Text input keyboard

Abstract

The character input keyboard. One shift key and one space key are placed on the home position of the left and right thumb, and one control key is placed between them. These keys have the width from 1 to 1.5 times of the character key.

Claims

1. A keyboard apparatus comprising; multiple keys, each key corresponding to one of a character, letter, number, function, and a command, arranged in a plurality of rows of continuous keys comprising; a first row including at least eight keys, each key of the eight keys defining a home position for each one of eight fingers of a user of the keyboard, and, a second row beneath the first row, the second row including the plurality of keys; a third row beneath the second row, the third row including a shift key, a space key and a control key of variable widths, wherein the space key, the control key, and the shift key are arranged centrally in the third row, wherein the control key is between the shift key and the space key.

2. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1, wherein when engaged in English language typing, the first row is such that the home position for each of the eight fingers of the user are designated as: key A for left little finger, key S for left ring finger, key D for left middle finger, key F for left index finger, key J for right index finger, key K for right middle finger, key L for right ring finger and the right adjacent character key to key L for the right little finger.

3. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shift key and control key positions are interchangeable with each other.

4. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shift key is configured such that activation thereof enters one of a number, an alphabet, or a character through the same character key.

5. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said keyboard is implemented in software in touch screen based devices.

6. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said keyboard includes a virtual keyboard implemented through software.

7. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said keyboard includes keys operable in multiple languages by activation of the shift key.

8. The keyboard apparatus of claim 1, wherein the usage of keys are adapted to be customized by a key remapper function.

9. A keyboard apparatus, comprising: multiple keys, each key corresponding to one of a character, letter, number, function, and a command, arranged in a plurality of rows of continuous keys comprising; a first row including at least eight keys, each key of the eight keys defining a home position for each one of eight fingers of a user of the keyboard, and, a second row beneath the first row, the second row including the plurality of keys; a third row beneath the second row, the third row including a shift key, a space key and a control key of variable widths, wherein the space key, the control key, and the shift key are arranged centrally in the third row, wherein the control key is 1) adjacent to the shift key, and, 2) adjacent to the space key.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 The plan view showing the embodiment of the present invention. (Example 1)

(2) FIG. 2 The plan view showing the embodiment of the present invention. (Example 2)

(3) FIG. 3 The plan view showing the embodiment of the present invention. (Example 3)

(4) FIG. 4 The plan view showing the embodiment of the present invention. (Example 4)

(5) FIG. 5 The plan view showing a typical key arrangement of the English keyboard for a personal computer.

(6) FIG. 6 The plan view showing a typical key arrangement of the Japanese keyboard for a personal computer.

(7) FIG. 7 The plan view showing an embodiment of the patent JP-B-63-49262 (so called the thumb shift keyboard).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. In either embodiment, there are one space key and one shift key on the home position of thumbs, and one control key between them. In the present invention, the width of these three keys are all from 1 to 1.5 times of the width of the character key. The length of the longitudinal direction of these keys and the shape of the keys outside of the thumb home position, are not included in the claim of the present invention.

(9) The arrangement of Alphabet or kana keys, and the arrangement of number keys are not included in the claim of the present invention. The arrangement of function keys, excluding the three keys on the home positions of the left thumb and the right thumb and in the middle of them, is not included in the claim of the present invention, neither.

Example 1

(10) FIG. 1 is the example of the embodiment of the present invention in the Japanese keyboard for a personal computer. In this example, the shift key is placed on the home position of the left thumb, the space key is placed on the home position of the right thumb, and the control key is placed between them. In addition, two control keys generally to be placed in the outer edge of the character key column, and one shift key generally to be placed in the left outer edge of the character key column, are omitted. The key placed on the outside of the home position of the left thumb is Muhenkan key, and the key placed on the outside of the home position of the right thumb is Henkan key. The width of the three keys located in the home position of the left and right thumb and between them, are nearly 1 time of that of character key.

Example 2

(11) FIG. 2 is the example of the embodiment of the present invention in the English keyboard for a personal computer. In this example, the shift key is placed on the home position of the right thumb, the space key is placed on the home position of the left thumb, and the control key is placed between them. In addition, two control keys generally to be placed in the outer edge of the character key column, and one shift key generally to be placed in the right outer edge of the character key column, are omitted. The key placed on the outside of the home position of the left thumb is Alt key, and the key placed on the outside of the home position of the right thumb is Menu key. The width of three keys located in the home positions of the left and right thumbs and between them, are nearly 1.3 times of that of character key.

Example 3

(12) FIG. 3 is the example of the embodiment of the present invention in the Japanese keyboard for a personal computer. In this example, the key remapper, the application to customize the key arrangement of the keyboard which is provided for a fee or free of charge over the Internet, is applied to improve the efficiency of Japanese input work. The letter or the symbol input by the single typing of the key is illustrated in the center of the top of each key, and the characters or symbols input by the simultaneous keystrokes with the shift key are illustrated in the lower part of the key. In Japanese input work, when using Roman characters with the the common QWERTY layout, the operator is forced to do difficult key operation, because it is essential to use the uppermost line of the character key column, in order to input number, dash or bracket. In this example, by using the key remapper, numbers, dash and bracket and the like are designed to be input by the simultaneous keystrokes with the shift key, and become easy to be input.

Example 4

(13) FIG. 4 is the example of the embodiment of the present invention in the Japanese keyboard for a personal computer. By using the key remapper, a virtual thumb shift keyboard is realized. The letter or the symbol input by the single keystroke is illustrated in the center of the top of each key, and in the lower part of the same key, the character or symbol input by the simultaneous keystrokes with the left shift key is in the left side, with the space key is in the right side. The arrangement of letters and symbols is devised by the inventor of the present invention, provided for illustrative purpose.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(14) The keyboard for input characters produced with the present invention provides convenience immediately for anyone uses a personal computer or a word processor or the like. If one has some experience to use existing keyboard for a personal computer, it requires no training nor learning to operate it. The present invention is able to be applied not only for the physical keyboard, but for the software keyboard on a tablet computer equipped with a touch panel, etc. The present invention improves only the efficiency of the input work by any language. The industrial applicability of the present invention is extremely high.