Patent ID: 6965372

Claim:
A keyboard for use in performing typing tasks comprising: a base having an upper side; and a plurality of keys arranged in an array, including multiple rows with one of the multiple rows being a home row, on the upper side of said base, said keys including letter keys, a tab key, a backspace key, at least three shift keys for establishing capital letters in combination with the letter keys, and at least one function key, each of said letter keys corresponding to a respective letter of an alphabet of a language, wherein said at least three shift keys are located in a lower central portion of said array, grouped directly adjacent one another, and arranged in at least two of the multiple rows, said at least three shift keys being adapted to be engaged by thumbs of a user, wherein one of said rows includes selected ones of said letter keys arranged to spell out at least three, consecutively arranged multi-letter words when read from left to right and wherein both the tab and backspace keys are centrally located within the letter keys and located in a row above the home row.