Ergonomically improved standard keyboard
First Claim
1. A method of realigning the relative positions of keys of a standard keyboard comprising:
- selecting a first set of points, each of said points being aligned along the metacarpophalangeal curve of the human hand of a user when said hand is in a first position, said set of points including points corresponding to a fingerbase of an index, middle, ring and little finger of the hand of said user, said points corresponding to said ring and little fingerbase being closer together than tips of said ring and little finger, said first position being one in which said hand is extending outwardly from a forearm of said user and said forearm is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said keyboard, and placing a centerpoint of a key directly beneath each of said plurality of points, each of said points being generally coincident with the location of a metacarpal joint at the base of the fingers of one hand of said user, and said keys located by said points defining a first set of keys,determining the amount of rotation required to bring said hand from said first position to a second position defined by rotation of said forearm about the user'"'"'s elbow to a forearm position whereby said user'"'"'s hands are adjacent to one another above said keyboard,rotating said first set of keys in unison by said amount corresponding to said rotation of said forearm,rotating each key of said first set of keys, without causing translation of said keys, so that lateral edges of said keys are extending substantially parallel to one another, andmoving each of said keys of said first set of keys laterally toward one another to form a first set of laterally adjacent keys.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A keyboard is described which integrates ergonomic modification while taking into consideration the psychological resistance to changing existing, familiar designs. Accordingly, the geometric relationships between keys is selected such that there is a correspondence drawn between the relative positions of the base of the fingers (i.e., where the fingers meet the hand), the wrist, and the natural orientation of the fingertips. This correspondence correlates the organization of keys with the arrangements of the metacarpophalangeal joints forming the base of the fingers. This is supported by a theory concerning the way the human brain may track the positions of the fingers and hands. As well, the creation of logical groups are detailed which allow more ergonomic adjustment of the keys, yet preserve the existing geometry of an original keyboard. In particular, these ergonomic modifications are applied to the standard geometry of the "Qwerty" or "Dvorak" keyboard.
33 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A method of realigning the relative positions of keys of a standard keyboard comprising:
-
selecting a first set of points, each of said points being aligned along the metacarpophalangeal curve of the human hand of a user when said hand is in a first position, said set of points including points corresponding to a fingerbase of an index, middle, ring and little finger of the hand of said user, said points corresponding to said ring and little fingerbase being closer together than tips of said ring and little finger, said first position being one in which said hand is extending outwardly from a forearm of said user and said forearm is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said keyboard, and placing a centerpoint of a key directly beneath each of said plurality of points, each of said points being generally coincident with the location of a metacarpal joint at the base of the fingers of one hand of said user, and said keys located by said points defining a first set of keys, determining the amount of rotation required to bring said hand from said first position to a second position defined by rotation of said forearm about the user'"'"'s elbow to a forearm position whereby said user'"'"'s hands are adjacent to one another above said keyboard, rotating said first set of keys in unison by said amount corresponding to said rotation of said forearm, rotating each key of said first set of keys, without causing translation of said keys, so that lateral edges of said keys are extending substantially parallel to one another, and moving each of said keys of said first set of keys laterally toward one another to form a first set of laterally adjacent keys. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A keyboard having a plurality of keys and a laterally extending spacebar, said keyboard comprising at least one set of homerow keys, the centerpoints of said homerow keys being arranged in a first pattern based upon the metacarpophalangeal curve of the hand of a operator of said keyboard, said homerow keys having substantially straight lateral edges, said homerow keys being arranged in said first pattern in accordance with the following steps:
-
selecting a first set of points, said set of points including points corresponding to a fingerbase of an index, middle, ring and little finger of the hand of said user, said points corresponding to said ring and little fingerbase being closer together than tips of said ring and little finger, each of said points being aligned along the metacarpophalangeal curve of said operator, when said hand is in a first position, said first position being one in which said hand is extending outwardly from a forearm of said user and said forearm is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said keyboard, and placing a centerpoint of a homerow key directly beneath each of said plurality of points, each of said points being generally coincident with the location of a metacarpal joint at the base of the fingers of one hand of said user, and said homerow keys located by said points defining a first set of homerow keys, determining the amount of rotation required to bring said hand from said first position to a second position defined by rotation of said forearm about the user'"'"'s elbow to a forearm position whereby said user'"'"'s hands are adjacent to one another above said keyboard, rotating said first set of homerow keys in unison by said amount corresponding to said rotation of said forearm, rotating each homerow key of said first set of homerow keys, without causing translation of said homerow keys, so that lateral edges of said homerow keys are extending substantially parallel to one another, and moving each of said homerow keys of said first set laterally toward one another to form a first set of laterally adjacent homerow keys, disposing non-homerow keys adjacent to said homerow keys, centerpoints of each of said homerow keys and centerpoints of the non-homerow keys adjacent thereto forming lines which are not perpendicular to said spacebar. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
-
Specification