AU2002300800B2

AU2002300800B2 - Apparatus and method for finger to finger typing

Info

Publication number: AU2002300800B2
Application number: AU2002300800A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Frank Zngf
Original assignee: Univ Nat Chung Hsing; National Chung Hsing University
Current assignee: National Chung Hsing University
Priority date: 2002-08-29
Filing date: 2002-08-29
Publication date: 2005-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 2022-08-29
Also published as: AU2002300800A1

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant: FRANK ZNGF Invention Title: APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FINGER TO FINGER TYPING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 Apparatus and Method for Finger to Finger Typing 2 3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 4 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device and input method for 6 an information processing system, and more particularly to a pair of gloves 7 mounted with key buttons used as a keyboard and a method of 8 ten-finger-typing for data input of a computer, a personal digital assistant, or a 9 cellular phone etc.

11 2. Description of Related Art 12 For input data to an information processing device such as a computer, 13 a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or the like, a keyboard is 14 commonly used. When the user presses a key on the keyboard, a corresponding signal will be sent to the information processing system so as to 16 input the corresponding function item. The keyboards for different devices 17 have* different sizes and different configurations, which provide different 18 function capacities and different levels of operability. But, among a variety of 19 full service keyboards, the conventional QWERTY keyboard is still currently the most popular one because of the users' habits and its relative good 21 performances in typing operability and typing speed.

22 23 However, the conventional QWERTY keyboard is bulky with a rigid 24 structure and needs a flat base with a large space, e.g. top of a desk, to place on.

1 The user is required to be close to-the base to type on, and it is inconvenient to 2 carry. To overcome the above restrictions, data gloves as virtual keyboards and 3 hand-held keyboards provide alternative solutions to mitigate or obviate the 4 aforementioned problems.

6 Instead of using only pressing keys for input, a glove virtual keyboard 7 senses the gesture of fingers, e.g. finger bendings, to decode input items. A 8 system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6304840 uses a data glove as a virtual 9 keyboard enabling ten-finger-typing. The bend angle at the proximal interphalangeal joint detected by a bending sensor is used to decode a particular 11 row of the keyboard. Each finger controls one or more columns. An 12 abduction/adduction .sensor is used to discriminate columns operated by the 13 same finger.

14 A hand held data entry system is a small apparatus, which is held in 16 user's hands for typing. A system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6288709 BI1, has a 17 housing with an upper surface and a lower surface on which multi-directional 18 keys are used to minimize finger movement.

19 Either with a glove virtual keyboard or a hand held keyboard, the 21 objective of away-from-desk typing is achieved, but typing is impossible to 22 place the apparatus on a desk top and typing function is serious hindered if 23 another object is held in hand at the same time.

24 I 3 SSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ;According to the invention there is provided a Sglove keyboard comprising: O 5 two glove bodies each formed with multiple glove fingers, Sone of the glove bodies having a plurality of 00 keys mounted only on the back face of each glove finger and for being worn on one hand of a user, and C1 0 wherein a user of the glove keyboard can use the fingers of one hand to activate the keys of the glove on c( the palm face of the glove worn on the opposite hand, and can use the fingers of the opposite hand to activate the keys on the back face of the glove worn on the first hand, and thereby enable keyboard functions to be provided to an information processing system..

Objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a plan view of an example of a preferred embodiment of a key arrangement on back face of right glove body of the glove keyboard worn on a user's right hand; Fig. 2 is a plan view of an example of a preferred embodiment of a key arrangement on palm face of left glove body of the glove keyboard on a user's left hand; Fig. 3 is an operational view of the hand gesture of a typing action, key-in of character for the finger-to-finger typing method of this example; and H:\Priyanka\Keep\speci\2002300800.doc 3/08/05 4 Q Fig. 4 is a top plan view of an embodiment which Sis placed on a desktop in preparation for typing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a glove keyboard Scomprises a right glove body (10) and a left glove body 00 The back face view of a right glove body (10) worn Son the right hand of a user is shown in Fig. 1, and the C 10 palm face view of a left glove body (12) worn

CI

H:\Priyanka\Keep\speci\2002300800.doc 3/08/05 1 on the left hand is shown in Fig. 2. Five glove fingers (102,122) are included in 2 each respective glove body so as to fit each of the hands of a user. With 3 reference to Figs. 1 and 2, each symbolic mark (20) on glove bodies represents 4 a key button pressing on a key button inputs a function item, either symbolic or functional, into an information processing system. A plurality of 6 key buttons (20) are mounted on the back face of each glove finger of the right 7 glove body, while other key buttons (20) on the palm face of each respective 8 glove finger of the left glove body.

9 The arrangement of keys on glove fingers in this embodiment is intended to enable a typing method very similar to the typing on the 11 conventional QWERTY keyboard so that people who are used to the 12 conventional keyboard would have no trouble transferring to using the 13 keyboard of this invention. The keys for inputting items in basic hand 14 positions on a conventional QWERTY keyboard, mostly alphabetic symbols, are mounted on fingers' middle phalanxes of the back face of the right glove 16 body and on proximal phalanxes of the palm face of the left glove body. Those 17 keys to be typed in with lateral movement of fingers on the conventional 18 QWERTY keyboard are mounted on each phalanx to add one more column of 19 keys such that two columns of keys are formed in each of those phalanxes. The numeric keys and functional keys are mounted on the middle phalanx of each 21 finger, excluding the thumb, of the palm face of the left glove body and on 22 proximal phalanxes of the back face of the right glove body. Keys of Ctrl, Alt 23 and Space bar are mounted on the back face of a phalanx of the right glove 1 thumb. Keys for cursor control and screen rolling are arranged on the palm face 2 of the left glove thumb.

3 With the above key arrangement, the glove keyboard can be worn on 4 hands for data input enabling finger-to finger ten-finger-typing. The preparation for typing on the glove keyboard with each of the fingertips resting on a 6 corresponding key (20) just can be like that for typing on a conventional 7 keyboard except that the keys are on the hands. For inputting a function item 8 into a computer, either a finger of the right hand is used to press a key, which is 9 mounted on the palm face of a phalanx of a corresponding finger of the left hand, or a finger of the left hand is used to press a key, which is mounted on the 11 back face of a phalanx of the corresponding finger of the right hand. An 12 operational example is shown in Fig. 3, where the middle finger of left hand is 13 pressing the key on the middle row of middle phalanx of the middle finger of ,14 the right hand to input a character For inputting characters and the same finger is used to press the keys, respectively, on the upper row and on the 16 lower row in the same phalanx of The actions of input for other items are 17 analogous in corresponding to those on a convention keyboard.

18 Because that the palm face of the right body is free from mounting 19 any functioning keys, a user may hold an object, e.g. a PDA or a pointer, in the right hand while the keys on the glove body are exposed on the back of fingers.

21 In such circumstances, typing operation with this worn-on keyboard is still 22 ergonomically applicable.

23 It may not all time comfortable or convenient for a user to wear a 6 7 Q) glove on hands. In such a case, the glove keyboard can be operated off hands. With reference to Fig. 4, the two ;glove bodies (10,12) are placed on a flat surface, as the top of a desk, with the right glove body (10) on the left hand side and fingers pointing toward the user, and with the left glove body (12) on the right hand side and Sfingers pointing away from the user. In such arrangement, 00 this glove keyboard can be seated on a flat place, e.g.

top of a desk, for typing.

SEven though numerous characteristics and CI advantages of the examples have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

For the purposes of this specification it will be clearly understood that the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and that the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

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Claims

2. A glove keyboard as claimed in claim i, wherein keys of alphabetic symbols are mounted on the back face of middle phalanxes of glove fingers of said one of the glove bodies, and on the palm face of proximal phalanxes of glove fingers of said other of the glove bodies.
3. A glove keyboard as claimed in claim i, wherein numeric keys and functional keys are mounted on the back face of proximal phalanxes of glove fingers of said one of the glove bodies, and on the palm face of middle phalanxes of glove fingers of said other of the glove bodies.
4. A method of inputting keyboard information to an information processing system using a glove keyboard as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, said method comprising: fitting said one of the glove bodies to a user's first hand and fitting said other of the glove bodies to the user's opposite hand, and using a finger of the user's first hand to activate a key on a palm face of the opposite hand, and H:\Priyanka\Keep\speci\2002300800.doc 3/08/05 9 Q using a finger of the user's opposite hand to activate a t3 key on the back face of the first hand. A glove keyboard as claimed in anyone of claims 1 O 5 to 3, and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 00 6. A method as claimed in claim 4, and substantially Sas herein described with reference to the accompanying C- 10 drawings. C- Dated this 3 rd day of August 2005 FRANK ZNGF By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia H:\Priyanka\Keep\speci\2002300800.doc 3/08/05