JP2001175392A - Keyboard for portable information equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable operation of keys only with thumbs of both hands by holding portable information equipment with palms of both hands. SOLUTION: This keyboard for portable information equipment is integrally provided to the portable information equipment to input data to the portable information equipment and key arrangement on the basis of QWERTY arrangement is totally performed on the approximately rectangular keyboard surface. All keys are divided into two groups as the ones to be depressed by the thumb of the left hand and the ones to be depressed by the thumb of the right hand. All keys are arranged along each arc of plural concentric circles centering around the vicinity of both ends of one long side of the approximately rectangular keyboard surface. The keys are arranged in an area where the thumbs naturally move and the keys are eliminated from places where the thumbs are especially hard to reach.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard for a portable information device, and more particularly to a keyboard for a portable information device based on a QWERTY arrangement that can be held by both hands and all keys can be operated only with the thumb. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a portable information device, for example, a handy terminal as a communication tool for performing interactive communication with a master unit is known. Such a keyboard as information input means to a portable information device inherits the shape characteristics of a personal computer or a large computer keyboard, and is used as it is miniaturized.

[0003] However, portable information devices are often used while the user is standing, and an input method in which the device is held with the palms of both hands and a key is pressed with the thumb is effective. There are many. A normal keyboard that is configured to perform input using all the fingers of both hands is not suitable for holding the device with the palms of both hands and pressing a key with only the thumb.

For this reason, conventionally, a key arrangement suitable for inputting while holding the device has been proposed. FIG.
1 shows a configuration of a handheld terminal disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-102911. Main unit 1
Has an arcuate outline on the left and right sides, and has a lower surface serving as a hook for contact with the middle finger, and a key line 11 for a left index finger and a key array 12 for a right index finger on the upper surface.
Are arranged on the left and right, respectively. The key rows 4 for the left thumb and the key row 5 for the right thumb are arranged in a fan shape, and are arranged on the left and right sides of the main body 1.
In the figure, reference numeral 13 denotes a hand band for fixing the left hand holding the main body 1 to the main body 1.

As described above, in the proposed handheld terminal, the key rows 4, 5, 11, and 12 are arranged along the movable range of the finger which can be moved while holding the main body 1. All key operations can be performed while holding the held hands.

[0006] However, the proposed handheld terminal uses an incompatible exclusive key arrangement of exclusive use and is not a general one. Further, the configuration is not based on the premise that the user inputs with only the thumbs of both hands, and is not suitable for such use.

[0007]

As described above, the number of users who operate portable information devices with both thumbs is increasing, as described above.
There is a need for a key arrangement for smooth thumb operation. However, on the other hand, users have a general QW
If you are accustomed to the ERTY sequence and are completely different from the ERTY sequence, it is difficult to use.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a general QWERTY
It is an object of the present invention to make the size and shape of the keyboard as small as possible while keeping the layout as a base, and not to hinder the miniaturization of portable information devices.

It is another object of the present invention to hold a portable information device in the palm of both hands so that keys can be operated only by thumbs of both hands.

[0010]

A keyboard for a portable information device according to the present invention is provided integrally with the portable information device for inputting data to the portable information device, and has a generally rectangular shape. A key layout based on the QWERTY layout is provided on the keyboard surface. All keys are divided into two groups: those to be pressed with the left thumb and those to be pressed with the right thumb. All keys are arranged along respective arcs of a plurality of concentric circles centered near both ends of one long side of the substantially rectangular keyboard surface. The keys are placed in a range where the thumb moves naturally, and the keys are excluded from places where the thumb is particularly difficult to reach.

All keys are arranged inside the arc drawn by the tip of the thumb with the portable information device held with both hands and the thumb straight, and from the part near the base of the thumb where the thumb is difficult to reach. Has been eliminated.

Further, four cursor keys may be arranged to indicate left, right, up, and down movements with the circumferential direction of the arc to which the thumb moves as the left and right direction, and the direction perpendicular to it as the up and down direction.

Further, each key shape may be an oval which is oblong in the circumferential direction of the arc on which the thumb moves.

Further, one modifier key and one space key can be arranged on each side.

[0015]

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of use of a portable information device. The illustrated portable information device is a normal one except for the keyboard arrangement, and includes a main body 1 and a cover 2 having a display screen 3. A keyboard, which is a feature of the present invention, is mounted on the surface of the main body 1, and inside the main body 1, in accordance with ordinary techniques
An electronic device is mounted on the control board, and a data input / output means is attached and electrically connected to each other. The keyboard is also electrically connected according to conventional techniques.

The cover 2 of the illustrated portable information device is configured to be openable as shown in the drawing when in use, but is foldable when not in use. The cover unit 2 is provided with a display screen 3 formed of a liquid crystal display device according to a usual technique.

As shown in the figure, such a portable information device is assumed to be used while being held in the palms of both hands of a user. In such a method of use, a keyboard characterized by the present invention is used. Has a configuration in which the keys can be operated only with the thumbs of both hands. Such a keyboard of the present invention will be further described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram exemplifying an arrangement of a keyboard for a portable information device to which the present invention is applied. The key arrangement itself is based on a general QWERTY arrangement so that the user can easily memorize the key position. However, in a general QWERTY arrangement, when the user holds the portable information device in the palm of both hands, the key exists in a range that the thumb cannot reach. Note that the lower side in the figure is the front side when the portable information device is held, and the cover 2 is foldably coupled to the upper side in the figure.

In the illustrated keyboard, the corners are rounded. However, in order to realize a key arrangement that can be smoothly operated with both thumbs on a generally rectangular surface as a whole, the keyboard is located within a range where the thumbs naturally move. Keys are placed and keys are excluded from places where thumbs are particularly difficult to reach. However, the power switch 8 is arranged at the upper center (cover side) where the thumb cannot reach so as not to be operated by mistake.

All keys are arranged in two groups, one to be pushed with the left thumb and one to be pushed with the right thumb. Each is placed inside the arc drawn by the tip of the thumb with the thumb straight. In addition, all keys are arranged along respective arcs of a plurality of concentric circles drawn by the tip of the thumb. In the illustrated arrangement, there are five concentric circles for each of the left and right hands, and the arc of the outermost concentric circle is indicated by reference numeral 9 in the figure.
The center of the concentric circle is located near the base of the thumb when the device is held by both hands, as shown in the figure, which is at both ends of one long side (front side when held by both hands) of the substantially rectangular keyboard. Close to the club. The cursor keys 10 arranged vertically, horizontally, and vertically and horizontally are not arranged vertically, horizontally, and horizontally with respect to the keyboard. 4 cursor keys 1 with the direction to move up and down
0 is placed.

A key is not arranged at a portion near the base of the thumb, which is difficult to reach at the tip of the thumb. The shape of the key is a horizontally long oval, and is arranged at an angle corresponding to the circumferential direction of the arc to which the thumb moves. The reason why the key shape is a horizontally long oval is that the key arrangement surface cannot be enlarged due to the demand for miniaturization of the keyboard. It fulfills both the need to prevent accidental depression and the requirement to keep the key surface area too small so that the thumb surface of the key is not squeezed.

Modifier key 7 (Shift, A
lt, Ctl, etc.) are arranged one by one on the left and right. Since the modifier keys are used at the same time as other keys, the operation of the modifier keys cannot be fixed to either the right hand or the left hand thumb. The most frequently used space keys 6 are also arranged one by one on the left and right.

The keyboard arranged in this way corresponds to an arrangement in which a normal computer keyboard is bent into a V shape and separated into right and left.

[0024]

The keyboard for portable information equipment of the present invention is
While doing the key layout based on the QWERTY layout, all keys are divided into two groups, one to be pressed with the left thumb and the other to be pressed with the right thumb, and a concentric arc centered near the base of the thumb Because they are arranged along
There is an effect that a familiar key arrangement can be operated with only both thumbs.

Further, the present invention makes it possible to reduce the size and shape of the keyboard as much as possible, despite the fact that it is based on a general QWERTY arrangement, and to reduce the size of portable information equipment. .

Further, the key arrangement of the present invention has an effect of making the aspect ratio of a short and long keyboard shape closer to 1: 1, which is advantageous when it is desired to reduce the width of the whole apparatus. Further key pitch in the horizontal direction (key-to-key spacing)
It is also effective to secure.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram exemplifying an arrangement of a keyboard for a portable information device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a use state of a portable information device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a handheld terminal having a key arrangement according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body part 2 Cover part 3 Display screen 4 Key row for the left thumb 5 Key row for the right thumb 6 Space key 7 Modifier key 8 Power switch 9 Arc 10 Cursor key 11 Key row for the left index finger 12 Key row for the right index finger 13 Hand band

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yuichi Yawata 98 No. Unoki-nu, Unoki-cho, Hebei-gun, Ishikawa Prefecture F-term Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5B019 DA10 5B020 CC12 DD12

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard integrally provided in a portable information device for inputting data to the portable information device, wherein a keyboard arrangement based on a QWERTY arrangement is provided on a generally rectangular keyboard surface, All keys are divided into two groups, one to be pressed with the left thumb and the other to be pressed with the right thumb, and all the keys are divided into a plurality of groups, each centered on both ends of one long side of the substantially rectangular keyboard surface. A keyboard for a portable information device, wherein keys are arranged in a range where the thumb naturally moves by arranging the arcs along concentric circles, and keys are excluded from places where the thumb is particularly difficult to reach. 2. All the keys are arranged inside an arc drawn by the tip of the thumb with the portable information device held by both hands and the thumb straight, and a portion near the base of the thumb that is difficult for the thumb to reach. 2. The keyboard for a portable information device according to claim 1, wherein a key is removed from the keyboard. 3. The cursor keys include four keys indicating left, right, up, and down movements with the circumferential direction of the arc to which the thumb moves as the left-right direction and the direction perpendicular to it as the up-down direction. Keyboard for portable information devices described in. 4. The portable information device keyboard according to claim 1, wherein each key shape is an oblong shape that is oblong in a circumferential direction of an arc on which the thumb moves. 5. The portable information device keyboard according to claim 1, wherein one modifier key and one space key are arranged on left and right sides.