Patent Document ID: 4762436
Application ID: 06886635
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. In a keyboard for computers, including terminals and input devices, word processing equipment, typewriters, and similar equipment, and simulators of such equipment, an improvement comprising: a core structure comprising a plurality of keys, each of said keys having a fingerstrike surface which is the surface of the key that is touched or tapped by a fingertip to operate the key; said plurality of keys having a left hand plurality of keys operable by touch with the fingertips of the index, middle, ring and little fingers of the left hand, and a right hand plurality of keys operable by touch with the fingertips of the index, middle, ring and little fingers of the right hand; said left hand plurality of keys having a left hand positioning key being a key operated by the left middle finger, and said right hand plurality of keys having a right hand positioning key being a key operated by the right middle finger; said core structure having means for positioning and maintaining the position of the fingertip of each middle finger on its hand positioning key by touch, and thereby positioning and maintaining the positions of the hands on said core structure by touch; said means comprising: at least three spaced apart three dimensional shapes on or near the perimeter of the fingerstrike surface on each of said left and right hand positioning keys; the keys in said core structure other than said left and right hand positioning keys and other than additional hand positioning keys being free of said spaced apart three dimensional shapes; said plurality of spaced apart three dimensional shapes on each of said left and right hand positioning keys being raised above the fingerstrike surface of each of said hand positioning keys; the topmost parts of adjacent raised spaced apart three dimensional shapes being of sufficient height above each fingerstrike surface and there being sufficient space between the topmost parts of adjacent three dimensional shapes to enable neuro-sensory two-point discrimination and stereognosis by the fingertip of each middle finger; the number and locations of said three dimensional shapes on the fingerstrike surface of each hand positioning key providing omni-directional positional and directional orientation of the position of the middle fingertip in relation to its hand positioning key and the direction to move the hand to position said middle fingertip on its hand positioning key; whereby the fingertip of each middle finger is positioned on its hand positioning key by touch, and whereby the hands maintain accurate position for operating the core structure by touch with the fingers of both hands.