Keyboards including color coding and one handed operation

• US 4,555,193 A
• Filed: 10/31/1983
• Issued: 11/26/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philip J. Stone
• Original Assignee: Philip J. Stone
• Inventors: Stone, Philip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Jr., Ernest T.
• Application Number:
  US06/546,884
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 400/83, 400/87, 400/88, 400/91, 400/92, 400/93, 400/94, 400/100, 400/101, 400/102, 400/472, 400/482, 400/483, 400/485, 400/486, 400/487, 400/489, 340/365 R, 340/365 VL, 340/365 S, 340/365 C, 340/365 L, 340/365 P, 340/365 A, 340/365 E, 178/79, 434/227, 434/231
• US Class Current: 400/486
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/10 Arrangements of keyboards , e.g. key button disposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/08 by operating selected combinations of multifunction keys

Abstract

A keyboard is disclosed having keys subdivided into one or more fields. Two keys from the same field concurrently actuated identify a particular character. Characters are also identified by the actuation of a single key independently of any other key. Pivot keys may be included which are a part of more than one field. A color coding arrangement makes the two key combination unambiguously suggested by the keyboard itself. These features make possible a reduction of the number of keys such that a full set of alphanumeric characters may be arranged on the keyboard for one handed operation.

Claims

1. A keyboard for selecting characters from a variety of characters including all the letters of an alphabet, said keyboard comprising:

a plurality of fields of keys, each field including a plurality of single-field keys which identify a particular character when actuated concurrently with one other of said single-field keys from within the same field, said plurality of fields of keys being arranged for operation by one hand wherein each key has a background color and each character is printed on a key in a particular color so that actuation of a key upon which a character is printed concurrently with actuation of a key in the same field whose background color is identical to the color of said character causes the selection of said character.

2. A one-handed keyboard for selecting characters from a variety of characters, said keyboard comprising:

a plurality of keys subdivided into a plurality of fields, each one of said keys within one of said fields having a background color different from every other key within said one of said fields, and where characters, printed in a particular color on one of said keys, are selected by actuation of the key upon which the character is printed concurrently with actuation of a key from within the same field whose background color is the color of said character.

3. The keyboard of claim 2 wherein a character, printed on a key in a color not found as a background color for any other key, is selected by actuating the key, upon which said character is printed, independently of any other key.

4. The keyboard of claim 2 wherein one of said keys belongs to a plurality of said fields.

5. The keyboard of claim 2 wherein one of said keys belongs to three of said fields.

6. The keyboard of claim 2 wherein one of said fields includes two keys which also belong to other fields.

7. The keyboard of claim 3 wherein each character printed on a key in a color not found as a background for any other key comprises a high frequency character.

8. The keyboard of claim 7 wherein said high frequency characters include A, E, I, O, S and W.

9. The keyboard of claim 2 further comprising a visual display adjacent a plurality of keys from said plurality of keys.

10. A one-handed keyboard for selecting characters from a variety of characters including a complete set of alphanumeric characters, said keyboard comprising:

a plurality of keys subdivided into three horizontal fields of keys and one vertical field of keys, each one of said keys within one of said fields having a background color different from every other key within said one of said fields, and each character being printed on a key in a particular color so that selection of a character is made by actuating a first key, upon which said character is printed, independently of any other key when the color of the character is not found as the background color of any other key and, where the color of the character is a background color of another key, selection is made by actuating said first key upon which said character is printed, concurrently with a second key, from the field in which said first key is oriented, whose background color is the color of said character.

11. The keyboard of claim 10 wherein said vertical field of keys shares one of said keys with one horizontal field and shares another of said keys with the two other horizontal fields.

12. The keyboard of claim 10 wherein the characters printed on a key in a color not found as a background color for any other key comprise characters which appear with high frequency in a written language.

13. The keyboard of claim 12 wherein said characters which appear with high frequency include A, E, I, O, S and W.

14. The keyboard of claim 10 further comprising a visual display adjacent a plurality of said keys.

15. A keyboard for selecting characters from a variety of characters comprising:

a plurality of fields of keys, the keys of each field including a plurality of single-field keys, each key having a background color and each character being printed on a key in a particular color so that actuation of a key upon which a character is printed concurrently with actuation of a key in the same field whose background color is identical to the color of said character causes the selection of said character.

16. The keyboard of claim 15 wherein at least two of said fields of keys include a pivot key which belongs to a plurality of said fields such that each said pivot key identifies a particular character when actuated concurrently with another key from within one of the fields to which said actuated pivot key belongs.

17. The keyboard of claim 15 wherein said characters are printed on said keys so that the position of a character printed on a key indicates which other key in the same field should be actuated concurrently with said key to select said character.

18. The keyboard of claim 15 wherein a character printed on a key in a color not found on any other key is selected by actuating the key, upon which said character is printed, independently of any other key.

19. A keyboard for selecting characters from a variety of characters comprising:

at least one field of keys, each field including a plurality of keys, each key having a background color and each character being printed on a key in a particular color so that actuation of a key upon which a character is printed concurrently with actuation of a key in the same field whose background color is identical to the color of said character causes the selection of said character.

20. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein a character printed on a key in a color not found on any other key is selected by actuating the key, upon which said character is printed, independently of any other key.

21. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein said characters are printed on said keys so that the position of a character printed on a key indicates which other key in the same field should be actuated concurrently with said key to select said character.

22. The keyboard of claim 19 further comprising a visual display adjacent a plurality of keys from said at least one field of keys.

23. The keyboard of claim 19 wherein said at least one field of keys is arranged for operation by one hand.