Outwardly decreasing height keys for a handheld electronic device keyboard

• US 9,256,295 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rak, Roman P., Griffin, Jason T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAWLEY, KEITH L
• Application Number:
  US11/738,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,214 Days
• Field of Search: D14/399, D14/391, D14331-333, D14/461, D14/455
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/14 Operating parts, e.g. push-button
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type

Abstract

A handheld wireless communication device includes features that make it easier to differentiate among various keys and to correctly select a desired key. It also includes features that make the device more comfortable to use. In particular, corner keys have decreasing height profiles to make above-adjacent keys easier to reach and distinguish. Additionally, lowermost, outermost portions of the corner keys may be somewhat truncated. Flanking keys in a navigation row slant toward and are flush with peripheral edges of a navigation tool assembly and have outer edges that are higher than inner edges of adjacent outer keys. The outer edges of the flanking keys may be hump-shaped or crowned. The longitudinally central portion of the device is narrower than the ends of the device, and the corners of the device are contoured to enhance comfort in a user'"'"'s hand. Soft-touch materials are employed in hand-contacting portions of the device.

Claims

1. A keyboard comprising:

a plurality of keys arranged linearly in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the plurality of keys extending above a case body and comprising at least one bottom corner key located at a respective end of one of a last row of the plurality of rows or a last column of the plurality of columns,

wherein each respective at least one bottom corner key has a respective upper surface that decreases in height from a respective ridge at a laterally inner portion of the each respective at least one bottom corner key toward a laterally outer edge thereof, and

an adjacent key located above a respective bottom corner key has a bottom edge that is higher above the case body than the laterally outer edges of the respective bottom corner key.

2. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys are mirror-symmetric about a vertically oriented axis of symmetry.

3. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one bottom corner key comprises two bottom corner keys.

4. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein each bottom corner key is at least approximately twice as wide as said above-adjacent key.

5. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein a respective bottom lateral outer corner of each respective bottom corner key has a greater radius of curvature than a respective radius of curvature of any other corner of the respective bottom corner key.

6. The keyboard as recited in claim 5, wherein the greater radius of curvature is significantly larger than the respective radius of curvature, and wherein a bottom edge of each of the bottom corner keys transitions smoothly and continuously along said greater radius of curvature into said laterally outer edge of each of the bottom corner keys.

7. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein each bottom corner key is a function key.

8. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein each bottom corner key is a shift-function key.

10. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein a respective bottom edge of each of a plurality of adjacent keys in an adjacent row that is immediately-above the respective bottom corner key is higher than the laterally outer edge of the respective bottom corner key.

11. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys are located on a front face of a body, and

at least a portion of a bottom edge of the upper surface of the at least one bottom corner key is substantially flush with the front face of the body.

12. The keyboard as recited in claim 1,

wherein the respective ridge is removed from a top edge of the respective at least one bottom corner key,

the upper surface decreasing in height between the ridge and a bottom edge of the respective at least one bottom key, and

the upper surface further being scalloped between the ridge and the top edge of the respective at least one bottom key.

13. The keyboard as recited in claim 1,

wherein the respective upper surface the each respective at least one bottom corner key decreases in height from the respective ridge toward the laterally outer edge with a crested wave portion.

14. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one bottom corner key is located at a respective end of a last row of the plurality of rows.

15. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one bottom corner key is located at a respective end of a last column of the plurality of columns.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display provided in the housing; and

a keyboard including a plurality of keys arranged linearly in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, the plurality of keys comprising at least one bottom corner key located at a respective end of one of a last row of the plurality of rows or a last column of the plurality of columns,

wherein each respective at least one bottom corner key has a respective upper surface that decreases in height from a respective ridge at a laterally inner portion of the each respective at least one bottom corner key toward a laterally outer edge thereof, and

a bottom edge of an adjacent key above a respective bottom corner key is higher than laterally outer edges of the respective bottom corner key.