System and method for keyboard independent touch typing

• US 6,885,316 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carsten Mehring
• Original Assignee: Carsten Mehring
• Inventors: Mehring, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US10/726,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20040108373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 341/20, 341/26, 341/21, 341/17, 400/489, 400/87, 365/169, 345/168, 345/157, 345/158, 345/156, 345/171, 345/169, 345/173, 340/407.1, 340/407.2
• US Class Current: 341/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/0221 the switches being fixed to the operator's hand, e.g. integrated in a glove or fixed to a ring

Abstract

A finger-mounted data entry device that allows a user to enter information into a computing device without using a keyboard and a method of using the data entry device. The data entry device includes thumb contacts and finger contacts. The thumb contacts are positioned on the user'"'"'s thumbs such that the thumb contacts represent rows of keys on a standard keyboard: a first thumb contact representing a base row of keys; a second thumb contact representing an upper row of keys; and a third thumb contact representing a lower row of keys. The finger contacts are positioned on each of the user'"'"'s fingers such that touching one of the finger contacts with the first thumb contact generates a signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated if the user used touch typing to press a key in the base row of keys on the standard keyboard using the same finger, touching one of the finger contacts with the second thumb contact generates a signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated if the user used touch typing to press a key in the upper row of keys on the standard keyboard using the same finger, and touching one of the finger contacts with the third thumb contact generates a signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated if the user used touch typing to press a key in the lower row of keys on the standard keyboard using the same finger.

Claims

1. A finger mounted data entry device for a user to enter information into a computing device, the data entry device mounted on at least one of a user'"'"'s hands, each of the at least one of the user'"'"'s hands having a plurality of fingers and one thumb, and a palm-side and a back-side, the data entry device being adapted to accept data entry in a manner mimicking a keyboard that generates a signal representing a character corresponding to a key selected from a plurality of keys arranged in a plurality of rows on the keyboard, the data entry device comprising:

two sets of thumb contacts positioned on respective ones of the user'"'"'s thumbs on each of the at least one of the user'"'"'s hands, each set of thumb contacts including a plurality of thumb contact wherein each respective one of the thumb contacts corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of rows on the keyboard; and

a plurality of finger contacts positioned on respective ones of the user'"'"'s fingers on each of the at least one of the user'"'"'s hands such that contact between any one of the finger contacts and a respective one of the thumb contacts generates a signal equivalent to the signal that would be generated if touch typing was used by the user to press a corresponding key in the corresponding row of keys on the keyboard.

2. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the finger contacts are each positioned on the palm-side of the user'"'"'s hand proximate a tip of a respective one of the user'"'"'s fingers.

3. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the signal generated is transmitted to the computing device.

4. The data entry device of claim 3, wherein the signal generated is transmitted to the computing device via wireless transmission.

5. The data entry device of claim 4, wherein the signal generated is transmitted to the computing device via infrared transmission.

6. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard is a QWERTY keyboard.

7. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the finger contacts and thumb contacts are attached to a glove that is worn by the user.

8. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the finger contacts and the thumb contacts are attached to a flexible skeletal structure that is worn by the user.

9. The data entry device of claim 8, wherein the flexible skeletal structure comprises clips configured to hold the finger contacts and the thumb contacts at prescribed positions on the user'"'"'s fingers and thumbs.

10. The data entry device of claim 8, wherein the flexible skeletal structure comprises thin flexible spirals carrying imprinted electrical wires, the thin flexible spirals worn around the user'"'"'s fingers and thumbs.

11. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the finger contacts and the thumb contacts are located on rings that are worn on the user'"'"'s fingers and thumbs.

12. The data entry device of claim 11, wherein the rings on each finger are connected to each other and to a signal encoder via flexible wires.

13. The data entry device of claim 12, wherein the flexible wires are spiral wires.

14. The data entry device of claim 11, wherein an application and retrieving device is used for placing the rings on or removing the rings off of the user'"'"'s fingers and thumbs.

15. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the thumb contacts and finger contacts are positioned on the fingers and thumbs of both of the user'"'"'s hands.

16. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein:

the thumb contacts and the finger contacts are positioned on one of the user'"'"'s hands; and

the data entry device further comprises a sensor configured to detect positioning of the user'"'"'s hand having the contacts, the sensor toggling between two sets of characters, a first set of characters being equivalent to a first set of characters on a half-keyboard in a first configuration and a second set of characters being equivalent to a second set of characters on the half-keyboard in a second toggled configuration.