Compact keyboard with sliding motion key actuation

• US 6,869,239 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Albert Morris
• Original Assignee: Charles Albert Morris
• Inventors: Morris, Charles Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Evanisko, Leslie J.
• Application Number:
  US10/413,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20040013457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 400/88, 400/82, 400/89, 400/90, 400/477, 400/479, 400/479.1, 400/488, 400/489, 400/491.3, 400/496, 400/685, 400/691, 400/717, 361/680, 341/22, 341/27, 341/33, 341/34, 341/35, 341/23, 345/168, 345/169, 345/172, 345/184, 235/145.R, 235/145.A, 200/5.A
• US Class Current: 400/488
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections

Abstract

A keyboard allowing typists to use approximate QWERTY finger movements on a more compact, collapsible, and portable keyboard. The keyboard size is made more compact by using thin capacitance-responsive surfaces as key switches for the rows above and below the home row. The bottom, space-bar row is also touch-sensitive and is placed on the side of the keyboard facing the typist. The capacitance-responsive surface for the row of keys switches above the home row has a convex profile, and the capacitance-responsive surface for the row of keys switches below the home row has a concave profile, such that the keyboard can fold compactly upon itself. The home row retains depressible key switches in order to provide standard rest positions for the fingers. Characters and commands assigned to the rows above and below the home row are engaged by sliding the fingers over the capacitance-responsive surfaces adjacent to the home row.

Claims

1. A keyboard for controlling data input of alphanumeric characters and other commands including in combination:

an uppermost row of key switches;

an upper-middle, home row of key switches;

a lower-middle row of key switches;

a lowermost row of key switches;

said uppermost row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of convexly curved capacitance-responsive surfaces arcing downward away from the upper-middle, home row;

said upper-middle, home row having depressible key switches which include home keys for fingers of a keyboard operator and which are separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands;

said lower-middle row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches of the lower middle row being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of concavely curved capacitance-responsive surfaces sloping downward away from the upper-middle, home row and curving upward toward the lowermost row;

said lowermost row having depressible key switches which include home keys for thumbs of said keyboard operator and which are separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands, and

means for coupling all key switches with a processing device.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein an upper half of the keyboard which contains a uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches and the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches is hinged to the lower half of the keyboard which contains the lower-middle row of capacitance-responsive key switches and the bottom row of depressible key switches such that the upper and lower halves can be folded together.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein left and right halves of the keyboard are hinged together such that the left and right halves can be folded together.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein a left half and a right half of the keyboard are separately housed,

and wherein said left half and right half of the keyboard each have an upper section and a lower section,

and wherein each said upper section contains a portion of the uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches and a portion of the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches,

and wherein each said lower section contains a portion of the lower-middle row of capacitance-responsive key switches and a portion of the bottom row of depressible key switches,

and wherein each said upper section is hinged to its corresponding said lower section such that each said upper section and its said corresponding lower section can be folded together,

and wherein said left half and said right half of the keyboard are each separately attached by way of a pivot to a computerized device including a body, such that said left half and said right half of the keyboard, each with their upper and lower sections folded together, can each be separately rotated back and forth from a storage position within the body of said computerized device to a functioning position, said functioning position being away from the confines of the body of said computerized device such that said left half and said right half of the keyboard can each be unfolded for use with said computerized device.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes an audible tone to sound, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes a vibration in the keyboard, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said assigned areas of the capacitance-responsive surfaces designated to engage specific characters and commands within said uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches and within said lower-middle row of capacitance-responsive key switches can be reprogrammed by the keyboard operator to alter the proximity of said areas to the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches.

8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said uppermost and lower-middle rows of capacitance-responsive key switches operate alternately as relative motion cursor positioning devices when such operation is selected.

9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein a wheel housed in the keyboard can be turned to engage a scroll up command and a scroll down command.

10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches operates alternately as a number pad when such operation is selected by way of a toggle switch.

11. A keyboard for controlling data input of alphanumeric characters and other commands including in combination:

an uppermost row of key switches;

an upper-middle, home row of key switches;

a lower-middle row of key switches;

a lowermost row of key switches;

said uppermost row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of convexly curved capacitance-responsive surfaces arcing downward away from the upper-middle, home row;

said upper-middle, home row having depressible key switches which include home keys for fingers of a keyboard operator and which are separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands;

said lower-middle row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches of said lower-middle row being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of concavely curved capacitance-responsive surfaces sloping downward away from the upper-middle, home row and curving upward toward the lowermost row;

said lowermost row having capacitance-responsive key switches said capacitance-responsive key switches of the lowermost row being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and which are being located within specific, assigned areas of flat capacitance-responsive surfaces, said flat capacitance-responsive surfaces being located on the side of the keyboard facing the keyboard operator, and

means for coupling all key switches with a processing device.

12. The combination according to claim 11 wherein the side of the keyboard facing the keyboard operator and containing the lowermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches is vertical, relative to the horizontal keyboard.

13. The combination according to claim 11 wherein the side of the keyboard facing the keyboard operator and containing the lowermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches slopes at an angle with its bottom edge closer to the typist than its upper edge.

14. The combination according to claim 11 wherein an upper half of the keyboard which contains the uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches and the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches is hinged to a lower half of the keyboard which contains the lower-middle row of capacitance-responsive key switches and the bottom row of capacitance-responsive key switches such that the upper and lower halves can be folded together.

15. The combination according to claim 11 wherein left and right halves of the keyboard are hinged together such that the left and right halves can be folded together.

16. The combination according to claim 11 wherein a left half and a right half of the keyboard are separately housed,

and wherein said left half and right half of the keyboard each have an upper section and a lower section,

and wherein each said upper section contains a portion of the uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches and a portion of the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches,

and wherein each said lower section contains a portion of the lower-middle row of capacitance-responsive key switches and a portion of the bottom row of capacitance-responsive key switches,

and wherein each said upper section is hinged to its corresponding said lower section such that each said upper section and its said corresponding lower section can be folded together,

and wherein said left half and said right half of the keyboard are each separately attached by way of a pivot to a computerized device, such that said left half and said right half of the keyboard, each with their upper and lower sections folded together, can each be separately rotated back and forth from a storage position within the body of said computerized device to a functioning position, said functioning position being away from the confines of the body of said computerized device such that said left half and said right half of the keyboard can each be unfolded for use with said computerized device.

17. The combination according to claim 11 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes an audible tone to sound, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

18. The combination according to claim 11 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes a vibration in the keyboard, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

19. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said assigned areas of the capacitance-responsive surfaces designated to engage specific characters and commands within said uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches and within said lower-middle row of capacitance-responsive key switches can be reprogrammed by the keyboard operator to alter the proximity of said areas to the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches.

20. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said uppermost and lower-middle rows of capacitance-responsive key switches operate alternately as relative motion cursor positioning devices when such operation is selected.

21. The combination according to claim 11 wherein a wheel housed in the keyboard can be turned to engage a scroll up command and a scroll down command.

22. The combination according to claim 11 wherein the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches operates alternately as a number pad when such operation is selected by way of a toggle switch.

23. A keyboard for controlling data input of alphanumeric characters and other commands including in combination:

two semi-cylindrical convex surfaces set parallel to each other,

an uppermost row of key switches;

an upper-middle, home row of key switches;

a lower-middle row of key switches;

a lowermost row of key switches;

said uppermost row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of a convexly curved capacitance-responsive strip located within the far side, relative to a keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical convex surface located further from the keyboard operator;

said upper-middle, home row having depressible key switches which include home keys for fingers of the keyboard operator and which are separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands, and wherein said home row of depressible key switches is housed within the near side, relative to the keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical surface further from the keyboard operator;

said lower-middle row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches of the lower-middle row being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of the far side, relative to the keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical convex surface located closer to the keyboard operator;

said lowermost row having depressible key switches which include home keys for thumbs of the keyboard operator and which are separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands, and wherein said lowermost row of depressible key switches is housed within the near side, relative to the keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical surface located closer to the keyboard operator, and

means for coupling all key switches with a processing device.

24. The combination according to claim 23 wherein the two semi-cylindrical convex surfaces are hinged to each other such that they can be closed together to form an approximately cylindrical shape.

25. The combination according to claim 23 wherein the two semi-cylindrical convex surfaces are hinged to each other such that they can be closed together to form an approximately cylindrical shape,

and wherein the hollow space within the approximately cylindrically shaped closed keyboard houses a flexible, extractable, and retractable display screen which can be unfurled from within the approximately cylindrically shaped closed keyboard and which can be used in conjunction with the opened keyboard.

26. The combination according to claim 23 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes an audible tone to sound, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

27. The combination according to claim 23 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes a vibration in the keyboard, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

28. The combination according to claim 23 wherein said assigned areas of the capacitance-responsive surfaces designated to engage specific characters and commands within said uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches can be reprogrammed by the keyboard operator to alter the proximity of said areas to the home row of depressible key switches.

29. The combination according to claim 23 wherein said upper and lower-middle rows of capacitance-responsive key switches operate alternately as relative motion cursor positioning devices when such operation is selected.

30. The combination according to claim 23 wherein a wheel housed in the keyboard can be turned to engage a scroll up command and a scroll down command.

31. The combination according to claim 23 wherein the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches operates alternately as a number pad when such operation is selected by way of a toggle switch.

32. A keyboard for controlling data input of alphanumeric characters and other commands including in combination:

two semi-cylindrical convex surfaces set parallel to each other,

an uppermost row of key switches;

an upper-middle, home row of key switches;

a lower-middle row of key switches;

a lowermost row of key switches;

said uppermost row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of the far side, relative to a keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical convex surface located further from the keyboard operator;

said upper-middle, home row having depressible key switches which include home keys for fingers of the keyboard operator and which are separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands, and wherein said home row of depressible key switches is housed within the near side, relative to the keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical surface located further from the keyboard operator;

said lower-middle row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches of the lower-middle row being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of the far side, relative to the keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical convex surface located closer to the keyboard operator;

said lowermost row having capacitance-responsive key switches, said capacitance-responsive key switches of the lower-middle row being separately operable for actuating alphanumeric characters and other commands and being located within specific, assigned areas of the near side, relative to the keyboard operator, of the semi-cylindrical convex surface located closer to the keyboard operator, and

means for coupling all key switches with a processing device.

33. The combination according to claim 32 wherein the two semi-cylindrical convex surfaces are hinged to each other such that they can be closed together to form an approximately cylindrical shape.

34. The combination according to claim 32 wherein the two semi-cylindrical convex surfaces are hinged to each other such that they can be closed together to form an approximately cylindrical shape,

and wherein the hollow space within the approximately cylindrically shaped closed keyboard houses a flexible, extractable, and retractable display screen which can be unfurled from within the approximately cylindrically shaped closed keyboard and which can be used in conjunction with the opened keyboard.

35. The combination according to claim 32 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes an audible tone to sound, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

36. The combination according to claim 32 wherein an engagement of one of the capacitance-responsive key switches causes a vibration in the keyboard, thus providing feedback to the keyboard operator, indicating that a character or command has been engaged.

37. The combination according to claim 32 wherein said assigned areas of the capacitance-responsive surfaces designated to engage specific characters and commands within said uppermost row of capacitance-responsive key switches can be reprogrammed by the keyboard operator to alter the proximity of said areas to the home row of depressible key switches.

38. The combination according to claim 32 wherein said uppermost, lower-middle, and lowermost rows of capacitance-responsive key switches operate alternately as relative motion cursor positioning devices when such operation is selected.

39. The combination according to claim 32 wherein a wheel housed in the keyboard can be turned to engage a scroll up command and a scroll down command.

40. The combination according to claim 32 wherein the upper-middle, home row of depressible key switches operates alternately as a number pad when such operation is selected by way of a toggle switch.