Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6765502?dq=5,870,513
Timestamp: 2014-10-20 18:48:44
Document Index: 484728099

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 16', 'art 17', 'art 18', 'art 16', 'art 16', 'art 16', 'art 17', 'art 16', 'art 18', 'art 18']

Patent US6765502 - Ergonomic keyboard device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA keyboard data input device includes a one-hand module having a finger section with groups of keys each of which fixedly assigned to a finger of the operator. The keyboard has a cover part which includes a palm rest section and grooves. A group of keys is sequentially arranged at the ground of said...http://www.google.com/patents/US6765502?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6765502 - Ergonomic keyboard deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6765502 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/802,737Publication dateJul 20, 2004Filing dateMar 9, 2001Priority dateMar 10, 2000Fee statusLapsedAlso published asDE10109026A1, US20010021332Publication number09802737, 802737, US 6765502 B2, US 6765502B2, US-B2-6765502, US6765502 B2, US6765502B2InventorsManfred Boldy, Werner RuppertOriginal AssigneeInternational Business Machines CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (9), Referenced by (6), Classifications (10), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetErgonomic keyboard deviceUS 6765502 B2Abstract A keyboard data input device includes a one-hand module having a finger section with groups of keys each of which fixedly assigned to a finger of the operator. The keyboard has a cover part which includes a palm rest section and grooves. A group of keys is sequentially arranged at the ground of said grooves to be reached by the outstretched or bent fingers when the operator's hand is in contact with the palm rest section. A thumb section located adjacent to the forefinger groove comprises a flat area which includes groups of command keys, and comprises further keys at an upright wall adjacent to the forefinger groove. The keyboard may be used for two-hand operation by providing two separate one-hand modules. The keyboard comprises a graphical multipurpose display visualize control information and characters typed in. The keyboard may further include a bar code scanner.
What is claimed is: 1. A keyboard device for hand input of data to an information processing system, including:
a finger section including a plurality of grooves separated by finger guide portions, each of said grooves being arranged to accommodate a finger of an operator's hand and housing a plurality of keys; a thumb section including a group of keys arranged to be operated by a thumb of the operator's hand; and a palm support section located in front of said grooves and extending across the width of said grooves; wherein the plurality of keys is sequentially arranged in each of said grooves so as to be reachable by the outstretched or bent finger when the operator's hand is in contact with the palm support section and wherein at least one of said grooves includes a cam located at the end of the groove adjacent to said palm support section and formed to permit holding the keyboard device by a finger tip. 2. A keyboard device for hand input of data to an information processing system, including:
a finger section including a plurality of grooves separated by finger guide portions, each of said grooves being arranged to accommodate a finger of an operator's hand and housing a plurality of keys; a thumb section including a group of keys arranged to be operated by a thumb of the operator's hand; and a palm support section located in front of said grooves and extending across the width of said grooves; wherein the plurality of keys is sequentially arranged in each of said grooves so as to be reachable by the outstretched or bent finger when the operator's hand is in contact with the palm support section, and wherein each of said grooves includes a marker bar which divides the plurality of keys into an outer group operable by the stretched or slightly bent finger and an inner group operable by the finger tips of the bent fingers, the marker bar being located between said inner and outer groups of keys and has the same height as the keys, and wherein each plurality of keys comprises four keys with each of said inner and outer groups comprising two keys. 3. The keyboard device of claim 2, wherein said thumb section is located close to a forefinger groove and extends to an upright wall of the thumb section adjacent to the forefinger groove.
a finger section including a plurality of grooves separated by finger guide portions, each of said grooves being arranged to accommodate a finger of an operator's hand and housing a plurality of keys; a thumb section including a group of keys arranged to be operated by a thumb of the operator's hand; a casing in which is housed control circuit components operable to generate signals indicative of the actuated key; an exchangeable cover connected to said casing and containing said grooves; and a palm support section located in front of said grooves and extending across the width of said grooves; wherein the plurality of keys is sequentially arranged in each of said grooves so as to be reachable by the outstretched or bent finger when the operator's hand is in contact with the palm support section. 13. The keyboard device of claim 12, wherein said cover Is one of a plurality of different sizes of cover adapted to the hand size of the operator.
a finger section including a plurality of grooves separated by finger guide portions, each of said grooves being arranged to accommodate a finger of an operator's hand and housing a plurality of keys; a thumb section including a group of keys arranged to be operated by a thumb of the operator's hand; and a palm support section located in front of said grooves and extending across the width of said grooves; wherein the plurality of keys is sequentially arranged in each of said grooves so as to be reachable by the outstretched or bent finger when the operators hand is in contact with the palm support section, and wherein each of said grooves includes a marker bar which divides the plurality of keys into an outer group operable by the stretched or slightly bent finger and an inner group operable by the finger tips of the bent fingers, the marker bar being located between said inner and outer groups of keys and has the same general height as the keys, and wherein each plurality of keys comprises four keys with each of said inner and outer groups comprising two keys.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to an ergonomic keyboard device suitable for use as data input means to information processing systems such as computer and telephone systems, and more particularly to a keyboard device comprising one or more one-hand modules which may be connected to a computer or telephone system by a data communication channel or which may be part of a hand-held computer or mobile telephone.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The extensive use of keyboards as preferred data input tools for information processing and communication systems such as personal computers, Internet terminals and telephone sets has initiated developments to improve the design of keyboards in order to make them better adapted to the human anatomy. Conventional flat keyboards are large and contain a plurality of keys arranged in parallel rows to which the positioning and movement of the operator's hand and fingers have to be adapted. Such keyboards require large space which may present a problem when the keyboard is used in connection with a mobile device or is part of such a device. Using such keyboards, the fingers of the operator have to cover a relatively wide range for locating and actuating the desired keys. In the daily work at the keyboard which often lasts many hours of the day, an environment as provided by conventional keyboards burdens the user, may give rise to health problems and reduces productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an improved keyboard which comprises an ergonomic design by a closer adaptation to the anatomy of an operator's hand and an arrangement of the keys which permits effective use of the keyboard after only a short training period and which permits an operation of the keyboard only by finger movements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following an embodiment of the invention is described with reference to drawings in which:
FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line 4�4 in FIG. 2;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 and 2 show a right-hand module 10 of the keyboard according to the invention. This module comprises a finger section 11, a thumb section 12 and a palm support section 13. The keyboard 10 is also provided with a graphical multipurpose display unit 14 for displaying the characters entered into the keyboard and control information. Keyboard 10 has a sandwich structure comprising a casing part 16, an intermediate part 17 and a cover part 18 as shown in the sectional views of FIGS. 3 and 4. The casing part 16 serves as a housing of circuit components 19 which are used for controlling the operation of the keyboard 10 in a manner which is known per se. The casing part 16 also contains a battery box 20 which is accessible from the bottom to fill in or change batteries 21 which provide the power supply for the operation of the keyboard 10. Furthermore, the casing part 16 carries the thumb section 12 and the display unit 14. The intermediate part 17 surrounds the casing part 16 and forms the finger section 11 jointly with the cover part 18. The cover part 18 also provides the palm support section 13.
The thumb section 12 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is arranged adjacent to the inner part of the forefinger groove 26 and comprises a flat field 40 with keys 41. In the embodiment represented herein the flat field 40 comprises six keys 41 arranged in two rows. However, additional keys 41 may be provided such as one or two keys 41 arranged in a third row of keys. The flat field 40 is on a lower level than the keys 25 so that they can be actuated by lateral thumb motions when the hand of the operator rests on the palm support section 13. The keys 41 are command keys such as �enter�, �character shift�, �space� etc. as will be explained later in more detail. The flat field 40 also includes a thumb operated multi-position switch 42 which may be set to one of four positions to change the assignment of the keys 25 to the characters to be generated when the keys 25 are actuated. Furthermore, the thumb section 12 comprises two keys 43 and 44 located in an upright wall 45 which is arranged adjacent to the forefinger groove 26. Keys 43, 44 allow to enter operational commands as generated by the keys of a conventional input device of the mouse type. For this purpose key 43 corresponds to the left mouse key and key 44 corresponds to the right mouse key. Above the keys 43 and 44 the upright wall 45 adjacent to the forefinger groove 26 comprises a bulge 46 which allows the thumb to support the weight of the keyboard 10 when the user holds the keyboard in his or her hand. The keys 41, 43 and 44 of the thumb section 12 may be of the same type as the keys 25 of the finger section.
FIG. 11 shows the alphanumerical characters, special signs and commands which are generated when the keys 25, 41, 43 and 44 of the right-hand module and the left-hand module of the keyboard 10 are actuated. Field 61 indicates the commands generated by actuation of the keys 41, 43 and 44 in the thumb section 12 of the right-hand module. Accordingly, field 62 shows the meaning of the corresponding keys in the left-hand module. It should be mentioned that the keys 43 and 44 which serve in the right-hand module as mouse keys are assigned in the left-hand module to the commands �Esc� and �Tab�. The assignment of the keys 25 to the alphabetical characters is shown in the field 63 of the right-hand module 10 and in the field 64 of the left-hand module 60. Additional characters and special signs may be generated by increasing the number of keys 25, for example, by providing at least in some of the grooves 26-29 groups of more than four keys. Although the assignments depicted in FIG. 11 are designed for use with the German language, it will be understood that the invention encompasses other key assignments for use with other languages.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS4042777Nov 15, 1976Aug 16, 1977International Business Machines CorporationOne-handed keyboard and its control meansUS4849732 *Mar 21, 1988Jul 18, 1989Dolenc Heinz COne hand key shellUS4913573 *Aug 18, 1988Apr 3, 1990Retter Dale JFor controlling data input characters of a full setUS5087910Sep 14, 1990Feb 11, 1992Guyot Sionnest LaurentElectronic keyboard for one-hand operationUS5178477Jun 6, 1991Jan 12, 1993Gambaro Thomas LErgonomic keyboard input deviceUS5432510 *Mar 22, 1993Jul 11, 1995Matthews; Walter S.Ambidextrous single hand chordic data management deviceUS5748511 *Oct 10, 1994May 5, 19984P S.R.L.Multipurpose handheld electronic computerUS5764164 *Feb 7, 1997Jun 9, 1998Reality Quest Corp.Ergonomic hand-attachable controllerUS5796354 *Feb 7, 1997Aug 18, 1998Reality Quest Corp.Hand-attachable controller with direction sensing* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7277083 *Jun 2, 2004Oct 2, 2007Duncan Thomas MErgonomically designed computer gaming deviceUS7635045 *Jul 30, 2004Dec 22, 2009Caterpillar Inc.Machine tool control consoleUS7825833Jan 9, 2007Nov 2, 2010Manthe Iii Leslie WilliamComputer keyboardUS7869890 *Sep 6, 2006Jan 11, 2011Honeywell International Inc.Keyboards having multiple groups of keys in the management of a process control plantUS8014148 *Feb 24, 2009Sep 6, 2011Panasonic CorporationElectronic deviceUS8072764 *Mar 9, 2009Dec 6, 2011Apple Inc.Multi-part substrate assemblies for low profile portable electronic devices* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification341/22, 341/34, 400/489International ClassificationG06F3/02, B41J5/08, G06F3/023Cooperative ClassificationG06F3/021, G06F3/0219European ClassificationG06F3/02A3, G06F3/02A5Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionSep 9, 2008FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20080720Jul 20, 2008LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesJan 28, 2008REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedMar 9, 2001ASAssignmentOwner name: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP., NEW YORKFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BOLDY, MANFRED;RUPPERT, WERNER;REEL/FRAME:011674/0822Effective date: 20010309Owner name: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. NEW ORCHARDFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BOLDY, MANFRED /AR;REEL/FRAME:011674/0822RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google