Apparatus and method of communicating using three digits of a hand

• US 5,808,567 A
• Filed: 05/17/1993
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DSI Datotech Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DSI Datotech Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: McCloud, Seth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Application Number:
  US08/062,348
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/22, 341/23, 341/26, 379/368, 200/5 A
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for inputting information to an electronic device using the primary digit and first and second ancillary digits of the operator'"'"'s hand. In the preferred embodiment, the operator'"'"'s index finger acts as the primary digit while the middle finger and thumb act as the first and second ancillary digits, respectively. The apparatus includes an interface surface having a selector pad divided into a plurality of selector pad switches. In the preferred embodiment, the nine selector pad switches are arranged on the interface surface according to a 3×3 array for activation by the operator'"'"'s index finger. Located laterally and below the selector pad are two address switches capable of being selected by the middle finger and thumb of the hand. Using the two address switches, each selector pad switch located in the selector pad may be assigned up to four possible switch addresses. A microprocessor assigns a code element taken from a programmable code table to each address. By using the digits to select the various combinations of switches, the operator is able to input information into an electronic device designed to receive such information. In one embodiment, the code elements are phonemes take from a modified set of IPA phonemes assigned to the code table.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inputting information into an electronic device using three digits of a hand, comprising;

a. a selector pad having a plurality of selector pad switches capable of being selected by the index finger of said hand;

b. a first address switch located in the vicinity of said selector pad capable of being activated by a first ancillary digit located immediately adjacent to said index finger while one said selector pad switch is being simultaneously selected by said index finger;

c. a second address switch located in the vicinity of said selector pad capable of being activated by a second ancillary digit located immediately adjacent to said index finger while one said selector pad switch is being selected by said index finger and said first address switch is being simultaneously selected by said first ancillary digit;

d. a gate means capable of decoding the combined switch closure information of said selector pad switches and said first and second address switches into an unique switch address;

e. a transferring means capable of transmitting said switch address to an electronic device capable of using said information, and;

f. a memory means capable of associating said signal address transferred from said apparatus with one code taken from a set of communication codes capable of being used to communicate between said apparatus and the electronic device.

2. An apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said selector pad has nine selector pad switches arranged according to a 3×

3 array.

3. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said selector pad and said first and second address switches are disposed on an interface surface.

4. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first and second address switches are disposed on opposite sides of said interface surface adjacent to and below said selector pad to enable an operator to simultaneously select said selector pad switches in said selector pad using said primary digit and said first and second address switches using said first ancillary digit and said second ancillary digit, respectively.

5. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said primary digit finger is the index finger, said first ancillary digit is the middle finger, and the second ancillary digit is the thumb of said hand.

6. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selector pad has a raised outer edge thereby enabling the user to tactually distinguish said selector pad on said apparatus.

7. An apparatus for inputting information to an electronic device, comprising:

a. a selector pad having nine selector pad switches arranged according to a 3×

3 array;

b. a first address switch in the vicinity of said selector pad so that an user may simultaneously select said first address switch and any one said selector pad switch on said selector pad using one hand;

c. a second address switch in the vicinity of said selector pad switches in said selector pad so that an user may simultaneously select said second address switch and any one said selector pad switch on said selector pad and simultaneously select said first address switch using one said hand;

d. a gate means capable of decoding switch closure information of said selector pad switches and said first and second address switches into a plurality of switch addresses;

e. a transferring means capable of transmitting said signal addresses from said gate means to an electronic device capable of using said information, and;

f. a memory means connected to said electronic device, said memory means being capable of associating said signal address produced by said apparatus with one code taken from a set of communication codes capable of being used to communicate between said apparatus and said electronic device.

8. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 7, wherein said selector pad and said first and second address switches are disposed on a planar interface surface.

9. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first and second address switches are disposed on opposite sides of said interface surface adjacent to and below said selector pad to enable an operator to select said selector pad switches in said selector pad using the index finger and to select said first and second address switches using the thumb and middle finger of one hand.

10. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said selector pad has a raised outer edge thereby enabling the user to tactually distinguish said selector pad from the surrounding areas on said interface surface.

11. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said transferring means includes a cable connector electrically connected between said interface surface and said electronic device.

12. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said transferring means includes a wireless transmitter and receiving units disposed between said interface surface and said electronic device.

13. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 9, further including a memory means disposed between said interface surface and said electronic device capable of assigning a code element from a set of communication codes to each said address.

14. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 13, wherein said set of communication codes include thirty-six phonemes.

15. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said set of thirty-six phonemes are taken from a modified set of IPA phonemes including the following phonemes:

/b/, /d/, /f/, /g/, /h/, /k/, /1/, /m/, /n/, /p/, /r/, /s/, /ti, /v/, /w/, /z/, /j/, //, //, //, //, //, //, //, //, /i/, /I/, /e/, //, /.ae butted./, /a/, /o/, /U/, /u/, //, and /aI/.

16. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said code elements in said set of communication codes includes alpha-numeric characters.

17. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said code elements in said set of communication codes includes machine control characters.

18. A method of communicating by an operator with an electronic device using only three digits of a hand, comprising:

a. providing an input controller having nine selector pad switches arranged in a 3×

3 array, said input controller also including first and second address switches located in the vicinity of said selector pad switches;

b. associating one code element from a set of communication codes with each combination of said selector pad switches and said first and second address switch;

c. touching one said selector pad switch using the index finger of said hand of said operator and touching either, both, or neither of said first and said second address switches using the middle finger and thumb of said hand to input a desired code element into said electronic device;

d. transferring information regarding said combination of said selector pad switch and said first and second address switch to said electronic device, and;

e. repeating steps (c) and (d) until all of said desired code elements are transferred to said electronic device.

19. A method of communicating, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said set of communication codes include thirty-six phonemes.

20. A method of communicating, as claimed in claim 19, wherein said set of thirty-six phonemes are taken from a modified set of IPA phonemes including the following:

/b/, /d/, /f/, /g/, /h/, /k/, /1/, /m/, /n/, /p/, /r/, /s/, /ti, /v/, /w/, /z/, /j/, //, //, //, //, //, //, //, //, /i/, /I/, /e/, //, /.oe butted./, /a/, /o/, /U/, /u/, //, and /Ai/.

21. A method of communicating, as claimed in claim 20, wherein said phonemes are arranged in four arrays with a first array including vowels, second and third arrays including fricatives, and a fourth array including plosives.

22. A method of communicating, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said set of communication codes comprises a set of alpha-numeric codes all of the letters in the English alphabet and the numbers 0 to 9.

23. A method of communicating, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said step of providing input means includes positioning said first and said second address switches at a distance relative to said index finger in order to permit touching of said first and said second address switch using said middle finger and said thumb with minimal extension or retraction of said middle finger and said thumb from the normal position of the middle finger and said thumb relative to said index finger during movement of said index finger between said selector pad switches.

24. A method of communicating, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said code elements in said set of communication codes includes machine control characters.