Hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs

• US 7,629,964 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T, Holmes, John A, Major, Harry R, Little, Herb A, Lazaridis, Mihal
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said; Mansour M
• Application Number:
  US11/740,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-160, 345/162, 345168-173, 400/427, 400/472, 400/479, 400/486, 400/489, 341 20- 23, D14191-192, D14/138, D14334-335, D14/346
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/022 other then row-column disposition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs is disclosed. In order to operate within the limited space available on a hand-held electronic device, the present invention optimizes the placement and shape of the keys, preferably using keys that are oval or oblong in shape, and that are placed at angles designed to facilitate thumb-typing. The angles at which keys on either side of the keyboard are placed is complimentary.

Claims

1. A handheld messaging device for wireless email that is optimally configured to facilitate user thumb-typing with thumbs, comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of keys representing the letters of the alphabet said keyboard integral to the handheld messaging device, the plurality of keys comprising a left side set of keys and a right side set of keys, with the left side set of keys positioned left of a keyboard center and being oriented at an angle in a negative orientation, and the right side set of keys positioned right of the keyboard center and being oriented at the angle in a positive orientation; and

a display operatively connected to the keyboard;

wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys of the keyboard is placed at an angle that optimizes use substantially with thumbs pursuant to the user thumb typing.

2. The messaging device of claim 1, wherein the at least one key of the plurality of keys is oblong shaped and the angle is about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees relative to vertical.

3. A messaging device, further comprising;

a keyboard integrated to the messaging device and having a plurality of keys representing the letters of the alphabet board integral to the messaging device, each of said plurality of keys having a shape that allows for angular orientation of the key and the plurality of keys comprising a left side set of keys positioned left of a keyboard center and a right side set of keys positioned right of the keyboard center;

indicia associated with each of the plurality of keys, wherein the indicia is oriented normal to a longitudinal axis of the device and each of the plurality of keys are oriented at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the device; and

a display operatively coupled to the keyboard wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys of the keyboard is oriented at an angle that optimizes use substantially with thumbs pursuant to user thumb typing.

4. A messaging device comprising:

a keyboard integral to the message device and having plurality of keys representing the letters of the alphabet board integral to the messaging device, each of said plurality of keys having a shape that allows for angular orientation of the key and the plurality of keys comprising a left side set of keys positioned left of a keyboard center and a right side set of keys positioned right of the keyboard center;

indicia is positioned on each of keys, wherein the indicia is oriented normal to a longitudinal axis of the device and each of the plurality of keys are oriented at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the device; and

a display operatively coupled to the keyboard wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys of the keyboard is oriented at an angle that optimizes use substantially with thumbs pursuant to user thumb typing.

5. A handheld electronic communication device, comprising:

a device housing having a left edge and a right edge;

a display; and

a keyboard having twenty-six letter keys and at least one other key,

the letter keys being arranged in an upper row including 10 letter keys, a middle row including 9 letter keys and a lower row including 7 letter keys,

the letter keys in the upper row being distributed from adjacent the left edge to adjacent the right edge;

each letter key in the lower row being in substantial vertical alignment with a letter key in the middle row,

each letter key in the middle row being in substantial vertical alignment with a letter key in the upper row,

the keys in each of the rows being disposed on the opposite sides of a vertical reference line substantially midway between the left edge and the right edge, the keys in each of the upper and middle rows disposed such that half of the keys in each of the middle and upper rows are on each side of the vertical reference line, five letter keys in the upper row being disposed on each side of the vertical line, five letter keys in the middle row being disposed on one side of the vertical reference line and four letter keys in the middle row being disposed on the other side of the vertical reference line, and the keys in the lower row being disposed such that four letter keys are disposed on the one side of the vertical reference line and three letter keys in the lower row are disposed on the other side of the vertical reference line.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein at least two of the rows have the same total number of keys, and the keys in each of said two rows are distributed from adjacent the left edge across the top surface to adjacent the right edge.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein in each of the upper, middle and lower rows each letter key on the other side of the vertical reference line is symmetrical relative to a respective letter key on the one side of the vertical line.

8. The device of any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 in which the upper row and the middle row have the same total number of keys.

9. The handheld device of claim 5 wherein the housing has a top surface and the display and keyboard are positioned on the top surface.

10. The handheld device of any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 in which each of the letter keys is oblong.

11. The handheld device of any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 in which each of the letter keys has a height greater than its width.

12. The handheld device of claim 5 wherein, in each of the upper, middle and lower rows, the centers of all the keys in the row other than the keys most closely adjacent the left edge and the key most adjacent the right edge are displaced from, and lie on the same side, of a straight line extending from the center of the key of the row most closely adjacent to the left edge to the center of the key most closely adjacent the right edge.

13. The handheld device of any of claims 5, 6 and 7 wherein the keys in the middle row are arranged across the width of the device from adjacent the left edge to adjacent the right edge, and wherein in the middle row four letter keys and an at least one other key are positioned on the other side of the vertical reference line.

14. The handheld device of claim 5 including an auxiliary input device, and wherein a displacement of the auxiliary input device in one direction provides a selecting signal and a displacement in a different direction provides an executing signal.

15. The handheld device of claim 14 wherein the auxiliary input device is a thumbwheel that produces a first signal responsive to rolling of the thumbwheel and a second signal responsive to depressing of the thumbwheel.

16. The handheld device of any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 in which each of the letter keys is inclined relative to the horizontal and the vertical.

17. The handheld device of any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 in which each of the letter keys on the left of the vertical line is inclined at a negative angle relative to the vertical and each of the letter keys on the right of vertical line is inclined at a positive angle relative to the vertical, each of the angles being in the range of 20 to 70 degrees.

18. The handheld device of claim 5 including an auxiliary input, and wherein a displacement of the auxiliary input in one direction provides a selecting signal and a displacement in a different direction provides an executing signal.

19. A keyboard for use with a mobile communication device, the keyboard configured in a device housing having a top surfaces the top surface having a left edge and a right edge and being bisected by a vertical reference substantially midway between the left edge and the right edge,

the keyboard having twenty-six letter keys and at least one other key:

the twenty six letter keys and the at least one other key being arranged in an upper row, a middle row, and a lower row,

the letter keys in of the upper row being distributed across the top surface from adjacent the left edge to adjacent the right edge,

a letter key in the middle row being adjacent the left edge of the housing and the keys in the middle row being distributed across the top surface of the housing from adjacent the left edge to adjacent the right edge,

the keys in each of the upper, middle and lower rows being arranged so that approximately half of the keys in each of the respective rows are positioned to the left of the vertical reference and approximately half of the keys in each of the respective rows row are positioned to the right of the vertical reference, five letter keys in the upper row being disposed on each side of the vertical reference, five letter keys in the middle row being disposed on one side of the vertical reference and four letter keys in the middle row being disposed on the other side of the vertical reference, and four letter keys in the lower row being disposed on the one side of the vertical reference line and three letter keys in the lower row being disposed on the other side of the vertical reference line; and

each letter key in the lower row being substantially vertically aligned with a respective letter key in each of the upper and middle rows.

20. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein each of the upper and middle rows has the same total number of keys.

21. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein each of the letter keys is longer on one direction than in a direction orthogonal to the one direction.

22. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein each of the letter keys is oblong.

23. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein, in each of the upper, middle and lower rows, the centers of all the keys in the row other than the key most closely adjacent the left edge of the device and the key most closely adjacent the right edge of the device are displaced from, and lie on the same side, of a straight line extending from the center of the key of the row most closely adjacent to the left edge to the center of the key most closely adjacent the right edge.

24. The keyboard of claim 19 in which at least two of the rows have the same number of total keys.

25. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein in each of the upper, middle and lower rows each letter key on a first side of the vertical line is symmetrical relative to a letter key on an other side of the vertical line.

26. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein the letter keys in each of the upper, middle and lower rows are arranged in respective arcs.