Computer keyboard assembly

• US 6,256,018 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mei California, Inc. (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Zarek, Lynne
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US09/044,687
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 400/485-493, 400/472
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0208 Arrangements for adjusting the tilt angle of a keyboard, e.g. pivoting legs for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1667
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033

Abstract

A keyboard assembly for a personal computer. In one embodiment, the keyboard assembly has a housing and an actuator coupled to the housing. The housing may have an elongated front edge, an elongated rear edge, a lower surface, and an upper surface. A plurality of keys may project from the upper surface of the housing. The actuator is coupled to the housing to rotate the housing about a rotational axis for changing the inclination of the housing and the keys during operation. For example, the actuator may continuously rotate the housing about a rotational axis during operation in a manner that causes a computer operator to continuously flex his/her wrists. In another embodiment, the housing may be attached to a separate base that has a bottom surface for resting on a support surface. The base may also have a top surface with a channel extending along the rotational axis that is defined by a curved surface with a circular cross-section. The housing may have a tube or a portion of cylindrical surface depending downward from its lower surface and running longitudinally across its lower surface to fit within the channel of the base. The actuator may be coupled to either the base or the housing to rotate the tube within the channel for changing the inclination of the housing. The actuators for rotating the housing may also have several embodiments. In one particular embodiment, an actuator has a motor attached to either the base or the housing, a shaft rotationally driven by the motor, and a wheel attached by the shaft to engage either the tube or the channel. The rotation of the wheel accordingly causes the housing to rotate with respect to the base.

Claims

1. A keyboard for a computer, comprising:

a housing having a front edge extending in a lengthwise direction, a rear edge, a lower surface, a first joint member projecting from the lower surface and extending in the lengthwise direction at a medial location at least approximately midway between the front and rear edges, the first joint member defining a rotational axis at the medial location having a single degree of rotational freedom, and an upper surface, the housing carrying a plurality of input keys arranged in a selected configuration and projecting from the upper surface;

a base under the housing, the base having a second joint member extending in the lengthwise direction, wherein the first joint member of the housing is engaged with the second joint member of the base to pivotally attach the base to the housing; and

an actuator coupled to the housing, the actuator pivoting the housing about the rotational axis to change an inclination of the housing and the input keys during operation.

2. A keyboard for a computer, comprising:

a housing having a front edge, a rear edge, a lower surface, and an upper surface, the housing carrying a plurality of input keys arranged in a selected configuration and projecting from the upper surface, wherein a cylindrical surface depends from the lower surface and extends longitudinally across at least a portion of the lower surface along a distance greater than a diameter of the cylindrical surface to define a single rotational axis;

a base under the housing, the base being pivotally attached to the housing, wherein the base has a bottom surface for resting on a support surface and a top surface with a channel extending along the rotational axis, the channel being defined by a curved surface with a circular cross section and a length in a direction of the rotational axis greater than a diameter of the circular cross section; and

an actuator coupled to the base and the housing, the actuator rotating the cylindrical surface within the channel to change the inclination of the housing.

3. The keyboard of claim 2 wherein:

the channel has a plurality of teeth arranged in a row; and

the actuator comprises motor, a shaft rotationally driven by the motor, and a gear on the shaft, the motor being attached to the housing and the gear being engaged with the teeth in the channel, the motor rotating the gear to rotate the housing.

4. The keyboard of claim 3 wherein the gear is a worm gear.

5. The keyboard of claim 2 wherein:

the cylindrical surface has a plurality of teeth arranged in a row; and

the actuator comprises a motor, a shaft rotationally driven by the motor, and a gear on the shaft, the motor being attached to the base and the gear being engaged with the teeth on the cylindrical surface, the motor rotating the gear to rotate the housing.

6. The keyboard of claim 5 wherein the gear is a worm gear.

7. A keyboard for a computer, comprising:

a board having a front edge extending in a lengthwise direction, a rear edge, a lower surface, and a first joint member projecting from the lower surface and extending in the lengthwise direction at a medial location at least approximately midway between the front and rear edges, the first joint member defining a rotational axis at the medial location having a single degree of freedom, and a plurality of keys arranged in a selected configuration;

a base under the housing, the base having a second joint member extended in a lengthwise direction, wherein the first joint member of the housing is engaged with the second joint member of the base to pivotally attach the base to the housing; and

an actuator coupled to the board, the actuator continuously rotating the board about the rotational axis between a forward position and a rearward position in a manner that causes a user to change wrist positions during operation.

8. A keyboard for a computer, comprising:

a board having a front edge, a rear edge, and a plurality of keys arranged in a selected configuration, wherein the board has a lower surface with a portion of a cylindrical surface depending from the lower surface and extended longitudinally across at least a portion of the lower surface along a distance greater than a diameter of the cylindrical surface to define a single rotational axis;

a base under the board, the base being pivotally attached to the board at a joint, wherein the base has a bottom surface for resting on a support surface and a top surface with a channel extending along the rotational axis, the channel being defined by a curved surface with a circular cross section and a length in a direction of the rotational axis greater than a diameter of the circular cross section; and

an actuator coupled to the base and the board, the actuator continuously rotating the board about a rotational axis between a forward position and a rearward position in a manner that causes a user to change wrist positions during operation, wherein the actuator rotates the cylindrical surface within the channel to change the inclination of the board.

9. A keyboard for a computer, comprising:

a housing having a front edge extending in the lengthwise direction, a rear edge, a first joint member extending in a lengthwise direction at a medial location at least approximately midway between the front edge and rear edges to define a rotational axis at the medial location having a single degree of rotational freedom, an upper surface, and a lower surface, the housing carrying a keypad and the housing being pivotally attached to the base to rotate about a rotational axis;

a base under the housing, the base having a second joint member extending in the lengthwise direction, wherein the first joint member of the housing is engaged with the second joint member of the base to pivotally attach the base to the housing; and

a drive assembly coupled to the housing, the drive assembly moving the housing about the rotational axis for changed and inclination of the housing and the keypad as a user selectively depresses keys of the keypad.

10. A keyboard for a computer, comprising:

a base having a bottom surface for resting on a support surface and a top surface with a cylindrical channel extending along a rotational axis, the cylindrical channel being defined by a curved surface with a circular cross section having a diameter and a length in a direction of the rotational axis greater than a diameter;

a housing having a front edge, a rear edge, an upper surface, and a lower surface, the housing carrying a keypad and the housing being pivotally attached to the base to rotate about the rotational axis, wherein the housing has a cylindrical projection depending from the lower surface and extending along the rotational axis for a length greater than the diameter of the cylindrical channel; and

a drive assembly coupled to the base and the housing, the drive assembly moving the housing about the rotational axis for changing an inclination of the housing and the keypad as a user selectively depresses keys of the keypad by rotating the cylindrical projection within the cylindrical channel.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a keyboard assembly including;

a housing having a front edge extending in a lengthwise direction, a rear edge, a lower surface, a first joint member projecting from the lower surface and extending in the lengthwise direction at a medial location at least approximately midway between the front and read edges, the first joint member defining a rotational axis at the medial location having a single degree of rotational freedom, and an upper surface, the housing carrying a plurality of input keys arranged in a selected configuration and a projecting from the upper surface;

a base under the housing, the base having a second joint member extending in the lengthwise direction, wherein the first joint member of the housing is engaged with the second joint member of the base to pivotally attach the base to the housing in a manner in which the housing rotates about only the single rotational axis; and

an actuator coupled to the housing, the actuator pivoting the housing about the rotational axis to change an inclination of the housing and the input keys during operation.

12. A computer system, comprising:

a processing unit,

a keyboard assembly including;

a housing carrying a plurality of keys arranged in a selected configuration, wherein the housing has a lower surface with a portion of a cylindrical surface depending from the lower surface and extending longitudinally across at least a portion of the lower surface along an elongated axis; and

a base under the housing, the base being pivotally attached to the housing at a joint, wherein the base has a bottom surface for resting on a support surface and a top surface with a channel extending along the elongated axis, the channel being defined by a curved surface with a circular cross section; and

an actuator coupled to the base and the housing, the actuator pivoting the housing about the elongated axis to change an inclination of the housing and the keys as a user selectively depresses selected keys by rotating the cylindrical surface within the channel.

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein:

a plurality of teeth are arranged in a track to project from the cylindrical surface; and

the actuator comprises a motor, a shaft rotationally driven by the motor, and a gear on the shaft, the motor being attached to the base and the gear being engaged with the teeth on the cylindrical surface, the motor rotating the gear to rotate the housing.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the gear is a worm gear.

15. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the actuator comprises a linear actuator attached to a rear portion of the base and the housing, the linear actuator having a rod that moves between an extended position and a contracted position to pivot the housing about the elongated axis.