Keyboard arrangement

• US 7,819,598 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLILLA, DANIEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/217,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20050286953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 400/486
• 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 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27463 Predictive input, predictive dialling by comparing the dialled sequence with the content of a telephone directory
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A physical keyboard includes a plurality of multi-functional keys with a reduced column QWERTY key arrangement overlaid with a numeric phone key arrangement for use in both text entry and telephony. Another physical keyboard includes a plurality of multi-functional keys having an array of alphabetic characters and an overlaid numeric array of numbers. A handheld mobile station has a first user interface having a standard alphabetic key arrangement and a second user interface having a numeric phone key arrangement. The space key of the keyboard may be taller than the remainder of keys in the row.

Claims

1. A keyboard comprising:

a plurality of keys and corresponding indicia including keys associated with alphabetic characters corresponding to a standard keyboard layout array of letters A-Z and an overlaid numeric phone key arrangement corresponding to the numbers-0-9, with the alphabetic characters and overlaid numeric phone key arrangement being oriented in the same direction, said plurality of keys associated with alphabetic characters numbering fewer than 26, and further comprising at least one function key comprising a space key, with the space key having a height that is greater than the height of the remainder of said plurality of keys, and wherein each key is configured to cause data corresponding to the indicia on that key to be entered in response to the key being pressed.

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the space key is positioned in a row of keys and extends below the remainder of keys in the row of keys.

3. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys is arranged in a grid pattern having a plurality of columns and rows, and the space key is positioned in a bottom row of keys and extends below the remainder of keys in the bottom row.

4. The keyboard of claim 3, wherein the space key is centered in the bottom row of keys.

5. The physical keyboard of claim 1, wherein the space key shares a key with the number 0.

6. The physical keyboard of claim 1, wherein the space key is configured to be contacted by the finger of a user utilizing touch.

7. The physical keyboard of claim 1, wherein the standard keyboard layout comprises one of QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and DVORAK.

8. A keyboard configured for a handheld mobile communication device comprising:

a plurality of keys arranged in a grid pattern having a plurality of rows and columns including a bottom row, with each of the columns having left line of alignment and right line of alignment such that each key in the column is positioned in an area between the left and right lines, said plurality of keys being associated with indicia corresponding to letters A-Z, numbers 0-9, and at least one function, with the indicia being oriented in the same direction, wherein said plurality of keys associated with said letters A-Z number fewer than 26, wherein keys positioned in the bottom row have a top line of alignment and a bottom line of alignment, with an area positioned between the top and bottom lines of alignment, with one of said keys comprising an elongated key that extends outside of the area between the top and bottom lines of alignment, wherein the elongated key extends below the bottom line of alignment, and other keys positioned in said bottom row being contained within said top and bottom lines of alignment, and wherein each key is configured to cause data corresponding to the indicia on that key to be entered in response to the key being pressed.

9. The keyboard of claim 8, wherein the elongated key is centered in its respective row of keys.

10. The keyboard of claim 8, wherein the at least one function comprises a space function, and said elongated key comprises a single key that is associated with the space function.

11. The keyboard of claim 10, wherein said elongated key is further associated with the number 0.

12. The keyboard of claim 10, wherein the elongated key has a height that is greater than the height of the remainder of said plurality of keys.

13. A keyboard configured for a handheld mobile communication device comprising:

a plurality of keys arranged in a grid pattern having a plurality of rows and columns, with each of the rows having a top line of alignment and a bottom line of alignment such that each key in the row is positioned in an area between the top and bottom lines, with each of the columns having left line of alignment and right line of alignment such that each key in the column is positioned in an area between the left and right lines, said plurality of keys being associated with indicia corresponding to letters A-Z, numbers 0-9, and at least one function, with the indicia being oriented in the same direction, wherein said plurality of keys associated with said letters A-Z number fewer than 26, wherein at least one of the plurality of keys extends outside the area between the top and bottom lines of alignment for the respective row, wherein said at least one key is associated with a function and a numeral, and wherein each key is configured to cause data corresponding to the indicia on that key to be entered in response to the key being pressed.

14. The keyboard of claim 13, wherein the plurality of rows includes a bottom row, and the at least one key that extends outside the area between the top and bottom lines is positioned in the bottom row.

15. The keyboard of claim 13, wherein the at least one key that extends outside the area between the top and bottom lines has a height that is greater than a height of any other keys in the respective row that the at least one key is positioned in.

16. The keyboard of claim 15, wherein the at least one key that extends outside the area between the top and bottom lines is in a bottom row of the grid pattern and is positioned in the center of the row.

17. The keyboard of claim 16, wherein the at least one key that extends outside the area between the top and bottom lines is associated with a space function.

18. The keyboard of claim 13, wherein at least some of said plurality of keys associated with letters A-Z are also associated with a number.

19. The keyboard of claim 13, wherein one of the keys that extends outside of the area between the top and bottom lines of alignment for the respective row is associated with a space function and said key has a height that is greater than the height of the remainder of said plurality of keys.