GB2266274A

GB2266274A - Keyboard with keys which have multi-direction movement modes.

Info

Publication number: GB2266274A
Application number: GB9208108A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Kenneth Woolnough
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-04-13
Filing date: 1992-04-13
Publication date: 1993-10-27
Also published as: GB9208108D0

Abstract

A keypad for the input of data comprises a multiplicity of keys, each for operation by a respective finger of the user, wherein the keys are so arranged that each can be moved in at least two different directions to signal a discrete respective character according to the direction in which the key is moved. <IMAGE>

Description

Keypads for the input of data This invention relates to keypads for data input and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to keypads for use in computer equipment, a word processor or an electronic typewriter.

It is well-known that a typewriter keyboard of conventional form has a number of problems associated with it. The layout of the keys was originally designed to slow down the user since the early mechanical mechanisms would not operate successfully at high speed.

That was achieved by the spacing of the keys, by placing keys that are used frequently in awkward positions, for example the letter "a" is operated by the little finger, and by making frequently used combinations of letters lie far apart on the keyboard. A consequence of the arrangement of the conventional keyboard is that the hands and fingers are put under strain.

With the advent of electric and electronic typewriters, the restriction on speed was no longer important and fast typing speeds became desirable and attainable. As a consequence the user's hands are now put under even greater stress and strain because high speed operation is added to the awkwardness of the conventional keyboard arrangement.

Many users of typewriters and similar keyboards now find themselves prone to repetitive strain injury.

It is an object of the invention to provide a keypad for the input of data that has less tendency to cause repetitive strain injury to the user.

The present invention provides a keypad for data input, the key pad comprising a multiplicity of keys, each for operation by a respective finger of the user, wherein the keys are so arranged that each can be moved in at least two different directions to signal a respective character according to the direction in which the key is moved.

Because each key can be moved in at least two directions to signal a respective character according to the direction in which the key is moved, the fingers of the user do not have to move between different keys to obtain those characters. Thus, there is less strain put upon the hand and fingers of the user.

Preferably, the keys are arranged to move in two directions substantially at right angles to each other to signal respective characters. Such an arrangement provides a clear distinction between the directions in which the user has to move a key.

Preferably, the keys are arranged to move in first, second and third directions to signal respective characters and the first and third directions are opposite directions along a common path. By that means each key can be used for three separate characters and yer one m!ovements r-qui red by the user C quite simple.

Preferably, the keys are recessed deeply within a housing of the keypad so that, in use, the hand of a user abuts the housing and the fingers assume a bent state in touching the keys, the keys being arranged in plan according to the positions of the fingertips when the fingers are bent. Such a keypad enables the hand to be maintained in a comfortable relaxed position during use.

Advantageously, the keypad is arranged for use with the user's hand positioned palm downwards above it with the fingers bent, and one of the said directions is downwards and another, or the other, direction corresponds to drawing the fingers in towards the palm.

Such an arrangement allows the hand to be held and used in a very natural way.

Advantageously, the keypad is arranged for use with the user's hand positioned palm downwards above it with the fingers bent, and one of the said directions is downwards and another, or the other, direction corresponds to moving the fingers out away from the palm.

Again, such an arrangement allows the hand to be used in a very natural way.

Preferably, the keys are biased to return to a neutral position. Such an arrangement saves the user from having to hold a key in a neutral position when no character is to be signalled for a particular key.

Advantageously, a respective switch contact is provided to signal each direction of motion Such a arrangement allows a particularly simple form of construction and signalling.

Advantageously, at least one key is arranged to provide two different signals for at least one direction of movement according to the pressure applied by the user to the key. Such an arrangement enables the number of different characters a key can signal to be increased.

Advantageously, at least one key is arranged to provide two different signals for each direction of movement according to the pressure applied in that direction by the user to the key. Such an arrangement provides a further increase in the number of different characters a key can signal.

Advantageously, means are provided to detect the actuation by the user of combinations of keys and provide a respective signal for each combination detected. Such an arrangement enables the number of characters which the keys are able to signal to be increased.

The number of keys provided may be ten arranged as a respective group of five keys for each of the left and right hands. In that case, both hands of the user are placed on the one keypad which then constitutes a keyboard for the two hands.

The number of keys provided may be five. In that case, the keypad may be used on its own, so leaving the user with one hand free. Such an arrangement, may be ised, eor example, for number, as opposed to text, try or it may be used for text entry where the above mentioned ways of increasing the number of characters the keypad can signal are adopted to the extent necessary to provide all the characters desired.

A keyboard may comprise two separate keypads according to the invention, each for operation by a respective hand of the user. Such an arrangement does not require the user's two hands to be in a fixed positional relation to each other, so allowing the user to chose the most comfortable way of arranging the two keypads.

A computer, word processor or typewriter may include a keypad or keyboard according to the invention.

By way of example only, keypads constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a keyboard constituted by two five-key keypads in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional drawing of a key of a keypad, showing electrical contacts associated with the key; Figure 3 is a view of a mounting of the key shown in Figure 2 in a view at right angles to the section of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a double-touch contact; Figure 5 shows a circuit for combining the outputs of the contacts of two different keys; and Figure 6 is an outline block diagram of an electronic typewriter including a keyboard in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a keyboard 1 constituted by a first keypad 2 for the left hand of a user and a second keypad 3 for the right hand of the user. The keypads 2 and 3 can be positioned independently of each other to suit the comfort of the user. Each keypad has five keys K1, K2, K3, K4 and K5 for actuation by respectively the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of the hand in question. The keys are so arranged as to lie beneath the tips of the fingers of the hand held in a relaxed and natural position with the fingers bent. Each keypad 2, 3 has a respective electrical cable 4 terminating in respective electrical connector 5 for connecting the keypads to the circuitry of a computer, word processor, typewriter or other such device.

The keys K1 to KS are each mounted so as to be movable in each of three directions, namely, downwards, away from the palm of the user (represented by the arrows A) and towards the palm of the user (represented by the arrows T). The top of each key is marked (not shown in the drnwJngs} ri) ±he characters to be produced by t actuation of that key.

The construction of a keypad is shown in greater detail in Figures 2 and 3. The key K (which represents any one of the keys K1 to K5) comprises a key shaft 6, a key cap 7, and a pivotable mounting 8 for the key shaft 6, each of those elements being made from moulded plastics material. The key shaft 6 is of circular crosssection and is slidably mounted in a corresponding aperture in the mounting 8. The lower end of the key shaft 6 is constituted by two legs 9 and 10 with a respective retaining lug, 11, 12, at the end of each.

The legs 9 and 10 are squeezed together against their own resiliency during assembly to permit the lugs 11 and 12 to enter the mounting 8.

The mounting 8 is square in plan and comprises a body portion 13 from the lower end of which two mounting legs 14 and 15 project as is best seen in Figure 3.

The upper end of the key shaft 6 projects above the mounting 8 and terminates in a flange 16 and a mounting post 17, of cruciform section, for the key cap 7. A compression spring 18 encircles the key shaft 6 and acts between the flange 16 and the body portion 13 to bias the key shaft upwardly out of the mounting 8, the lugs 11 and 12, however, serving to hold the key shaft captive within the mounting.

The key cap 7 has an inner surface shaped to fit tightly on the post 17 and a deeply recessed upper surface to facilitate movement of the key away and towards the palm of the user.

The keys of each key pad are contained within a housing of plastics material comprising a base portion 19 and an upper portion 20. As shown, the keys are deeply recessed within the upper portion 20 so that the upper portion provides support for the hand of the user.

Instead, however, the top of each key may project above a generally flat upper portion.

The legs 14 and 15 of the pivotable mounting 8 each carry a respective outwardly facing pin 21 and 22 received in a respective bearing block 23 and 24 integrally formed on the base portion 19. During assembly, the legs 14 and 15 are squeezed together against their own resiliency to permit the pins to enter the bearing block.

A pair of curved resilient metal contact elements 25 and 26 are symmetrically placed to return the key to a central or neutral position but when the key is moved in one or other of the directions indicated by the arrows T and A the corresponding contact element 25 or 26 is displaced to make electrical contact with a respective one of two fixed contact elements 27 and 28.

A resilient contact 29 with a contact 30 is mounted beneath the key shaft 6 and is displaceable on depression of the key so as to make contact with a fixed contact 31.

The - rartous contact elements are mounted in i~sulat,ng blocks 32 and 33 secured to the base portion 19.

Thus, a respective one of three electrical contacts is made according to whether the key is depressed, moved away from the palm of the user, or moved towards the palm of the user.

If desired, the simple contacts shown in Figure 2 may be replaced by double-touch contacts as shown in diagrammatically in Figure 5 where a resilient contact 34 is movable in the direction of the arrow to contact a second resilient contact 36 when a first degree of force is applied, and both resilient contacts 34 and 36 are movable together to contact a fixed contact 37 when a second, substantially greater, degree of a force.

Triple-touch contacts may be provided by interposing a third resilient contact between the second resilient contact and the fixed contact.

If desired, the contacts of various keys may be connected to means able to detect the actuation of certain combinations of keys. An example of such a means is shown in Figure 5 where switches LK5D and RK1D provide inputs to an AND gate to produce an output 39 signalling the closure of both switches LKSD and RK1D.The switch LKSD is intended to represent the contacts 30 and 31 (actuated by downward movement of the key) of the lefthand key for the little finger and the switch RK1D is intended to represent the contacts 30 and 31 (actuated by downwad mcivemeznt of the key) of t rhtohanld key for the t'umb. Further A}JD gates (not shown) are provided to detect other combinations of keys in a similar manner.

Figure 6 shows an outline block diagram of an electronic typewriter including the keypads 2 and 3. The cables 4 and 5 interconnect the various contacts of the keypads with an interface circuit 40. Where combination key actuations are to be detected, the interface circuits includes arrays of AND gates as shown in Figure 5 or other means to detect the various combinations. The interface circuit 40 sends to a microprocessor 41 signals representing the characters assigned to the various contact closures. The microprocessor 41 is interfaced with RAM, disk drives 43, a video display 42 and a printer mechanism 43 in known manner.

Some applications and arrangement of keypads in accordance with the invention will now be described.

A five-key keypad in accordance with the invention in which each key is movable in either of the two directions downwards and away from the palm of the user may be used simply for numeric data entry in accordance with TABLE 1 below. In the table, the fingers of the hand are numbered 1 for the thumb, 2 for the index finger, 3 for the middle finger, 4 for the ring finger and 5 for the little finger as is done in fingering music for the pianoforte. The characters "." and " " (space) are obtained by actuating two keys in combination and that is indicated by i'" for 8(1 actuated key and i'-" for an actuated key.

TABLE 1

right hand finger 1 2 3 4 5 away 1 2 3 4 5 character down 6 7 8 9 0 signalled down . = X - - - X down SFACE = - X - X - A keyboard such as that shown in the drawings and constituted by two five key keypads in accordance with the invention in which each key is movable in any one of the three directions away from the palm of the user, downwards, and towards the palm of the user may be used for alphanumeric data entry in accordance with TABLE 2 below. The same conventions for the numbering of fingers and the indication of the actuation of keys in combination is used as in table 1.

TABLE 2

left hand right hand finger 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 away q w e r t y u i o p down a s d f g h j k 1 towards z x c v b n m , .

away - - - - - Y U I O P down X - - - - H J K L towards - - - - - N M < > ? away Q W E R T - - - - down A S D F G - - - - X towards z X C V B - - - - away ! " $ % - - - - down 1 2 3 4 5 - - - - towards - = [ ] ' - - - - X away - - - - - # & * ( ) down - - - - - 6 7 8 9 0 towards X - - - - - + { } &num; down SPACE = - - - - X X - - - In the above table, the conventional "QWERTYUIOP" arrangement is generally followed to make the arrangement easier to learn for a person used to a conventional keyboard. On the other hand, that arrangement does not have to be followed and the keys may be assigned so that the most frequently used letters are assigned to the easiest key r.,czements.

It s not essential to have all three of the away, down and towards movements to implement an alphanumeric keyboard, an alphanumeric keyboard with only two movements, preferably away and down, or towards and down, may be provided in accordance with the invention. The fewer movements available may be compensated by using a greater number of keys recognizable in combination, and/or double touch keys, and/or treble touch keys and, if desired, the number of available characters may be made less than on a conventional keyboard.

Instead of the arrangement shown in which the user wests the hand on the keypad, the keypad could be arranged to rest on the hand of the user held palm upwards.

Instead of the arrangement of separate left and right hand keypads illustrated in Figure 1, the ten keys may be incorporated within a single keyboard housing. It is not essential to provide the key for each and every finger with an ability to move in at least two different directions. For example, the key for the thumb could be arranged to move only downwardly and each key for the remaining fingers could be arranged to move in at least two directions to signal respective characters. In such an arrangement, a key for the left thumb could, for example, be a shift key and a key for the right thumb could, for example, be a space key.

Claims

C L A I M S:

1. A keypad for the input of data, the key pad comprising a multiplicity of keys, each for operation by a respective finger of the user, wherein the keys are so arranged that each can be moved in at least two different directions to signal a respective character according to the direction in which the key is moved.

2. A keypad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the keys are arranged to move in two directions substantially at right angles to each other to signal respective characters.

3. A keypad as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the keys are arranged to move in first, second and third directions to signal respective characters and the first and third directions are opposite directions along a common path.

4. A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the keys are recessed deeply within a housing of the keypad so that, in use, the hand of a user abuts the housing and the fingers assume a bent state in touching the keys, the keys being arranged in plan according to the positions of the fingertips when the fingers are bent.

5. A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the keypad is arranged for use with the user's hand positzoxted palm downwards above it with = finger bent, and one of the said directions is doads and another, or the other, direction corresponds to drawing the fingers in towards the palm.

6. A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the keypad is arranged for use with the user's hand positioned palm downwards above it with the fingers bent, and one of the said directions is downwards and another, or the other, direction corresponds to moving the fingers out away from the palm.

7. A keypad as claimed in claim 1, wherein the keys are biased to return to a neutral position.

8. A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a respective switch contact is provided to signal each direction of motion of a key.

9; A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one key is arranged to provide two different signals for at least one direction of movement according to the pressure applied by the user to the key.

10. A key pad as claimed in claims 9, wherein at least one key is arranged to provide two different signals for each direction of movement according to the pressure applied in that direction by the user to the key.

11. A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means ure provided to detect the actuation by the user of combinations of keys and provide a respective -ic;osL for each combination detected.

12. A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim1 wherein the number of keys provided is ten arranged as a respective group of five keys for each of the left and right hands.

13. A keypad as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the number of keys provided is five.

14. A keyboard comprising two separate keypads as claimed in claim 13, each for operation by a respective hand of the user.

15. A keypad or keyboard substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.

16. A computer, word processor or typewriter including a keypad or keyboard as claimed in any preceding claim.