Curved keyboard with wave-shaped key height variation to accommodate natural finger positions

• US 8,721,204 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Sauvage, Sylvain, Mandelli, Lorenzo, Canavan, Eugene, Loughnane, Cathal
• Primary Examiner(s): BANH, DAVID H
• Application Number:
  US11/567,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20080138136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,715 Days
• Field of Search: 400/472, 400/488, 400/489, 400/490, 400/491, 400/491.3, 400/492, 400/486
• US Class Current: 400/488
• 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

Abstract

A keyboard having improvements to the combination wave and curve keyboards of the prior art. In one embodiment, the invention provides a wave shape on a keyboard palm rest. In another embodiment, the invention provides a unique combination of a QWERTY keyboard, with both a wave and a curve, where the D and K keys are the low points of the wave. In another embodiment, a combination of more than one lateral waves and a constant radius curve is provided. Yet another embodiment provides the combination of a curved keyboard and a straight number pad.

Claims

1. A computer keyboard apparatus comprising:

a keyboard having a top housing including a front portion and a rear portion, the top housing including;

a plurality of rows of letter keys in a QWERTY key arrangement;

a row of number keys disposed above the plurality of rows of letter keys;

a row of function keys disposed above the row of number keys,

wherein the QWERTY keys and number keys varying in height along a plurality of said rows to provide a dual wave shape to said keyboard, wherein the letter keys A-S-D-F-G form a first wave, and the letter keys H-J-K-L form a second wave,

wherein the plurality of rows of QWERTY keys on said keyboard are curved horizontally, such that a middle portion of said rows is closer to the front portion of the top housing than the ends of said rows, and the ends of said rows are closer to the rear portion of the top housing than the middle portion of said rows,

wherein the row of number keys are curved horizontally, such that a middle portion of the row of number keys is closer to the front portion of the top housing than either end of the row of number keys,

wherein the row of function keys are curved horizontally, such that a middle portion of the row of function keys is closer to the front portion of the top housing than either end of the row of function keys,

wherein the letter keys have concave tops, with the D and K keys being symmetrical, with a plurality of keys on either side of the D and K keys have a height which varies from one side to another, so that the key tops are not symmetrical, and are angled in the same direction as the wave,

wherein each row of QWERTY keys and number keys have a substantially uniform separation between each key along that particular row,

wherein a highest point in the wave is between the G and H keys in one row, and is the Y key in another row,

wherein the letter keys and number keys have a front portion and a back portion, wherein the letter keys are not tilted from front portion-to-back portion (front-to back), such that the housing is flat at the rows with the letter keys, and

wherein a top of each of the number keys includes a positive tilt from front-to-back;

a media panel tilted with respect to said QWERTY keys;

a zoom rocker switch mounted proximate an edge of said keyboard; and

a number pad with straight rows, the keys of said number pad forming a wave.

2. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a wrist support varying in height to provide a wave shape which follows the wave shape of said plurality of rows.

3. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1 wherein the D and K keys are the low points of the wave and further comprising a 4 mm difference between a highest point in a split line between keys G and H and lowest keys D and K.

4. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

said QWERTY keys being arranged in a curve along the rows of said keys having a constant radius.

5. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 1 wherein all of said letter keys have the same size so that said curve is achieved with a constant gap between said letter keys and without some of said letter keys being larger than other letter keys.

6. A computer keyboard apparatus comprising:

a keyboard having a top housing including a front portion and a rear portion, the top housing including;

a plurality of rows of letter keys in a QWERTY key arrangement;

a row of number keys disposed above the QWERTY keys;

a row of function keys disposed above the number keys,

wherein the letter keys of said QWERTY key arrangement vary in height along a plurality of said rows to provide a dual vertical wave shape to said keyboard, with D and K keys being low points of the wave, wherein letter keys A-S-D-F-G form a first wave, and letter keys H-J-K-L form a second wave,

wherein the plurality of rows of letter keys of said keyboard are curved horizontally, such that a middle portion of said rows is closer to the front portion of the top housing than the ends of said rows, and the ends of said rows are closer to the rear portion of the top housing than the middle portion of said rows,

wherein the row of number keys are curved horizontally, such that a middle portion of the row of number keys is closer to the front portion of the top housing than either end of the row of number keys, and the ends of said rows are closer to the rear portion of the top housing than the middle portion of said rows,

wherein the row of function keys are curved horizontally, such that a middle portion of the row of function keys is closer to the front portion of the top housing than either end of the row of function keys,

wherein the letter keys have concave tops, with the D and K keys being symmetrical, with a plurality of keys on either side of the D and K keys have a height which varies from one side to another, so that the key tops are not symmetrical, and are angled in the same direction as the wave, and

wherein each row of letter keys and number keys have a substantially uniform separation between each key along that particular row;

a wrist support varying in height to provide a wave shape which follows the wave shape of said plurality of rows,

wherein the letter keys being arranged in a curve having a constant radius; and

a number pad with straight rows, the keys of said number pad forming a wave in the shape of a trough, with a center key 5 being located at the bottom of the trough,

wherein the letter keys and number keys include a front portion and a back portion, wherein said letter keys are not tilted from front portion-to-back portion (front-to-back), such that the housing is flat at the rows with the letter keys,

wherein a top of each of the number keys includes a positive tilt from front-to-back, and

wherein all of said letter keys have the same size so that said curve is achieved with a constant gap between said letter keys and without some of said letter keys being larger than other letter keys.

7. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a media panel tilted with respect to said QWERTY keys.

8. The keyboard apparatus of claim 7 wherein said media panel has a wave shape.

9. The keyboard apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a zoom rocker switch mounted proximate an edge of said keyboard.

10. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 7 wherein said media panel comprises:

a volume knob; and

stop, play, fast forward and fast rewind keys around said volume knob.

11. A computer keyboard apparatus comprising:

a keyboard housing comprising including a front side and a back side, the keyboard housing including;

a plurality of rows of letter keys disposed in the keyboard housing;

a row of number keys disposed above the plurality of rows of letter keys in the keyboard housing; and

a row of function keys disposed above the row of number keys in the keyboard housing, wherein each of the plurality of rows of letter keys, the row of number keys, and the row of function keys includes a left-most key, a middle portion, and a right-most key,

wherein each of the rows of letter keys, the row of number keys, and the row of function keys are disposed along a horizontal wave lying in a horizontal plane such that the middle portion is closer to the front side of the keyboard housing than the left-most key and the right most key, and the left-most key and the right-most key are closer to the back side of the keyboard housing than the middle portion,

wherein each row of letter keys and number keys have a substantially uniform separation between each key along that particular row,

wherein the letter keys and number keys include a front portion and a back portion, wherein said letter keys are not tilted from front portion-to-back portion (front-to-back), such that the housing is flat at the rows with the letter keys,

wherein a top of each of the number keys includes a positive tilt from front-to-back;

wherein the plurality of rows of letter keys vary in height such that they form a vertical dual wave comprising a first peak, a second peak, and a third peak, and

wherein the first peak of the vertical dual wave is formed by the left-most key, the second peak of the vertical dual wave is formed by the middle portion, and the third peak of the vertical dual wave is formed by the right most key; and

a number pad with a plurality of straight rows of number pad keys.

12. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wave formed by the number pad keys is substantially continuous with the vertical dual wave formed by the plurality of rows of letter keys.

13. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 11 wherein the letter keys have concave tops and are angled in the same direction as the vertical dual wave.

14. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a zoom rocker switch mounted proximate to an edge of the keyboard housing.

15. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a media panel, wherein the media panel has a wave shape.

16. The computer keyboard apparatus of claim 15 wherein the media panel comprises:

a volume knob; and

stop, play, fast forward and fast rewind keys around said volume knob.

17. The computer keyboard of claim 11 wherein the letter keys are concave with a radius of 30 mm.