Key arrangement for a keyboard

• US 8,259,074 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T., Tyneski, Frank M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MY CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US12/201,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20080316179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 400/472, 400/486, 400/488, 400/489, 345/168, 345/169
• 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 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• 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 key arrangement includes a plurality of keys that are arranged in a regular grid of rows and columns. The columns include a first column, a last column, and at least one middle column. The keys in the first and last columns are smaller than the keys in the at least one middle column. A method for improving the ergonomics of a key arrangement on a keyboard of a fixed size is provided. A method for designing a key arrangement for a mobile communication device is also provided.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a key arrangement comprising:

a plurality of keys arranged in rows, each row having;

a first exterior key located at a first end;

a second exterior key located at a second end; and

at least two interior keys located between the first and second exterior keys, wherein each of the at least two interior keys has a width greater than the first and second exterior keys in the corresponding row.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of keys has essentially the same shape.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein at least one row comprises at least one middle key located between the at least two interior keys.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein each of the at least one middle key has a width that is greater than a width of the at least two interior keys.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the at least one middle key comprises at least two middle keys.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein each of the at least two middle keys has a width greater than the at least two interior keys.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first and second exterior keys and a portion of the at least two interior keys have indicia corresponding to alphabetic letters.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the indicia corresponding to alphabetic letters are arranged in one of a QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, and Dvorak key arrangements.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of keys have indicia corresponding to numbers.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the indicia corresponding to numbers are arranged according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard E.161.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys have at least three different shapes.

12. A key arrangement comprising:

a plurality of keys arranged in rows, each row having;

a first exterior key located at a first end;

a second exterior key located at a second end; and

at least two interior keys located between the first and second exterior keys, wherein each of the at least two interior keys has a width greater than the first and second exterior keys in the corresponding row.

13. The key arrangement of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of keys has essentially the same shape.

14. The key arrangement of claim 13, wherein at least one row comprises at least one middle key located between the at least two interior keys.

15. The key arrangement of claim 14, wherein each of the at least one middle key has a width that is greater than a width of the at least two interior keys.

16. The key arrangement of claim 15, wherein the at least one middle key comprises at least two middle keys.

17. The key arrangement of claim 16, wherein each of the at least two middle keys has a width greater than the at least two interior keys.

18. The key arrangement of claim 12, wherein at least a portion the first and second exterior keys and a portion of at least two interior keys have indicia corresponding to alphabetic letters.

19. The key arrangement of claim 18, wherein the indicia corresponding to alphabetic letters are arranged in one of a QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, and Dvorak key arrangements.

20. The key arrangement of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of keys have indicia corresponding to numbers.

21. The key arrangement of claim 20, wherein the indicia corresponding to numbers are arranged according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard E.161.

22. The key arrangement of claim 12, wherein the plurality of keys has at least three different shapes.