Half keyboard

• US 9,052,747 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Yi-Shen
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, NELSON C
• Application Number:
  US11/430,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,317 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0216 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

Abstract

A half keyboard having a key input system with a set of keys, wherein the set of keys is arranged as a conventional keyboard, such as a Qwerty keyboard, approximately folded in half so that the key of the set of keys indicates more multiple characters, symbols and/or functions.

Claims

1. A key input system comprising:

a set of keys approximately arranged by folding an arrangement of a Qwerty keyboard, the set of keys including a right-handed input arrangement and a left-handed input arrangement respectively responding to a right portion and a left portion of the Qwerty keyboard, such that each of the keys corresponds to at least two characters including a first character in the left portion of the Qwerty keyboard and a second character in the right portion of the Qwerty keyboard;

a first means, disposed on a left side of a bottom of the set of keys, for detecting a first motion corresponding to the left-handed input arrangement;

a second means, disposed on a right side of the bottom of the set of keys, for detecting a second motion corresponding to the right-handed input arrangement; and

an activation mechanism configured

to activate the set of keys in the left-handed input arrangement, corresponding to the left portion of the Qwerty keyboard, in response to the detection of the first motion,

to activate the set of keys in the right-handed input arrangement, corresponding to the right portion of the Qwerty keyboard, in response to the detection of the second motion, and

to selectively activate, for each pressed key, the first character or the second character in response respectively to the detection of the first motion or the second motion,

wherein the key input system is free of independent numeral keys.

2. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the conventional keyboard is at least selected from the group consisting of English letters, phonetic notations, and the notations of various Chinese input methods.

3. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the set of keys comprises additional keys indicative of characters, symbols, or functions of:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, '"'"', ˜

, !, @, #, $, %, ^, &

, *, (,), _, −

, +, =, |, \, {, }, [, ], ;

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Menu, Esc, Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause Break, Number Lock, Space Bar.

4. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided as one of the multiple characters, symbols or functions based on what side of the key is pressed.

5. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by incorporating a shift function key.

6. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by recognizing how many times the key is pressed.

7. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of keys indicative of a character and a numeral is pressed, whether an input is decided as the character or the numeral is based on an input condition.

8. The key input system of claim 7, wherein if the input condition is a numeral field of a contact list and the key indicative of a character and a numeral is pressed, a numeral is inputted.

9. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the set of keys is in one form of a physical keyboard, a virtual keyboard displayed in a display or a virtual keyboard projected by an optical device.

10. The key input system of claim 1, wherein the set of keys comprises keys, push buttons, switch buttons, cam switches, rotary switches and scroll wheels.

11. The key input system of claim 1, wherein when a key of the set of the keys indicative of multiple characters, symbols or functions is pressed, the input can be decided by a smart input software.

12. The key input system of claim 1, wherein each of the keys is accessible to both the left and the right hands.

13. The key input system of claim 1, wherein each of the keys is arranged in a keyboard of a flat shape.

14. A key input system having a set of keys, comprising:

a first row of keys sequentially including a first key indicative of Q and Y, a second key indicative of W and U, a third key indicative of E and I, a fourth key indicative of R and O, and a fifth key indicative of T and P;

a second row of keys sequentially including a first key indicative of A and H, a second key indicative of S and J, a third key indicative of D and K, a fourth key indicative of F and L, and a fifth key indicative of G; and

a third row of keys sequentially including a first key indicative of Z and N, a second key indicative of X and M, a third key indicative of C, a fourth key indicative of V, and a fifth key indicative of B; and

a first means, disposed on a left side of a bottom of the set of keys, for detecting a first motion;

a second means, disposed on a right side of the bottom of the set of keys, for detecting a second motion; and

a determining mechanism configured to determine which character to input when one key in the first, second and third rows of keys indicative of two characters is pressed, in response to the detection of the first motion or the second motion, and to selectively activate one of the two characters,

wherein the key input system is free of independent numeral keys.

15. The key input system of claim 14, wherein the set of keys comprises additional keys indicative of characters, symbols, or functions of:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, '"'"', ˜

, !, @, #, $, % , ^, &

, *, (,), _, −

, +, =, |, \, {, }, [, ], ;

, ;

, ″

, ′

, <

, “

,”

, >

, ., ?, /; and

Menu, Esc, Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause Break, Number Lock, Space Bar.

16. The key input system of claim 14, wherein when a key of the first, second and third rows of keys indicative of two characters is pressed, the input can be decided as one of the two characters based on what side of the key is pressed.

17. The key input system of claim 14, wherein when a key of the first, second and third rows of keys indicative of two characters is pressed, the input can be decided by incorporating a shift function key.

18. The key input system of claim 14, wherein when a key of the first, second and third rows of keys indicative of two characters is pressed, the input can be decided by recognizing how many times the key is pressed.

19. The key input system of claim 14, wherein the first, second and third rows of keys is in one form of a physical keyboard, a virtual keyboard displayed in a display or a virtual keyboard projected by an optical device.

20. The key input system of claim 14, wherein the first, second and third rows of keys comprises keys, push buttons, switch buttons, cam switches, rotary switches and scroll wheels.

21. The key input system of claim 14, wherein when a key of the first, second and third rows of keys indicative of two characters is pressed, the input can be decided by a smart input software.

22. A key input system, comprising:

a set of keys corresponding to a first half of a full Qwerty keyboard when in a left-hand mode, and corresponding to a second half of the full Qwerty keyboard when in a right-hand mode, each of the keys corresponding to at least two characters including a first character in the first half of the full Qwerty keyboard and a second character in the second half of the full Qwerty keyboard; and

a first means, disposed on a left side of a bottom of the set of keys, for detecting a first motion corresponding to the left-hand mode;

a second means, disposed on a right side of the bottom of the set of keys, for detecting a second motion corresponding to the right-hand mode; and

an activation mechanism configured to selectively activate, for each pressed key, the first character or the second character in response respectively to the detection of the first motion or the second motion, to input the corresponding first character in response to the detection of the first motion, and to input the corresponding second character in response to the detection of the second motion,

wherein the key input system is free of independent numeral keys.