Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2002-04-30
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2735)
C341S026000, C708S142000, C708S146000, C379S368000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06378234
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to keyboards, more particularly to keyboards possessing fewer keys than the number of characters which may be generated by using the keyboard, and most specifically to such keyboards which utilize linked keystrokes to generate characters.
2. General Background
In the present time, often known as the ‘information age’ information is transmitted by use of both analog and digital means. The pager and cellular phone are two examples of portable communication tools which receive, and transmit as well as receive, respectively, radio signals which may be analog in the case of the cellular phone are strictly digital in the case of the pager though the cellular phone may permit support digital communication as well. More recent and sophisticated portable communication tools associated with ‘personal communication systems’ (PCS) enable radio facsimile transmission/reception and internet access. Various capabilities are also offered on portable telephones, cellular or otherwise, which are based upon internal memory and the software held in microprocessors. Such capabilities include automatic dialing of telephone numbers and display of the number and name of a current caller.
All these portable communication tools utilizing radio transmission and reception are considered to be characterized by the use of a numeric keypad possessing the digits 0 through 9 and at least two other keys, ‘*’ and ‘#’. This is based upon a standard telephone keypad which is required for entering a telephone number. Additional dedicated function keys facilitate memory input of such numbers for automatic dialing and may also have dual functions as determined by another dedicated key. A key is typically dedicated to switching the power supply as well.
The input of alphabetic characters, i.e. letters, into memory is also known upon such devices wherein a shifting of mode is first effected by striking either the ‘*’ or ‘#’ key followed by either one, two or three strokes of the same key to obtain ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’ for example with the key labeled ‘1’. And telephones with memory are known which allow the creation of names by selecting from a sequential tour of the alphabet for each letter desired. If the letter ‘n’ is desired, for instance, the letters a-m are first waived or z-o is backed through and the ‘n’ selected. For each letter selected the preceding or succeeding letters of the alphabet must be considered by the device. While many of these devices may have up to twenty different keys the inclusion of the entire alphabet with a key dedicated to each letter of the same is not considered feasible. The basic twelve key numeric keypad mentioned above is necessary and additional function keys are also required. The addition of the twenty-six keys required of the English alphabet to the sixteen or more keys already necessary is believed to be excessively consumptive of space for a hand held device. One cannot use both hands to type on a device which is held in one hand in any case.
Secondly, it is noted that the standard keyboard utilized in association with computers which typically possesses over one hundred keys utilizes a number of function keys each of which, stroked while another type of function key, such as the ‘Shift’ or ‘Alt’ or ‘Crtl’ key is held down, provides several different functions. The ‘Shift’ key, of course, was first utilized in this manner with manual typewriters to obtain upper case letters and ten other characters: ‘!’, ‘@’, ‘#’, ‘$’, ‘%’, ‘{circumflex over ( )}’, ‘&’, ‘*’, ‘(‘,’)’; and is still utilized in this manner on the standard one hundred and four key keyboard presently being used to write this document as upper cases for the numbers 1-0 respectively.
It is emphasized that this multiple use of keys requires holding a dedicated function key while another key is stroked. This effectively means that this system cannot be practically utilized upon a hand held device, which is also known herein as a ‘palmtop’ computer and is inclusive of the communication devices discussed above as well as numerical calculators and other devices using a microprocessor and a keypad for input.
Thirdly, it is considered that many people do not possess full use of both hands and for these people operation of a keyboard requiring simultaneous keystrokes to generate a given character or function is not feasible. Furthermore, standard keyboards with over eighty keys invariably have the keys in close proximity to each other and many people with various physical and neurological disabilities cannot operate these keyboards for this reason.
Fourthly, it is considered well known that the standard QWERTY keyboard requires thorough memorization before one can begin to operate the same with any efficiency, that a great deal of practice is normally required to obtain genuine efficiency after memorization, and that, no matter how practiced an operator of a QWERTY keyboard may be, the fixed configuration of the keys is not well suited to the frequency of the letters typed and the movement of the fingers required. The key dedicated to ‘J’, for instance is located directly under the index finger of the right hand in correct QWERTY keyboard operation. This key, and the key dedicated to the letter ‘K’ immediately to the right of the ‘J’ are the easiest keys for a right handed person to stroke repetitively; but neither key has frequent usage. In fact, the Italian alphabet, based upon the same Roman alphabet from which the twenty-six letter English alphabet is derived, lacks both these letters altogether for the entire language and the only use of these two letters is for adopted foreign words. In other words, the ‘J’ and ‘K’ keys are rarely touched by any writer of Italian. This is not to say that QWERTY keyboards are of no use in Italy but that the fixed configuration of keys in the QWERTY layout is considered generally unfortunate with regard to ergonomics in addition to difficulty in memorizing and mastering.
Statement of Need
The above discussion of ‘palmtop’ computers, which are hand held communication tools possessing both a microprocessor and a keypad or keyboard for input, regardless of other features and capabilities such as radio reception/transmission, firstly indicates that it is considered desirable to have the ability to efficiently input alphabetic characters, i.e. letters, into a device which is too small to permit use of a keyboard possessing individual keys each dedicated to one letter.
Secondly, it is noted that the manner in which multiple characters or functions from a single key is derived with a standard typewriter or computer keyboard, i.e. simultaneous stroking of two different keys, one of which is a dedicated function key, is not feasible upon a hand held device and also that many people lack the use of both hands and cannot effectively operate a keyboard requiring simultaneous keystrokes.
It is thirdly considered that many people, particularly those having a physical or neurological disability which is manifested by poor motor coordination, cannot use a standard QWERTY keyboard either. The spacing between the keys is too close and the number of keys too many to allow use by many people lacking the motor coordination required to effect accurate keystrokes on such a keyboard.
It is fourthly considered that the standard QWERTY keyboard: is difficult to learn; requires considerable practice to master and; is known to possess less than an optimum configuration with regard to frequency of key strokes and the movement of the fingers required in operation.
It is hence considered, for all these reasons, that a poignant need therefore exists for a keyboard which:
(a) is capable of efficiently generating alphabetic characters, i.e. letters, with a fixed configuration of keys which number less than the number of letters in an alphabet;
(b) does not require the simultaneous depression of multiple keys, i.e. simultaneous keystrokes;
(c) can be effectively operated by people who cannot op
Gibson Peter
Horabik Michael
Wong Albert K.
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