Patent Document ID: 7978179
Application ID: 11944627

Base Claim:
1. A method for a computer keyboard, comprising the steps of: generating a key qualifier signal for a user selected key on a keyboard responsive to a user depressing the user selected key; transmitting the key qualifier signal to a word-key pair assignment process; receiving the key qualifier by a function key preference configuration subprocess of the word-key pair assignment process comparing, by the function key preference configuration subprocess, the received key qualifier and keys available for assigning; selecting between sending a hit signal and sending a miss signal by the function key preference configuration subprocess responsive to the comparing, wherein the hit signal initiates steps in an acquisition process and the miss signal initiates steps in a restitution process, wherein the steps in the acquisition process include: assigning the user selected key to a unique word or expression entered by the user, thereby creating a key-word pair, wherein the assigning includes: sending an update key status signal to a key interface process by the word-key pair assignment process responsive to the key qualifier signal; and outputting data signals responsive to the update key status signal by the key interface process, including data signals indicating to update a first stored list of available keys and a second stored list of user defined words or expressions; and wherein the steps in the restitution process include: prompting the user to select between i) accepting a word or expression in the second list that is currently assigned to the user selected key and ii) modifying the currently assigned word or expression; and updating the second list responsive to the user selecting to modify the currently assigned word or expression.

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Claim 3:
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: capturing the word or expression entered by the user during a time frame capture, wherein the capturing includes initiating a start acquisition phase and a stop acquisition phase and time interval between the starting and the stopping depends on length of the word or expression to be entered by the user.