and left hands of an operator;

each of said actuators comprising a truncated vee cap, and a stem terminating in a shutter, shaped to permit selective blocking of light impulses to either the inner or the outer of two transversely mounted optic fibers or of both fibers, by inward, outward or downward movement of the actuator cap by the respective fingers;

two of said actuators being mounted on said keyboard conformably under the right and left palms of the operator, the said actuator caps being covered by palm rests with means to activate said actuators by motion of the palms;

means for assigning letters, numerals, symbols and functions to each of said positions of said actuators;

means for sensing each of the four positions of each of said actuators; and

where said ten base actuators are arranged on said keyboard in three dimensions to conform to the arc of fingertips and to their differences in length between the thumb and the other four fingers in a cupped pendant hand, and the actuators for fingers 2, 4, and 5 and the thumb are elevated above the other actuators.

2. A keyboard for in-putting data into an information processing device, and which keyboard may be operated by the operator without removing the hands from the keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard base or enclosure;

a plurality of four position actuators mounted on said keyboard base or enclosure arranged conformably to the natural position of both right and left hands of an operator;

each of said actuators comprising a truncated vee cap, and a stem terminating in a shutter, shaped to permit selective blocking of light impulses to either the inner or the outer of two transversely mounted optic fibers or of both fibers, by inward, outward or downward movement of the actuator cap by the respective fingers;

two of said actuators being mounted on said keyboard conformably under the right and left palms of the operator, the said actuator caps being covered by palm rests with means to activate said actuators by motion of the palms;

means for assigning letters, numerals, symbols and functions to each of said positive of said actuators;

means for sensing each of the four positions of each of said actuators; and

ten of said base actuators being mounted on said keyboard are arranged in three dimensions to conform to the arc of fingertips and to their differences in length between the thumb and the other four fingers in a cupped pendant hand, and the actuators for fingers 2, 4, and 5 and the thumb are elevated above the other actuators;

where the assignment of letter characters to said actuators is as follows;

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Contractile Vertical Extensile ______________________________________ Left Finger 5 a q c Finger 4 s x w Finger 3 e z d Finger 2 r v f Thumb 1 S>

(S>

= space right) Aux Thumb Enter Shift Function Palm Numbers Alternate Escape Right Finger 5 n p y Finger 4 o , l Finger 3 i k m Finger 2 h j u Thumb 1 t b g Aux Thumb Delete Shift Function Palm Computer Control Insert With either shift key activated Left Finger 5 A Q C Finger 4 S X W Finger 3 E Z D Finger 2 R V F Thumb 1 S<

<

>

(S<

= back space) Aux Thumb Enter Shift Function Palm Numbers Alternate Escape Right Finger 5 N P Y Finger 4 O " L Finger 3 I K M Finger 2 H J U Thumb 1 T B G Aux Thumb Delete Shift Function Palm Computer Control Insert With computer function activated;

right manual in letter mode. Left Finger 5 9 5 1 Finger 4 10 6 2 Finger 3 11 7 3 Finger 2 12 8 4 Thumb 1 Pg '"'"' Pg.sub.v (Pg = (Pg.sub.v = page up) page down) Aux Thumb Pause Scroll PrintScreen Palm Numbers Alternate Escape With numbers function activated;

left manual in letter mode. Right Finger 5 0 ] 5 Finger 4 9 [ 4 Finger 3 8 3 Finger 2 7 = 2 Thumb 1 6 / 1 Aux Thumb ;

T>

(Tab right) Palm Computer Control Insert With numbers and shift function activated, left manual in letter mode;

Right Finger 5 ) } % Finger 4 ) { $ Finger 3 * - # Finger 2 &

+ @ Thumb 1 ? ! Aux Thumb ;

| T<

(Tab left) Palm Computer Control Insert. ______________________________________