Hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs

• US 7,227,536 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Major, Harry R., Lazaridis, Mihal, Griffin, Jason T., Holmes, John A., Little, Herb A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said; Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US10/425,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20030206156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-160, 345/146, 345168-169, 345171-173, 345/170, 345/162, 345/172, 400/486, 400/479, 400/472, 400/489, 400/427, 341 20- 23, D14191-192, D14334-335, D14/344, D14/346, D14/138
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• 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 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/022 other then row-column disposition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs is disclosed. In order to operate within the limited space available on a hand-held electronic device, the present invention optimizes the placement and shape of the keys, preferably using keys that are oval or oblong in shape, and that are placed at angles designed to facilitate thumb-typing. The angles at which keys on either side of the keyboard are placed is complimentary.

Claims

1. A messaging device for sending and receiving wireless email comprising:

a plurality of keys, each key having a height and width dimension, the height being greater than the width, twenty six of the keys representing a corresponding one of the letters of the alphabet on a keyboard integral to the messaging device; and

a display operatively connected to the keyboard;

wherein the plurality of keys include a first set tilted at a negative angle relative to a vertical reference through the device and a second set tilted at a positive angle relative to the vertical reference through the device.

2. The messaging device of claim 1, wherein the first set is a left side set and the second set is a right side set, with the left side set being oriented at an angle in a negative orientation relative to the vertical reference for optimal contact by a left hand thumb of a user, and the right side set being oriented at an angle in a positive orientation relative to the vertical reference for optimal contact by a right hand thumb of a user.

3. A messaging device for sending and receiving email comprising:

a plurality of non-round keys having a height that is greater than a width, 26 keys of the plurality of keys representing the letters of the alphabet on a keyboard integral to the messaging device; and

a display operatively coupled to the keyboard,

wherein the plurality of keys include;

a left-side set oriented at a negative angle between 20 and 70 degrees relative to a vertical reference through the device, and a right-side set at a positive angle between 20 and 70 degrees relative to the vertical reference, the keys of the left-side set and right-side set being evenly spaced to facilitate use of the device by a user'"'"'s thumb.

4. A messaging device for sending and receiving email comprising:

a plurality of keys representing letters of the alphabet on a keyboard integral to the messaging device, each of said plurality of keys having a shape that includes a height and a width, with the height being grater than the width to allow for an angular orientation of the keys; and

a display operatively coupled to the keyboard, wherein said plurality of keys are divided into left and right side sets, the keys in the left side and the keys in the right side set being oriented at negative and positive angles respectively, the negative angle enabling a user to optimally use the left side set with a user'"'"'s left-hand thumb and the positive angle enabling a user to optimally use the right side set with the user'"'"'s right-hand thumb, and wherein keys representing letters of the alphabet represent either upper case letters or lower case letters by the time that such keys are held in a down position.

5. A messaging device for sending and receiving email comprising;

a plurality of keys, at least 26 of said keys representing corresponding ones of the letters of the alphabet on a keyboard integral to the messaging device, each of said plurality of keys having a height and a width, with a longitudinal axis extending along the height of each key, wherein the height of the keys is greater than that of the width; and

a display operatively coupled to the keyboard,

wherein the height of the keys is greater than the width of the keys in order to provide a tactile response to the user because the device is designed to be used by the thumbs of a user, the plurality of keys being divided into left and right side sets, the longitudinal axis of each key in the left side set being displaced by a first predetermined angle less than 90 degrees relative to vertical, the longitudinal axis of each key in the right side set being displaced by a second predetermined angle less than 90 degrees relative to vertical.

6. The messaging device of claim 5, wherein the height of the keys is about double that of the width of the keys.

7. The messaging device of claim 6, wherein the height is about 7 mm and the width is about 5 mm.

8. A messaging device for sending and receiving email designed to be held in a user'"'"'s hands for thumb typing comprising:

twenty-six keys representing the letters of the alphabet on a keyboard integral to the messaging device, said keys being divided into first and second sets, the first and second sets being oriented at corresponding negative and positive preferred angles, with the preferred angles being defined by angles associated with the orientation of the left and right thumbs, respectively, of a user during thumb typing on the device; and

a display operatively coupled to the keyboard.

9. The messaging device of claim 8, wherein the device is configured for typing with a left thumb on a left side of the device and for typing with a right thumb on a right side of the device, the left side set being oriented at a negative preferred angle and the right side set being oriented at a positive preferred angle.

10. The messaging device of claim 8, wherein the preferred angle is about 40 degrees relative to vertical.

11. The messaging device of claim 8, wherein the preferred angle is about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees relative to vertical.

12. The messaging device of claim 8, wherein the keys have a size and a shape, and the size and shape are defined for optimal contact by a user'"'"'s thumb.

13. The messaging device of claim 8, wherein the keys have a size and a shape, and the size and shape are defined based upon the size of the messaging device.