WO2004023280A1 - Keyboards and keyboard learning aids - Google Patents

Abstract

A keyboard or practice keyboard having keys or key designations on which either the twenty six letters of the alphabet are contained in four rows which include the letters A to H, I to P, Q to X, and Y and Z, respectively, with all letters arranged in alphabetical order from left to right, or the numbers 1 to 26 are contained in four rows which include the numbers 1 to 8, 9 to 16, 17 to 24, and 25 and 26, respectively, with all numbers arranged in sequence left to right starting from 1 in the left hand top row, or both.

Description

DESCRIPTION

KEYBOARDS AND KEYBOARD LEARNING AIDS

The present invention is concerned with computer and typewriter keyboards

and aids for assisting the acquisition of computer and typewriter keyboard skill.

The QWERTY layout for the keys of keyboards, originally for typewriters

and now also for computers, has been accepted over many years as the standard

keyboard layout as it provides what is considered to be an ideal arrangement for the

letters of the alphabet when using the ten fingers of two hands for typing.

However, for keyboard learners, particularly for children and/or persons with

reading difficulties such as dyslexia, the arrangement of the letter keys in the

QWERTY layout can be very confusing and difficult to use. Persons with dyslexia

are familiar with the alphabet in the basic sequence of A B C D Z but when

faced with a keyboard having the letters of the alphabet laid out in the QWERTY

format, this looks to them like a jumbled mess of mixed up letters. If for example

they are given a simple task such as typing in their name, it can take several minutes

to achieve this as they usually use one finger to go backwards and forwards along the

three lines of letters until they find each letter of their name in tun.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a different keyboard layout

to the QWERTY arrangement which will make it easier for a person with reading

difficulties to use.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a keyboard

or practice keyboard having keys or key designations on which the twenty six letters of the alphabet are contained in four rows which include the letters A to H, I to P, Q

to X, and Y and Z, respectfully, with all letters arranged in alphabetic order from left

to right.

Preferably, the upper three rows each containing eight letters are aligned one

above the other so as to form eight columns of three letters each.

Preferably, the letters Y and Z in the lower fourth row are positioned between

the S and T and between the U and V of the third row, respectively.

The keys or key designations displaying the letters can also include the

numbers 1 to 26, where A = 1, B = 2 .... Z = 26.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided

) a keyboard or practice keyboard having keys or key designations arranged on which

the numbers 1 to 26 are contained in four rows which include the numbers 1 to 8, 9

to 16, 17 to 24, and 25 and 26, respectively, with all numbers arranged in sequence

left to right starting from 1 in the left hand top row.

Preferably, the upper three rows, each containing eight numbers, are aligned

one above the other so as to form eight columns of three numbers each.

Preferably, the numbers 25 and 26 in the lower fourth row are positioned

between the numbers 19 and 20 and between the numbers 21 and 22 of the third row,

respectively.

The keys or key designations displaying the numbers can also include the

letters A to Z, where 1 = A, 2 = B .... 26 = Z.

Of course, the keyboard will normally contain other keys for designating other functions such as punctuations, but these will be included in addition to the

alphabet and/or numbers layout described above.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with

reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 illustrates the arrangement of the alphabet keys in a conventional

QWERTY keyboard; and

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show first, second and third embodiments of keyboards in

accordance with the present invention.

In each of the embodiments of Figs 2, 3 and 4, the keyboards include keys for

receiving letters and/or numerals set out in three rows of eight and a fourth row of

two. Additional keys can be included as described to carry punctuation designations etc. as in a conventional keyboard layout

In Fig. 2 the keys carry both the letters A to Z in alphabetic sequence and also

the numbers 1 to 26 in numerical order.

In Fig. 3, the keys carry only the numbers 1 to 26 in numerical order.

In Fig. 4, the keys carry only the letters A to-Z in alphabetic sequence.

A person who is familiar with the normal sequence of letters in the alphabet

and/or who knows the numerical order of the letters of the alphabet, i.e. that A is the

first letter, D is the fourth letter, P is the 16^th letter etc., may find it easier to find the

intended letters on a keyboard as laid out in Fig. 2, Fig. 3 or Fig. 4.

For learning purposes or simply as part of a game, these keyboard layouts can be useful for children and/or persons with learning or perceptional difficulties such as dyslexia.

Claims

1. A keyboard or practice keyboard having keys or key designations on

which either the twenty six letters of the alphabet are contained in four rows which

include the letters A to H, I to P, Q to X, and Y and Z, respectively, with all letters

arranged in alphabetical order from left to right, or the numbers 1 to 26 are contained

in four rows which include the numbers 1 to 8, 9 to 16, 17 to 24, and 25 and 26,

respectively, with all numbers arranged in sequence left to right starting from 1 in the

left hand top row, or both.

2. A keyboard or practice keyboard as claimed in claim 1 , in which the upper

three rows, each containing eight letters and or eight numbers are aligned with each

other to form eight columns of three letters and/or numerals each.

3. A keyboard or practice keyboard as claimed in claim 2, in which the letters

Y and Z and/or the numbers 25 and 26 in the lower fourth row are positioned between the S and T and between the U and V of the third row, respectively, or

between the numbers 19 and 20 and between the numbers 21 and 22 of the third row,

respectively.