WO2010133864A2

WO2010133864A2 - Keyboards

Info

Publication number: WO2010133864A2
Application number: PCT/GB2010/050799
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Baker
Original assignee: Crocodile Keyboards Limited
Priority date: 2009-05-19
Filing date: 2010-05-18
Publication date: 2010-11-25
Also published as: GB0908570D0; WO2010133864A3

Abstract

A key-board (1 ) comprising a key array (2) wherein the keys (4) are arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows or ranks (3) with the keys in one rank or row being staggered from those in adjacent rows or ranks, and wherein the keys (4) are each of substantially triangular shape and oriented similarly to leave substantially triangular gaps (7) between the keys, and which gaps (7) together define marginal areas surrounding each key (4) and that are of twice the height and width of the keys.

Description

KEYBOARDS

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The invention relates to key-boards and the like key operated mechanisms, including key-boards comprising an array of physically separate keys and key-pads where the array of keys is formed by, or displayed on, an integral member, e.g. a touch sensitive screen or panel. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the large class of key-pads that are smaller than a conventional full-sized key-board that are commonly used with desk-top computers and the like. Such small key-pads are common on hand-held electronics devices such as palm-top computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) mobile 'phones and portable computer devices such as laptop computers.

Background art

The well-known conventional key-board is sized to conform to the average size of the human fingertip and overall hand size and substantially smaller key-pads are not readily capable of being operated with ease and facility because the keys are small compared to the size of the human fingertip and because the keys are packed closely together. Often key entry into small key-pads is accomplished by the use of a single finger and even so it often happens that the finger unintentionally strikes two keys simultaneously.

Disclosure of invention

According to the invention a key-pad comprises a key array wherein the keys are arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows or ranks with the keys in one rank or row being staggered from those in adjacent rows or ranks, and wherein the keys are each of substantially triangular shape and being similar and oriented similarly to leave substantially triangular marginal areas surrounding the keys that are of twice the height and width of the keys. A substantially triangular key may be a strictly geometric triangle or may be an approximately triangular figure in the sense that one or more of the sides of the triangle are curved concavely or convexly, and/or in that the corners of the triangle are rounded. Alternatively a substantially triangular key may be defined by a figure in which three corners of a triangle are defined, e.g. by small dots. The main area of a key defined by the three dots may be of any desired shape, e.g. a circular shape. Alternatively a triangular shape may be represented by a circular shape from which protrudes three equi-spaces projections which define the corners of the triangle.

Preferably the keys are arranged to contrast with the marginal areas, e.g. in colour.

The keys may be equilateral triangles and they may each be arranged with a top side arranged horizontally. The staggering between adjacent rows or ranks is preferably such that the corners of keys in adjacent rows or ranks are closely adjacently disposed. The spacing of keys in each row is preferably such that two corners of each key are close to adjacent keys.

The key array may be a conventional QWERTY array.

The keys may all be of a similar or identical size and/or shape.

The key-pad may comprise a panel or screen surface having touch sensitive areas identified by key shapes displayed on the surface. The displayed key shapes may be square whereas the corresponding touch sensitive areas are substantially triangular and arranged as defined above.

From another aspect, the invention is a substantially triangular key for a key-pad of the kind defined above.

From a further aspect, the invention comprises electronic apparatus comprising a keyboard as defined above.

The invention further provides processor control code to implement the above- described systems and methods. The code may be provided on a carrier such as a disk, CD- or DVD-ROM, programmed memory such as non-volatile memory (eg Flash) or read-only memory (Firmware). Code (and/or data) to implement embodiments of the invention may comprise source, object or executable code in a conventional programming language (interpreted or compiled) such as C, or assembly code. As the skilled person will appreciate such code and/or data may be distributed between a plurality of coupled components in communication with one another.

Brief description of drawings

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a plan view of a standard-sized key-board showing on the right-hand side a conventional key arrangement and on the left-hand side a preferred key arrangement of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a key-board that is smaller than the standard size key-board and which shows an alternative key layout; Figures 3a to 3d show various alternative key shapes in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 4 is a view of a keyboard showing how alternative layouts can be substituted electronically, and Figure 5 is a block diagram of the electronic device shown in Figure 4.

Best modes for carrying out the invention

In the drawings, and referring particularly to Figure 1 , there is shown a standard-sized key-board 1 having a key array 2 laid out in the standard QWERTY form. Thus the keys 4 in the array are arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows or ranks 3 and with the keys in one row or rank staggered from those in adjacent rows or ranks. It will be noted that on the key-board is split diagonally along line A-A so that on the right-hand side the key array is generally conventional in form with generally square shaped keys that are closely packed together. In practice it is usual to make the edges of the keys slightly bevelled or inwardly tapered to leave a small margin surrounding each key.

On the left-hand side of the key-board the keys 4 in the key array 2 are each generally triangular in form. They are all shaped as identical equilateral triangles and are all oriented similarly with their respective apices 5 at the bottom and with their respective opposite sides 6 at the top and horizontally disposed. The keys are packed closely together with two corners adjacent at the top and with the bottom corner adjacent to the top corners of keys in the rank or row below. Thus the keys in adjacent rows or ranks are staggered so that each key is surrounded by the triangular gaps 7 between keys whereby each key is surrounded by a substantially triangular marginal area defined by three triangular gaps 7 and which marginal area is twice the height and twice the width of each key 4. In this way the chances of a finger accidentally striking two adjacent keys is greatly reduced without any increase in key-board size or apparent decrease in key size. The keys are preferably arranged to contrast with the marginal area by making the keys of a contrasting colour to that of the background marginal area, e.g. white and black respectively.

Where the key-board comprises a touch sensitive key-pad, such as where the key array is formed on a panel or screen, the key shapes displayed on the panel may be generally conventional, e.g. as shown on the right-hand side of Figure 1 , whereas the touch sensitive areas associated with the individual keys are triangular, e.g. as shown on the left-hand side of Figure 1 . In this way, the benefit of the invention is gained while using an apparently conventional key array.

In Figure 2, there is shown a small key-board, e.g. of a PDA or the like, generally similar to that shown on the left-hand side of Figure 1 , but whereas in Figure 1 the corners of the keys are rounded, in Figure 2 the keys are strict geometrical equilateral triangles in shape.

In Figures 3a to 3d, there are shown various different generally triangular shapes of individual keys for a key-board as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thus in Figure 3a the sides of each generally triangular key are convexly curved. In addition the triangular keys are disposed with their apices uppermost, in contrast with the keys shown in Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 3b, the sides of each key are concavely curved. In Figure 3c, each key is defined by three circular dots arranged to form the corners of a triangle, with a larger circle disposed within and substantially filling the space defined by the group of three dots to define the centre of the key. In Figure 3d a generally triangular key shape is formed by a circular figure with three equi-spaced projections defining the corners.

In Figure 4 there is shown a hand-held electronic device, for example a personal digital assistant (PDA) 8 comprising a rectangular casing 9 comprising a screen area 10 including a keyboard array 2 of the general kind described above and arranged in four horizontal rows 3. As shown the key array displayed is a QWERTY array arranged in the top three rows with a space bar in the bottom row. In use, the QWERTY display may be replaced by a sideways swipe to introduce a symbol array 1 1 as shown on the left or a numerical array 12 as shown on the right. It will be seen that in this arrangement only the top three rows of the array are replaceable and that the bottom row remains the same in all three layouts.

It will also be noted that the screen array can be displaced vertically by an upwards or downwards swipe to display a screen +set-up array 13 as shown above the QWERTY array and in which the colours of the keys or buttons and the letters or other symbols and the background may be chosen as desired.

The electronic device may incorporate the keyboard described above at point of sale. Alternatively, as is increasingly common, the keyboard may be downloaded as an application for the electronic device. As shown in Figure 5 the hand-held electronic device of Figure 4 comprises a processor 18 controlling the touch sensitive display 20 on which the keyboard is visible. The processor 18 is connected to a communications module 16 which is connected in conventional way via the internet to an application store 22. The code for the keyboard is downloaded from the store 22 and stored in memory 14 connected to the processor. Within the processor, the keyboard code interacts with the operating system code of the device to provide the keyboard on the screen. In particular, the keyboard code, when running on the processor, may be configured so that the device displays generally conventional key shapes which are associated with generally triangular touch sensitive areas.

Industrial utility

An advantage of a key-board of the present invention as shown in the accompanying drawings is that it permits a substantial reduction in the overall key-board size while maintaining the effective size of the individual keys as near as possible to that of a standard key-board, thus improving the ergonomics of a reduced-size key-board.

No doubt many other effective alternatives will occur to the skilled person. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments and encompasses modifications apparent to those skilled in the art lying within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1 . A key-board (1 ) comprising a key array (2) wherein the keys (4) are arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows or ranks (3) with the keys in one rank or row being staggered from those in adjacent rows or ranks, and wherein the keys (4) are each of substantially triangular shape and oriented similarly to leave substantially triangular gaps (7) between the keys, and which gaps (7) together define marginal areas surrounding each key (4) and that are of twice the height and width of the keys.

2. A key-board as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substantially triangular keys (4) are of an approximately triangular figure in the sense that one or more of the sides of the triangle are curved concavely or convexly, and/or in that the corners of the triangle are rounded.

3. A key-board as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each substantially triangular key (4) is defined by a figure in which three corners of the triangle are defined, e.g. by small dots.

4. A key-board as claimed in claim 3, wherein a major portion of the area of the key (4) defined by the three dots comprises a circular shape.

5. A key-board as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each triangular key shape is represented by a circular shape from which protrudes three spaced projections which define the corners of the triangle.

6. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the keys (4) are arranged to contrast with the marginal gaps (7), e.g. in colour.

7. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the keys are equilateral triangles.

8. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the triangular keys (4) are arranged with a top side arranged horizontally.

9. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the staggering of the keys (4) between adjacent rows or ranks (3) is such that the corners of keys in adjacent rows or ranks are closely adjacently disposed.

10. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the spacing of the keys in each row is such that two corners of each key are close to the corners of adjacent keys.

1 1. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the key array is a QWERTY array.

12. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the keys are all of a similar or the same size.

13. A key-board as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the key-pad comprises a panel or screen surface having touch sensitive areas identified by key shapes displayed on the surface and with corresponding touch sensitive areas that are substantially triangular.

14. A key-board as claimed in claim 13, wherein the key shapes displayed on the surface are square.

15. A substantially triangular key for a key-pad of the kind claimed in any preceding claim.

16. Electronic apparatus comprising a key-board as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14.

17. Electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the apparatus is portable or hand held.