Mobile device and key arranging method

• US 20010048428A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ukita, Yoshitaka, Ozawa, Masao
• Granted Patent: US 6,933,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

A mobile device includes a portrait-oriented handheld housing, and keys which are arranged in such a manner that keys mounted on a landscape-oriented keyboard of a personal computer are divided into a plurality of groups, each group of keys being shifted in a longitudinal direction of the housing with respect to one another. Therefore, the mobile device with a confined width can accommodate a key layout similar to the key layout of computer keyboard.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising a portrait-oriented handheld housing, and keys mounted on the housing, said keys corresponding to keys mounted on a landscape-oriented keyboard of a personal computer,

wherein each row of keys mounted on the keyboard is divided into at least two groups including a first group and a second group,

the first group of keys being positioned along the width direction of the housing,

the second group of keys being positioned along the width direction of the housing and arranged to be shifted in the longitudinal direction of the housing with respect to the first group of keys.

2. A mobile device according to

claim 1

, wherein the second group of keys is shifted along the width direction of the housing with respect to the first group of keys.

3. A mobile device according to

claim 1

, wherein the keys are arranged on the housing in such a manner that the color of the first group of keys is different from the color of the second group of keys.

4. A mobile device according to

claim 1

, wherein the keys are arranged on the housing in such a manner that the color of one row of keys in the first and second groups is different from the color of another row of keys in the first and second groups.

5. A mobile device according to

claim 1

, further comprising touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel input means,

wherein the keys on the housing are formed by said touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel input means.

6. A mobile device according to

claim 1

, wherein the groups of keys which are separated from a first row of keys arranged in the horizontal direction of the keyboard are positioned by a first spacing from the groups of keys which are separated from a second row of keys arranged in the horizontal direction of the keyboard, and

the group of keys on the first row which is adjacent to the group of keys separated from the second row is positioned therefrom by a second spacing which is different from said first spacing.

7. A mobile device according to

claim 6

, wherein the second spacing is greater than the first spacing.

8. A key arranging method for arranging keys on a portrait-oriented handheld housing, the keys corresponding to keys mounted on a landscape-oriented keyboard of a personal computer, said key arranging method comprising the steps of:

dividing each row of keys in the key layout of the keyboard into at least two groups;

positioning one group along the width direction of the housing as a first group of keys; and

positioning another group along the width direction of the housing as a second group of keys, and shifting the second group of keys in the longitudinal direction of the housing with respect to the first group of keys.

9. A key arranging method according to

claim 8

, wherein the second group of keys is shifted along the width direction of the housing with respect to the first group of keys.

10. A key arranging method according to

claim 8

, wherein the keys are arranged on the housing in such a manner that the color of the first group of keys is different from the color of the second group of keys.

11. A key arranging method according to

claim 8

, wherein the keys are arranged on the housing in such a manner that the color of one row of keys in the first and second groups is different from the color of another row of keys in the first and second groups.

12. A key arranging method according to

claim 8

, further comprising the steps of:

providing touch-sensitive liquid crystal display panel input means on the housing;

forming key images at predetermined positions on the liquid crystal display panel input means; and

associating the key images formed at the predetermined positions on the liquid crystal display panel input means with a plurality of the keys on the housing,

whereby the plurality of keys on the housing are arranged on the liquid crystal display panel input means on the housing.

13. A key arranging method according to

claim 8

, wherein the groups of keys which are separated from a first row of keys arranged in the horizontal direction of the keyboard are positioned by a first spacing from the groups of keys which are separated from a second row of keys arranged in the horizontal direction of the keyboard, and

the group of keys on the first row which is adjacent to the group of keys separated from the second row is positioned therefrom by a second spacing which is different from said first spacing.

14. A key arranging method according to

claim 13

, wherein the second spacing is greater than the first spacing.