Keyboard configuration system

• US 7,008,127 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Francis N. Kurriss
• Original Assignee: Francis N. Kurriss
• Inventors: Kurriss, Francis N.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAU, MINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/901,402
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 400472-474, 400479-4792, 400/477, 400/480, 400/486, 400/489, 400/100, 400/414, 400/663, 345/168, 345/172, 341 20- 23
• US Class Current: 400/486
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

A system for configuring keyboards using both frequency and alphabetical bases and the resulting keyboards. The Keyboard Configuration System uses alphabetized frequency-based sets of keys in rows in order to fulfill the requirement that the keyboard must provide a key for each letter of the alphabet. The relevant alphabet is analyzed for letter use on a frequency basis. The frequency-ranked list is then broken into rows according to the number of rows needed for the keyboard. The resulting keyboards are then evaluated for demerits according to alphabetical succession that is backward relative to the alphabetical direction as well as alphabetical succession that is excess forward of zero or one key columns relative to the alphabetical direction. The system set forth here may be adaptable to any written language, especially those based upon phonetic alphabets. Further embodiments include keyboards for PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants).

Claims

1. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Z, X, V, Q, K, J, and G;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters T, S, R, O, N, I, H, E, and A; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Y, W, U, P, M, L, F, D, C, and B.

2. A keyboard as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being a separate row.

3. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Z, X, V, Q, K, J, G, and B;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters T, S, R, O, N, I, H, E, and A; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Y, W, U, P, M, L, F, D, and C.

4. A keyboard as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being a separate row.

5. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Z, X, V, Q, K, and J;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters T, S, R, O, N, I, H, E, D, and A; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Y, W, U, P, M, L, G, F, C, and B.

6. A keyboard as set forth in claim 5, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each beings a separate row.

7. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Z, X, V, Q, P, K, J, G, and B;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters T, R, O, N, I, E and A; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Y, W, U, S, M, L, H, F, D, and C.

8. A keyboard as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being rows a separate row.

9. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Z, Y, X, V, Q, K, J, G and B;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters T, S, R, O, N, I, H, E and A; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters W, U, P, M, L, F, D and C.

10. A keyboard as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being a separate row.

11. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Z, X, V, Q, P, K, J, G, and B;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters T, S, R, O, N, I, E, and A; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Y, W, U, M, L, H, F, D, and C.

12. A keyboard as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being a separate row.

13. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Z, X, W, V, Q, K, J, G and B;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters T, S, R, O, N, I, E, D, and A; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters Y, U, P, M, L, H, F and C.

14. A keyboard as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being a separate row.

15. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters K, J, M, L, I, N, R, P and Q;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters G, F, H, E, O, S, W and V; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters B, C, D, A, T, U, Y, X and Z.

16. A keyboard as set forth in claim 15, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being a separate row.

17. A keyboard, comprising:

a first sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters B, C, D, A, N, R, P and Q;

a second sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters G, F, H, E, O, S, W and V; and

a third sequence consecutively and in order comprising letters K, J, M, L, I, T, U, Y, X and Z.

18. A keyboard as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

said first, second, and third sequences each being a separate row.