Patent Application
20090138637
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is generally related to keyboards, and more particularly, to an adjustable and ergonomic keyboard and layout and supporting structure thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Increasing use of computers and other hardware manipulated and controlled using keyboards has given rise to rethinking the ergonomic design of keyboards. Users often type on keyboards for long durations on consecutive days, giving rise to aches and pains in the users' hands and arms. Often prolonged use of keyboards with poor hand and arm positioning can lead to conditions such as tendonitis.
Some existing keyboards incorporate designs that result in different posturing of the user. The effectiveness of such designs varies; however one common drawback of conventional designs for adjustable keyboards is their lack of flexibility.
Typically, adjustable keyboards can be adjusted within a limited set of adjustment measurements that are decided by the manufacturer. For example, some adjustable keyboards can only be repositioned between a few different tenting angles (i.e., the angle at which the base of the keyboard is inclined with respect to the support surface) or splaying angles (i.e., the angle between inner lateral ends of split keyboards).
Other drawbacks of at least some conventional keyboards include lack of user acceptance. In particular, because for years computer users used early keyboard designs, they became accustomed to working with and developing muscle memory for remembering the position of the various keys on these keyboards. Therefore, users were resistant to trying new designs, fearing it would not be as comfortable or that it may reduce their typing efficiency.
Furthermore, adjustable keyboards that provide slightly more flexible adjustments are generally more costly to manufacture and thus more expensive to purchase.
The industry has also been slow in developing effective accessories for adjustable keyboards. For example, mountable supports that facilitate supporting a keyboard while attaching to another structure are typically deficient in effectively supporting computer peripherals and in allowing a user to reconfigure the support.
Applicants' co-pending application Ser. No. 11/788,733 aims to improve conventional keyboard designs. Although embodiments described in that application improve on conventional designs in areas such as cost, ease of assembly and use, and adjustment flexibility, some embodiments continue to have components that have high dimensional tolerances while other embodiments have certain flexibility drawbacks.
Other aspects of computer keyboards that have not been adequately addressed by conventional designs include keyboard layout and programming capabilities. For example, keyboard layouts for Apple® computers have been in large part very basic with few if any keys that have macros associated with them to carry out functions typically requiring multiple keys. Other keyboards with hot keys are often large in size due to positioning of the hot keys and the hot keys are either not efficiently programmable or require driver installation.
The present disclosure is generally related to keyboards, and more particularly, to an ergonomic and adjustable computer keyboard with a high level of user acceptance, which provides easy setup and adjustment, familiarity needing minimal adaptation, and having a cost not dramatically higher than a premium conventional computer keyboard.
According to one embodiment, an adjustable keyboard assembly for tenting first and second keying modules includes first and second anchor plates, each graduated with successive retaining structural features, a first support plate having a supporting portion and a retaining portion, the supporting portion configured to be coupled to the first keying module and pivotably mounted to the first anchor plate to pivot about at least one axis with respect to the first anchor plate, the retaining portion being coupled to the supporting portion and pivotably mounted to pivot about at least two axes with respect to the first anchor plate, the retaining portion having an anchoring structural feature configured to be removably engaged with the respective retaining structural features of the first anchor plate to vary and maintain a desired orientation of the first keying module, and a second support plate having a supporting portion and a retaining portion, the supporting portion configured to be coupled to the second keying module and pivotably mounted to the second anchor plate to pivot about at least one axis with respect to the second anchor plate, the retaining portion being coupled to the supporting portion and pivotably mounted to pivot about at least two axes with respect to the second anchor plate, the retaining portion having an anchoring structural feature configured to be removably engaged with the respective retaining structural features of the second anchor plate to vary and maintain a desired orientation of the second keying module.
According to another embodiment, an adjustable keyboard assembly for adjusting an orientation of first and second keying modules includes a first lift module configured to be fixedly coupled with respect to a lower portion of the first keying module for spacing a portion of the first keying module from a resting surface and configured to fix the first keying module at a variety of tenting angles between the lower portion of the first keying module and the resting surface, the first lift module including a coupling portion and at least first and second limbs, each limb being pivotably coupled with respect to the coupling portion and pivotably coupled with respect to each of the other limbs, the orientation of the first and second limbs with respect to the coupling portion and with respect to each other being variable to allow for varying of the tenting angle of the first keying module, and a second lift module configured to be fixedly coupled with respect to the lower portion of the second keying module for spacing a portion of the second keying module from a resting surface and configured to fix the second keying module at a variety of tenting angles between the lower portion of the second keying module and the resting surface, the second lift module including a coupling portion and at least first and second limbs, each limb being pivotably coupled with respect to the coupling portion and pivotably coupled with respect to each of the other limbs, the orientation of the first and second limbs with respect to the coupling portion and with respect to each other being variable to allow for varying of the tenting angle of the second keying module.
According to yet another embodiment, an adjustable keyboard assembly includes a first keying module having a proximal end and a distal end with respect to a user, an outer lateral end opposing an inner lateral end, an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being configured to operatively retain a plurality of keys thereon, the lower portion having an adaptor plate including a plurality of fastening elements forming a first pattern and a protuberance rigidly attached thereto and configured to be coupled to an external structure, and a universal mount module including a plurality of modular mounting members each having a plurality of fastening elements forming the first pattern such that each universal mounting member can be coupled to at least one of another universal mounting member and to the adaptor plate of the first keying module to permit a user to mount the first keying module to the external structure and form at least one peripheral extension from one of the modular mounting members extending beyond at least one end of the first keying module to support a peripheral device.
According to still another embodiment, an adjustable keyboard assembly includes a first keying module having a proximal end and a distal end with respect to a user, an outer lateral end opposing an inner lateral end, an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being configured to operatively retain a plurality of keys thereon, the first keying module including a first latching system including a first slide button fixedly coupled to a first latch to move therewith between a first position and a second position, the first latch having a latch coupling structure formed on at least one surface thereof, a second keying module having a proximal end and a distal end with respect to the user, an outer lateral end opposing an inner lateral end, an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being configured to operatively retain a plurality of keys thereon, the second keying module having a second latching system including a second slide button fixedly coupled to a second latch to move therewith between a first position and a second position, the second latch having a latch coupling structure formed on at least one surface thereof, and a tethering module including first and second tether members movably coupled to each other, the first tether member being coupled to the first keying module and the second tether member being coupled to the second keying module, allowing the first and second keying modules to move with respect to each other, each of the first and second tether members having a cylindrical projection elongated about an axis and including a complementary coupling structure formed in the cylindrical projection including a wedge shaped recess in the cylindrical projection having circumferential terminal ends and at least two surfaces including a first tapered surface tapered at a first angle with respect to the axis, the latch coupling region including a wedge shape formed by at least two surfaces thereof proximate a corner of the latch, the coupling region having a second tapered surface tapered at a second angle with respect to the axis complementary to the first angle such that when the latch and complementary coupling structures are engaged, at least a portion of the first and second tapered surfaces mate.
According to a further embodiment, a computer keyboard layout includes a plurality of driverless hot keys programmed with distinct functions arranged adjacent a plurality of standard keys toward an outer lateral end of the keyboard layout, the plurality of standard keys being substantially laterally aligned with the plurality of standard keys.
According to yet a further embodiment, a computer peripheral assembly includes a computer peripheral device, a USB OTG port, a memory chip in electronic communication with the USB OTG port, a plurality of activation keys or buttons, the USB OTG port being configured to be electronically coupled to an external USB device and enable the computer peripheral device to act as a host device to the external USB device, thereby permitting programming at least one of the activation keys or buttons with functions associated with particular features of the external USB device wherein the USB OTG port communicates with the memory chip to store the programmed and assigned functions.
According to still a further embodiment, a method of programming and assigning desired functions to control features of a computer peripheral device, respectively, the computer peripheral device including a USB OTG port; a memory chip in electronic communication with the USB OTG port; a plurality of activation keys or buttons, the USB OTG port being configured to be electronically coupled to an external USB device and enable the computer peripheral device to act as a host device to the external USB device, includes electronically coupling the USB OTG port to the external USB device, identifying at least one of the control features of the computer peripheral, activating control feature or features of the external USB device associated with the desired function, and ending the programming session.
Each of the first and second support plates 110, 112, includes a retaining portion 118 and a supporting portion 120. The following description is directed to the first keying module 102 and a similar and oppositely situated configuration applies to the second keying module 104. The supporting portion 120 is coupled to the first keying module 102 along a surface thereof. The supporting portion 120 is pivotably mounted to pivot about at least a first axis 122 with respect to the first anchor plate 106. The retaining portion 118 is pivotably mounted to pivot about at least first and second axes 122, 124 with respect to the first anchor plate 106. For example, the retaining portion 118 can be coupled to the supporting portion 120 toward a first end of the retaining portion 118 and the supporting portion 120 can be pivotably coupled to the first anchor plate 106 to pivot about the first axis 122.
Referring to
The retaining and anchoring structural features 114, 126 can include any combination of complementary structures that, when engaged, maintain the retaining portion 118 of the support plates 110, 112 in a desired configuration. For example, in one embodiment the retaining structural feature 114 can include a recess, receptacle, groove, or the like, while the anchoring structural feature 126 can include a protrusion, a tab, a hook, or other similar structure that can be removably, captively engaged in the retaining structural feature 114. In some embodiments, the anchoring structural features 126 can be fabricated from a different material than a remaining portion of the support plates 110, 112. For example, the anchoring structural features 126 can be fixedly coupled to the retaining portion 118 and be a separately fabricated or molded element that attaches to a metallic retaining portion 118. In such embodiments, the retaining portion 118 can be made from a stronger more rigid material while the retaining structural features 126 are made from a more formable material, such as plastic, for forming particular engagement features thereon.
As discussed above, the retaining and anchoring structural features 114, 126 can be laterally spaced where there is more than one of them. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the retaining and anchoring structural features 114, 126 can be longer, each extending from toward one end of the anchor plate 106 and retaining portion 118, respectively, to an opposing end thereof.
In the illustrated embodiment of
Referring back to
As illustrated in
In one embodiment, the first and second anchor plates 106, 108 can be made from a unitary body of material forming an integral anchor plate, the retaining portions 120 of the respective support plates 110, 112 engaging retaining structural features 114 formed in different portions of the integral anchor plate along the longitudinal axis 116.
In another embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment as illustrated in
Therefore, the adjustable keyboard assembly 100 can be easily and expediently adjusted to produce a variety of tenting angles, even distinct tenting angles for each of the first and second keying modules 102, 104, while allowing for separation of the keying modules 102, 104, to suit the user's orientation preferences and improve ergonomics of the adjustable keyboard assembly 100.
In addition to the wide variety of orientations that are made possible by the adjustable keyboard assembly 100 on a horizontal surface, in some embodiments, the adjustable keyboard assembly 100 can be mounted on a vertical support structure 152 as illustrated in
The lift module 254 includes a coupling portion 256 for fixedly coupling the lift module 254 to the keying module 202, and first and second limbs 258, 260 for spacing and supporting the keying module 202 on the resting surface 239. The first and second limbs 258, 260 are pivotably coupled to the coupling portion 256 and pivotably coupled with respect to each other. Accordingly, the orientation of the first and second limbs 258, 260 with respect to the coupling portion 256, and with respect to each other is variable to allow varying the tenting angle of the keying module 202.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, in the orientation shown in
To achieve a smaller tenting angle, the first and second limbs 258, 260 can be pivoted with respect to each other after releasing the lockable hinge to increase the angle therebetween or position them such that the angle between them is substantially 180 degrees. For example,
Other configurations of the stabilizing structural features 272 and locations on the first and second limbs 258, 260, that can be used to orient the first and second limbs 258, 260 in different positions are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in other embodiments, more than two limbs can be incorporated to further add to the flexibility of modifying the positioning or tenting configuration of the keying modules.
As discussed earlier, conventional computer keyboard accessories, such as mountable support structures, have not adequately addressed user needs. In particular, conventional mountable support structures typically suffer from drawbacks such as either requiring computer peripherals, such as a computer mouse, to be permanently built in the keyboard or in cases where a tray has been provided, the peripherals tend to frequently fall over the edges of the tray due to slipping off or being bumped off by the user's hands or arms during movements associated with typing, particularly where the keyboard is tilted or tented in the case of split keyboards. Furthermore, conventional designs are limited in flexibility with respect to reconfiguring the size of the support mount and typically require distinct supports for right and left split keyboards.
The respective structure mount portions 381 include a protuberance 383 configured to facilitate coupling of the keyboard assembly 300 to the chair 390. The structure mount portions 381 extend beyond an edge of the corresponding universal mount modules 384, 386. In this manner, once a desired configuration of the universal mount modules 384, 386 is assembled and coupled to the adaptor plates 380, 382, the entire keyboard assembly 300 can be easily mounted to the chair 391. At least one of the first and second universal mount modules 384, 386 extends longitudinally beyond the inner and/or outer lateral ends 336, 338 of the corresponding keying module 302, 304, forming at least one peripheral extension 392. The universal mount modules 384, 386 can include one or more modular supports 389, each having a symmetric modular design with one or more symmetric fastening patterns 385, 387 including a plurality of fastening elements. These fastening patterns 385, 387 allow each of the modular supports 389 or universal mount modules 384, 386 to be used for mounting either side of a split keyboard, for example, the first or second keying modules 302, 304 in the illustrated embodiment of
These same fastener patterns 385, 387 can be used to couple more than one universal mount module 384, 386 of the same or varying dimensions to adjust or vary the size and configuration of the universal mount modules 384, 386. In some embodiments, the peripheral extensions 392 are portions of overlapped modular supports 389. The at least one peripheral extension 392 is configured to be coupled to the at least one peripheral support member 388.
In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the peripheral extensions 392 can be hingedly coupled to the first and second universal mount modules 384, 386, respectively, using a lockable hinge that accommodates locking the hinge at multiple angles between the peripheral extension 392 and the first and second universal mount modules 384, 386, respectively. In such an embodiment the portions of the first and second universal mount modules 384, 386 supporting the keying modules 302, 304, respectively, can be pivoted with respect to the corresponding peripheral extension 392 to allow the user to enter or exit the seat 396.
The modular supports 389 can also include symmetric fastening patterns 393, 395 on opposing ends thereof toward regions that form the peripheral extensions 392. The fastening patterns 393, 395 are configured to couple the corresponding modular supports 389 to peripheral support members 388 of varying sizes, making it easy and expedient to switch between different size peripheral support members 388 for supporting peripherals that require various sizes, at different times.
As illustrated in
To prevent the lip structure 303 from interfering with the user's palm, it is preferred to minimize the size of the lip structure 303. However, it is also preferred to maximize the size of the lip structure 303 to prevent a rolling computer peripheral, such as the mouse 301, from rolling over the lip structure 303 after having gained momentum. It has been found that balancing these two conflicting design needs, a lip structure 303, as shown in
Although the illustrated embodiments are directed to providing a structure mountable keyboard assembly for two keying modules, one of the first or second structure mount modules can be sized and used to accommodate a one piece full-size keyboard. Furthermore, the adaptor plates can be eliminated or an integral part of the keying modules in some embodiments and the protuberance and fastening patterns that couple the keyboard to the universal mount modules can be incorporated directly in the lower portion of the keying modules such that the keying modules can directly couple to the universal mount modules.
The keying module 402 includes a proximal end 432 and a distal end 434, an outer lateral end 436 opposing an inner lateral end 438 with respect to the user, an upper portion 440 and a lower portion 442. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Based on the foregoing, the user can achieve a range of splay angles A (i.e., angle formed between the inner lateral ends 438 of the first and second keying modules 402, 404 as shown in
Suitable material for joining members 467 include material allowing the tether members 419 to both rotate (splay) and flex moderately (e.g., to allow tenting of keying modules at least up to and beyond 15 degrees elevated from horizontal ), while at the same time providing adequate strength and rigidity such that the two tethered keying modules 402, 404 may be picked up by holding just one keying module without the other module excessively sagging or causing the joining member 467 or tether member 419 to break or release from either keying module. The flexible joining members 467 are preferably produced from a material such as POM plastic which is injection moldable and which can flex slightly many times without breaking.
The tether member 419 of the present disclosure is configured to allow less strict dimensional tolerances and reduce the manufacturing cost and improve ease of assembly and use of the latching system 409. The improvements surprisingly solve potential shortcomings of previous designs. The improved latching system 409 and tethering module 413 provide users with significantly easier engagement to achieve tethering, very secure tethering with a failsafe design to release before breaking above a threshold force applied to the keying modules 402, 404, and much easier separation of the keying modules 402, 404 from the respective tether members 419 by the user when an un-tethered configuration is desired.
The internal sliding member 427 engages a biasing element 429 toward a first end of the internal sliding member 427. The biasing element 429 is more clearly illustrated in
In one aspect, the latch coupling region 433 includes a wedge formed from the two sides 435, 437 proximate an area where the two sides 435, 437 intersect. At least one of the two sides 435, 437 is tapered to form the wedge as discussed in more detail further below. The wedge has a substantially linear boundary as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In one embodiment, the latch coupling region 433 and the complementary coupling portion 443 include a coupling axis 445 that can be perpendicular to the shaft axis 441 when they are engaged. The complementary coupling portion 443 includes structural features formed in or on the cylindrical projection 439. For example, the cylindrical projection 439 can include a tip portion 447 adjacent an intermediate portion 449. In one embodiment, the tip and intermediate portions 447, 449 are positioned adjacent each other along the shaft axis 441. At least one circumferential region 451 in the tip portion 447 has a different diameter than a diameter of a circumferential region 453 in the intermediate portion 449. The two circumferential regions 451, 453 are positioned at least in part adjacent one another. The complementary coupling portion 443 is formed between the two circumferential regions 451, 453.
In one embodiment, the circumferential region 451 of the tip portion 447 has a larger diameter than a reduced diameter of the circumferential region 453 of the intermediate portion 449. Accordingly, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the intermediate portion 449 includes at least first and second circumferential regions 453, 457. The first circumferential region 453 has the reduced diameter, which is also smaller than the diameter of the second circumferential region 457, forming walls 461 between the first and second circumferential regions 453, 457. In the illustrated embodiment, the ceiling 455 terminates, toward a first end thereof, at an intersection between the ceiling 455 and first circumferential region of 453. The first circumferential region 453 can include a tapered surface 459 extending from between axial terminal ends of the intermediate portion 449 toward a terminal end of the intermediate portion 449 where it meets the ceiling 455. The tapered surface 459 improves the coupling strength between the latch 431 and the shaft 421 while at the same time not increasing or reducing the forces required for decoupling the latch 431 from the shaft 421 and removing the tether module 413 from the keying modules 402, 404.
Referring to FIGS. 19B and 22-24, as the latch 431 is released, the latch coupling portion 433 approaches the complementary coupling portion 443 formed in the shaft 421 of the tether member 419.
As shown in
Therefore, the dimensional tolerances of the shaft 421 and the latch 431 need not be as strict as previous designs where a cylindrical surface of a pin would be engaged by a curvilinear feature formed in the latch. In this previous design, the mating portions required extremely accurate dimensions to prevent unwanted movement of the pin with respect to the keyboard. Furthermore, the tether opening in the keyboard would also be sized to tightly fit about the pins. In contrast, the tether member 419 and the keying modules 402, 404 according to the present disclosure can be tightly secured together without requiring a tight fit of the shaft 439 into the tether openings 417, improving removal of the tether module 413 from the keying modules 402, 404.
It has been found that positioning the hot keys 504 laterally adjacent standard keys 506 of at least one keying module such that they are generally aligned with a plurality of rows that include the standard keys 506 improves efficiency of activating their function by making it easy to remember and access their positions. For example, a typical typing position of the user's hands can be maintained while one finger accesses the hot keys 504. In contrast, in conventional keyboard layouts at least one of the user's hands needs to leave its standard typing position to use more than two fingers to activate more than one hot key or to reach a hot key that is positioned in a non-aligned location with respect to the standard keys.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
The illustrated embodiment of
The programmable keying module 602 is operatively coupled to or houses the memory chip 604 and USB OTG port 606, to allow programming the keying module 602 and keys thereof and enable creation of driverless hot keys such as those discussed above in conjunction with
The memory chip 604 can be configured so that when the USB device 608 is connected, pressing a particular key on the programmable keying module 602 prepares assigning a function associated with keys pressed on the USB device 608. In the foregoing example, once another keyboard is connected to the USB OTG port 606, pressing any one key on the programmable keying module 602 and then pressing CTRL and “C” simultaneously assigns the copy function to the one key on the programmable keying module 602. The memory chip 604 can be configured to end the programming session for the one key upon repressing it, after which another key can be programmed. A similar programming methodology can be applied with other USB devices, such as a mouse or a controller, where functions of the mouse buttons or controller features can be assigned to desired keys of the programmable keying module 602.
As discussed earlier, the keying module 602 is provided as an example of a programmable peripheral device. Such a device can also include a computer mouse or foot pedal or controller, each having a USB OTG port and a memory chip. The memory chip can include EEPROM chips. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a peripheral device as described provides substantial benefits over existing unintelligent peripheral devices by allowing users to program their peripheral devices according to their preferences with respect to assigning hot keys. Upon connection to the computer via wire or wireless methods, the stored actions or functions can be conveyed to the computer. The keyboard functions can be erased or reset using the computer. Alternatively, particular keys can be programmed to provide control actions, such as resetting or erasing programmed key functions.
In addition, upon programming such peripheral devices, the user does not need to install drivers for recognizing functions associated with the keys, allowing the user to use the peripheral device with other computers.
The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.
These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/004,502 filed Nov. 28, 2007 where this provisional application is incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61004502 | Nov 2007 | US |
