Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-16
2003-01-14
Shalwala, Bipin (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
C345S169000, C345S179000, C345S901000, C345S905000, C361S689000, C361S689000, C455S575100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507336
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of handheld computers. In particular, the invention relates to a keyboard for a handheld computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Handheld computers, including personal digital assistants and palm-sized computers (PDA), provide the user with a wide variety of functions, such as a calendar, an address book, a task list, a notepad, and a calculator. These handheld computers may be approximately the size of a stack of 3″×5″ index cards, sufficiently compact to fit into a shirt pocket.
Current handheld computers, such as the PalmPilo® from Palm Inc., typically have a display screen and a plurality of manually actuatable buttons for a user to control the operation of the computer. The bottoms are typically convex in shape and protrude from the surface in which they are mounted, thereby enhancing their functional accessibility.
The display screen can be a touch sensitive screen so as to function as a user input device. A stylus can be used in conjunction with such a touch screen as to permit the touch screen to be segmented into fields that are too small to be individually actuated by an average human figure.
These stylus-input computers are primarily operated by a user using a stylus as the input device. Such an input device is inherently suited to enter input through the display. For example, the user can tap icons showing commands on the screen using the tip of the stylus.
However, this type of input device tends to more suitable for graphical rather than character-based input. To input characters, a user can tap on a virtual keyboard displayed on the screen to actuate each key or use scratches on a Graffiti™ segment of the display. Due to the limitation to the size of the screen, the virtual keyboard is much smaller than a standard keyboard, rendering it difficult for a user to identify each key and requiring a small stylus tip to acturate.
Foldable computer keyboards have been developed to enable a user to input characters by the conventional method, i.e., by touching and depressing the key buttons with his/her fingers to send electronic signal to a handheld computer or a notebook computer. Although more compact than a standard keyboard, such foldable keyboards are still too large to be considered an integral part of a handheld computer which demands more “pocket-friendly” sizes.
Another disadvantage associated with a separate, finger-tappable keyboard is that such an input mechanism is cumbersome for a stylus-based handheld computer. Typically, the user of a handheld computer holds the computer in one hand and uses the other hand to touch the screen with a stylus. When a user needs to type a character into the computer, the user has to either put down the stylus and free his/her hands to tap the keyboard, or rotate his/her hand inward to use the unoccupied finger(s) to tap the key board button(s). Such an operation is inefficient and ergonomically disadvantageous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A data entry mechanism for a handheld computer is provided. The data entry mechanism comprises: a plurality of keys configured to be actuated by a stylus of the handheld computer, each of the plurality of keys being electronically coupleable to the handheld computer and generating an electronic signal upon actuation by the stylus; and an encasement structure to retain the plurality of keys, the structure being engagable with a slot of the handheld computer. The data entry mechanism may be used to facilitate data input to a computing or a telecommunications device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5646649 (1997-07-01), Iwata et al.
patent: D392968 (1998-03-01), Johansson
patent: D398307 (1998-09-01), Collins
patent: 5949408 (1999-09-01), Kang et al.
patent: 6239968 (2001-05-01), Kim et al.
patent: 6266240 (2001-07-01), Urban et al.
patent: 6283777 (2001-09-01), Canova et al.
patent: 6356442 (2002-03-01), Lunsford
Hickman Truong Palermo & Becker LLP
Lewis David L.
Mahamedi Van
Palm Inc.
Shalwala Bipin
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