Coded data generation or conversion – Bodily actuated code generator – Including keyboard or keypad
Patent
1996-01-04
1999-01-19
Hofsass, Jeffery
Coded data generation or conversion
Bodily actuated code generator
Including keyboard or keypad
341 23, 341 28, 400100, 400110, H03K 1794
Patent
active
058618210
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with an apparatus utilized in a character input apparatus or an input method and, more particularly, to a key board for performing input operation as a key board used in small-sized electric notebook and word-processor, personal computer and others.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A word-processor or personal computer has a good function to input, edit, print, and save quite freely "a sentence with Chinese character and Japanese syllabary" and various letter, symbol, drawing, and so on, will being necessary a tool (writing utensils) in future.
However, writing utensils are inconvenient for being to big and heavy and it is not easy to carry. It still has inconveniences that it cannot be put in a pocket, be handled by one hand, and is bard to be operated.
Because it is for reason of the mechanism in a word-processor or personal computer, further a surface of keyboard, and a unavoidable limitation of miniaturization for crowding with keys over eighty even of a portable type.
Namely, because it is miniaturized without decreasing the figure of 80 keys, the keys are close in formation and it is hard to type. Conversely, if the figure of keys are decreased simply, a crucial function is deteriorated and it is meaningless.
Is there any way to input more rapidly like a pocket calculator without damaging original performances of a word-processor or a personal computer? If it is possible, anybody can go for a work and a play with it in a pocket and a new media world which is completely different from now will be able to be opened.
Therefore, the development of keyboard has been required for a long time that the keyboard of the wordprocessor and personal computer could be minimizing as "a pocket calculator" in addition to easy typing in both of Japanese and English and all operation on the keyboard could be operated by one hand. Following five needed conditions are necessitated to meet the demand that figure of keys on the keyboard are drastically reduced with ensuring ability more than conventional keyboard.
What everyone thinks when using a word processor and personal computer that it is hard to memorize and type a keyboard. There are many ways to type, for example, JIS rounded Japanese phonetic syllabary, roman letter input (QWERTY arrangement), thumb shift, new JIS rounded Japanese phonetic syllabary and so on as far as we know. As each has its merits and demerits, it is hard to select one of them taking future needs into consideration.
According to an explanation or a manual, it is necessary to type in touch-typing using all ten fingers without seeing a keyboard in order to input speedily and efficiently.
Many people challenge this ten-finger typing method and practice it, however some give it up halfway and return one-finger type method without practicing deliberately.
Especially in the case of JIS rounded Japanese phonetic syllabary, there are many keys in correspondence with the figure of the rounded Japanese phonetic syllabary and it is still hard to type because they are arranged in four lines. Additionally, a letter arrangement has no rule and is complicating, therefore it is difficult to memorize the arrangement and also acquire the touch type. When inputting Japanese voiced sounds (a consonant sound such as /g/, /z/ or /d/) and flat sounds (a consonant sound such as /p/), an original rounded Japanese phonetic syllabary sound press the key twice.
On the other hand, in the case of ROMAN LETTER INPUT, it is comparatively easy to type in the touch typing because ROMAN LETTER INPUT is similar to an English input of which letter figure is not many, the figure of key is small, and it has three lines' arrangement which is easy for typing. Nowadays, more 80% of men prefer roman letters among general word processor and personal computer population except professionals.
Apparently effective "ROMAN LETTER INPUT", however, needs to input with pressing the keys twice for one "JAPANESE SYLLABARY LETTER" because of letter keys separated a vowel sound and a consonant sound
REFERENCES:
patent: 4655621 (1987-04-01), Holden
patent: 4737040 (1988-04-01), Moon
patent: 4847799 (1989-07-01), Morita et al.
patent: 5124702 (1992-06-01), van Ardenne
patent: 5367298 (1994-11-01), Axthelm
Kato Syunji
Kato Yoshiya
Hill Andrew
Hofsass Jeffery
Kato Syunji
Kato Yoshiya
Misawa Homes Co. Ltd.
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