GB2239428A - Keyboard training aid. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus for training in the use of a keyboard (11) of a word processor system (10-14). The user wears a pair of gloves (15) with electrical means (16) at the fingertips coupled to the system (13) through its interface (19). The system detects (a) which key has been struck on the keyboard, and (b) finger has been used to strike the key. From this, it determines whether the key has been struck by the right finger, and signals when a wrong finger is used. A semi-dummy keyboard may be used, and the means for detecting which keys are operated need not distinguish between all possible keys. The electrical means (16) may be switches or contacts operating in conjunction with electrical overlays on the keyboard. The principles also apply to certain musical instruments with keyboards.

Description

Keyboard Trvairs ; Aid Aici The present invention relates to training aids for keyboards, and particularly though not exclusively to typewriter keyboards.

The acquisition of the art or skill of typing is a task requiring a considerable amount of time and practice, and it is important that the learner should not get into sloppy or bad habits (it is difficult to break such habits once acquired).

The traditional way of teaching typing relies to a large extent on personal instruction by the teacher. Obviously the learner will not normally be subject to continuous moment-to-moment supervision, and will sometimes have exercises to perform on their own, but any mistakes or errors will be noted rapidly, and so corrected rapidly.

This process is however expensive, and there is therefore pressure towards the development of training procedures which require less or even no supervision. Among these procedures there are various courses designed to run on general-purpose word processors. In these, the learner is required to type various passages, and the word processor contains a program which checks the correctness of the material being typed in and provides a visible and/or audible signal when a mistake is made.

One major feature of correct typing technique is using the right fingers for the right keys. The thumbs are generally not used for "character" keys (though they are used for the space bar). The remaining 8 fingers are used for the "character" keys (letters and numerals). These keys are divided into groups with a different finger generally being used for each group.

Word processor training programs designed to teach the correct use of the fingers. either for e beginner or to teach hunt-and-peck or two-finger typists to use the correct fingering, are available. These use carefully chosen training sequences in which, for example, the fingers are first exercised individually and then their use in combination is gradually developed. Thus the opportunity to use sloppy fingering does not arise until the habit of correct fingering has become well established. With personal supervision, the correct use of the fingers can of course be checked directly by the teacher.

With word processor training programs, however, there is no direct feedback checking that the correct fingers are being used for the keys. It might be possible to monitor the timings of the key strokes to detect timing patterns corresponding to incorrect fingerings, but that would be a delicate and errorprone task. With personal training, incorrect fingering will only be detected during supervised sessions; it will not be detected during solo practice sessions.

There is therefore a need for improved typing training systems in which incorrect fingering is detected more efficiently.

Accordingly the present invention provides keyboard training apparatus comprising e keyboard, means for detecting which keys are operated, means (including means carried by the fingers of the trainee) for determining which fingers have been used to strike the keys, and means for indicating when a key has been struck by an incorrect finger. The means for detecting which keys are operated need not distinguish between all possible keys. The means carried by the fingers of the trainee may comprise a pair of gloves.

The primary application of this system is to typing. However, it will be realized that it is also applicable to other types of keyboard, such as those used for certain kinds of musical instrument. The keys may of course be unmarked, or be marked in Braille or with other suitable symbols.

In its application to typing, the apparatus may in one form comprise a word processor and a pair of gloves having separate switching means carried on each finger. In another form, the apparatus may comprise a substantially dummy keyboard and an overlay sheet which cooperates with the gloves (bearing conductive pads on alternate fingers) to discriminate between different fingers used for striking, and between different groups of keys. The overlay conductive areas of the overlay may consist of a pattern of parallel tracks connected in two interleeved groups; no connection to the gloves is then required.

Further aspects and features of the invention will become apparent trom the following more detailed description of various embodiments thereof, given by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a simplified partial diagram of a word processor system; and Fig. 2 is a similar diagram of a semi-dummy keyboard system.

Referring to Fig. 1, the word processor comprises a keyboard 10 with keys 11, and a monitor 12 supported on a processor unit 13 to which the keyboard 10 is connected by a cable 14. A pair of gloves 15 (shown palm up) has ten pressure sensitive switches 16 mounted one on the tip of each finger and thumb as shown, and connected by wires mounted on the surface of the gloves to a pair of connectors 17. A pair of cables 18 are coupled to the connectors 17 and to the interface connector 19 of the processor unit 13.

The word processor performs the usual processing of the characters typed in on the keyboard 10. In addition, it monitors the signals on the cables 18 to determine which finger has been. used for each character. It also includes, for each finger, a table or listing of the group of characters which ought to be typed by that finger. For each character typed, it compares the character actually typed with the listing of characters for the finger which actually typed the character. (For normal typing and alphabetic characters, there is only one finger which ought to be used to type any given letter, but obviously the same character can appear in more than one group of characters.) If the actual character is one of those which should be typed by that finger, it takes no action, but if the character typed should not have been typed by that finger, it gives a suitable alarm signal.The signal may be an audible beep; it may conveniently be accompanied by an error message displayed ont the screen, stating what the character was and which finger it ought to have been typed by. A different audible signal may be produced when a character has been struck by the correct finger.

Referring now to Fig. 2, 25 is e semi-dummy keyboard. The term "semi- dummy" means that it does not control a word processor or typewriter (whether electric or electronic), but it includes sufficient switching means to detect when a key has been struck (though not necessarily to determine precisely which key has been struck). The keys of the keyboard are divided into two zones 2i and 28 which feed respective lines 33 and 34 so that when a key is struck, the appropriate line is energized.

The keyboard 25 has laid over it a flexible cover 26 which has e conductive surface. A peir of gloves 29 (shown palm up) has four conductive pads 30 formed on four of the fingers es shown. A control unit 31 is connected by lines 32 to 35 to the keyboard 25, the conductive overlay 26, end the conductive pads 30 on the gloves as indiceted. The unit 31 includes a small speeker (not shown) or feeds a headphone or eerpiece (not shown).

The conductive pads 30 on the gloves 29 are so arranged thet when the hands are held in the normal typing position, the pads are on alternate ones of the eight fingers (excluding thumbs) used for typing. The zones 27 and 28 of the keyboard 25 are so arranged that one zone includes all the keys which should be struck by fingers with pads on them, and the other conteins ell the keys which should be struck by fingers without pads. In other words, fingers with conductive pads should be used exclusively to strike keys in the zone 27, and: fingers without conductive pads should be used exclusively to strike keys in the zone 28.

In operation, the control unit detects when a key has been struck, by the signal on line 33 or 34, and whether one of the fingers with conductive pads has been used to strike a key, by whether a circuit is completed from line 35 to line 32. Also, if one of the fingers with conductive pads has been used to strike a key, it detects which of the two zones 27 and 28 has been struck.The control unit can therefore detect whether there has been any mis-fingering: if a key in zone 27 hes been struck by a finger without a conductive pad, or a key in zone 28 hes been struck by a finger with a conductive pad, then the wrong finger has been used or the wrong key struck. (It is assumed that if an error occurs, it will be the striking of a key adjacent to the one desired, or the use of the finger adjacent to the one which should be used.) It will be evident that many variations are possible on the two systems described.

For example, the overlay 26 mey be formed with a pettern of parallel tracks connected in two interleaved groups. The four conductive pads on the fingers of the gloves will then form a connection between the two groups of tracks. The discrimination between the two sets of fingers (with and without conductive pads) can thus be achieved without requiring any connection to the gloves.

The conductive areas may be formed by conductive foam, and/or membrane switch technology may be used.

The overlay and gloves of the Fig. 2 type can of course be used in conjunction with a "real" keyboard of a word processor. For this, the word processor is preferably used to perform the functions of the control unit 31, with the overlay being coupled to the word processor.via a conventional interface. The word processor and keyboard combination is obviously able to detect when a key has been struck. The same system can be used with an electric or electronic typewriter provided that it is possible to obtain from the typewriter suitable signals indicating which keys have been struck. If that is not possible, then the overlay can be elaborated (e.g. by including pressure-sensitive zones), or e second overlay provided, for such detection.

The overlay technique can also be elaborated by providing separate connections to each key area in the overlay, and by providing the gloves with separately energized pads on each finger. This makes the system more like that shown in Fig. 1.

The fingers of the gloves may be differently coloured, and the keyboard may be correspondingly coloured, to provide visual assistance in indicating which fingers should be used for which keys. Individual finger covers such as thimbles may be used instead of full gloves; if that is done, then the use of colouring is particularly useful in helping to ensure that each thimble is put on the proper finger.

For training end practice purposes, it may not be essential to provide a full keyboard, but only one including the alphabetic keys, i.e. without the numeric keys forming the top line of a standard. keyboard. With the alphabetic keys, the keys ere grouped according to which finger is used for them, and the apparatus does not need to distinguish between the individual keys of a group.

With such an arrangement, it is obvious that a visual indicetion of the key struck cannot be produced. If the numeric keys are included, the grouping of the keys may be elaborated to allow certain keys to be struck by more than one finger.

It is also possible to utilize other means for detecting when a key has been struck and which finger has been used. For example, the fingers of the gloves may have small magnets ettached to them, giving alternate polarities (N and S) to alternate fingers, and a dummy keyboard constructed in which each key includes a polarity-detecting magnetic switch. Another possibility is to colour the ends of the fingers of the gloves, and to provide each key with means, such as a set of LEDs and a photodetector, to determine the colour of the finger depressing it. (The colour detecting means would preferably operate only when the key is depressed.) It will also be realized that, as in the Fig. 1 system, the switches can be provided on the gloves rather than on the keyboard. Other sensing and detecting techniques, such as capacitive, could also be used.

Claims (10)

Clai ms

1 Keyboard training apparatus comprising a keyboard, means for detecting which keys are operated, means (including means carried by the fingers of a trainee) for determining which fingers have been used to strike the keys, end means for indicating when a key has been struck by an incorrect finger.

2 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for detecting which keys are operated distinguish only between groups of keys.

3 Apparatus according to either previous claim wherein the means carried by the fingers of the trainee comprise a pair of gloves.

4 Apparatus according to any previous claim wherein the means carried by the fingers of the trainee include switching elements mounted at the ends of the fingers.

5 Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the means carried by the fingers of the treinee comprise conductive pads and the keyboard has a conductive overlay.

6 Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the conductive pads are energized.

7 Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the conductive overlay comprises a pattern of parallel tracks connected in two interleaved groups and bridgeable by the conductive pads.

8 Apparatus according to any previous claim and further comprising a word processor.

9 Apparatus according to any one of cleims 1, to 7 wherein the keys of the keyboard are connected in groups according to which fingers they should be struck by.

10 Keyboerd training apparatus substantially as herein described and illustrated.