Patent Grant
7312410
1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to handheld electronic devices and, more particularly, to a keyboard for a handheld electronic device having a first set of keys structured to engage two contacts and a second set of keys structured to engage a single contact and wherein each key in said first set of keys and said second set of keys is related to two indicia.
2. Background Information
Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such handheld electronic devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Such handheld electronic devices are generally intended to be portable and thus must be relatively small. Since handheld electronic devices typically are portable, it is also desired that the form factor of the devices be sufficiently small and ergonomic that they can conveniently be transported with a belt clip, in a user's pocket, manually, or in a briefcase. Advancements in technology have permitted the form factor of such handheld electronic devices to be reduced while increasing their versatility and functionality, such as by increasing the number of functions provided by the device as well as increasing the number of software applications and the variety of their features. However, as the form factor of a handheld electronic device decreases and the number of functions provided by the device increases, the device potentially can become awkward and difficult to use. Thus, it is also desirable to improve the usability of a handheld electronic device as its form factor is reduced and its versatility is increased. Previous attempts to increase such usability have had limitations.
One such type of solution has involved the use of large numbers of keys which, when pressed in various combinations, would produce various functions. For instance, adjacent keys were depressed simultaneously to provide additional functions. In mobile electronics, keys oftentimes are operatively connected with metal domes that act as switches for the keys and that are collapsible and provide tactile feedback to a user when the domes are collapsed from a relaxed position to a deflected position. Due to the closeness of the keys, accidental simultaneous pressing of multiple keys oftentimes results in the collapsing of multiple domes, which can result in a confusing and/or undesirable tactile feedback to a user. Other attempts at improving usability have involved decreasing the quantity of keys on a handheld device while increasing the number of functions each key is to serve. Such systems potentially can become cumbersome because the various functions of a given key may additionally require the pressing of an additional key, such as, but not limited to, the SHIFT key or ALT key. In such a circumstance, the required multiple key pushing requires multiple hand movements which interfere with user friendliness.
It is also desirable to provide users with keys disposed in a common pattern. For example, an English language keyboard typically has the QWERTY layout. Thus, handheld electronic devices having a QWERTY keyboard with a reduced number of keys have been created. Such devices typically have more that one letter associated with most keys. For example, a single key on the QWERTY keyboard with a reduced number of keys would represent both the letter “A” and the letter “S”. Thus, the handheld electronic device needed to provide a means for selecting which letter the user intended to select when the key was depressed. An early differentiating means simply had the user depressing the key once for one letter and twice for the other letter. Alternatively, as described above, a combination of keys could be associated with one letter and not the other. That is, for example, the key by itself was associated with the letter “A” and the key plus the ALT key was associated with the letter “S.” The disadvantage to these means is that users of a QWERTY keyboard prefer to type in a traditional manner, i.e., without having to depress an extra key.
One means of addressing this disadvantage was provided by software. Disambiguation routines were created that suggested one of the letters based on, for example, a subsequent keystroke. That is, if the user had selected the letters “QU” and the next key depressed was the “A/S” key, the software would suggest the use of the letter “A” because the letter combination “QU” is almost always followed by a vowel. Such software solution would typically provide the user with a list of the less preferred letter combinations which the user could select if desired. This means was further improved by providing three conductors, a primary, secondary and tertiary conductor, under each key and which were operable with the software. The primary conductor was engaged when the key was depressed. The secondary and tertiary conductors were disposed adjacent to opposing lateral sides of the keys and were alternately closed when the user depressed one side of the key or the other. Thus, where the letter “A” was located on the left side of a single key, and the secondary conductor was located under the left lateral side of the key, when a user depressed the “A/S” key and pressed on the left side of the key, the primary conductor was engaged indicating the key had been depressed and, if the secondary conductor was depressed, the software would weigh, that is favor, the letter “A” over the letter “S”.
This solution, however, has disadvantages as well. For example, some keys may only be associated with a single letter thereby making the secondary and tertiary conductors redundant. Also, some keys, such as a “Z/X” key have letters that are so relatively uncommon in use that the software could reliably choose the proper letter the user intended to use. Again, the secondary and tertiary conductors were essentially wasted. Additionally, where each key was structured to overlay three conductors, all keys were elongated resulting in a wider keypad.
These disadvantages are overcome by the present invention which provides a keyboard structured to be incorporated into a handheld electronic device and a method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device having a first set of elongated keys structured to engage at least two electrical contacts and a second set of keys structured to engage a single contact. There is a cost savings associated with reducing the number of metal domes required and the keyboard may be more narrow that the prior art keyboard given that only selected keys are elongated.
The first set of keys are elongated in a lateral direction and, in one embodiment, are structured to engage a primary contact, a secondary contact and a tertiary contact. The secondary contact and tertiary contact are disposed under the lateral sides of the keys in the first group. Thus, when one side of a key in the first group is pressed, both the primary contact and either the secondary contact or tertiary contact is depressed. The keyboard is coupled to a processor running a disambiguation routine. When the secondary contact or tertiary contact is engaged, the indicia associated with that contact is favored, or weighted, in the disambiguation routine. The program subsequently causes a list of indicia combinations to be displayed with the favored combinations at the top of the list.
The method of interacting with such a keyboard includes the steps of, detecting a first input from a key on the keypad, determining whether the first input resulted from engaging a secondary conductor, and outputting a list of indicia corresponding to the indicia on the key and, where a secondary conductor was engaged, favoring outputting the indicia corresponding to the indicia associated with the secondary conductor by placing the indicia corresponding to the indicia associated with the secondary conductor on the top of the list.
A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
As used herein, the word “assigned” when used in association with indicia on a key indicates that the indicia is printed on a key and that the processor/software is programmed to associate the indicia with key having the indicia printed thereon.
As used herein the words “indicia” and “character” indicates any language element such as, but not limited to, a letter, number, ideogram, a space, or punctuation mark. For the sake of differentiation, “indicia” is used in relation to a fixed mark on a key and “character” is used in relation to an image created on a display.
A handheld electronic device 10 is shown schematically in
Generally, as described in detail below, the keyboard assembly 12 is structured to be incorporated into the handheld electronic device 10. The keyboard assembly 12 includes a printed circuit board 78 having a plurality of electrical contacts 102, 106, a conductor assembly 71 having a plurality of primary conductors 89, a plurality of secondary conductors 96, a plurality of tertiary conductors 97, and a key pad assembly having a plurality 30 of keys 32 each having one or more indicia 34 assigned thereto. Each primary conductor 89 and secondary conductor 96 are structured to correspond to, and engage and close, at least one of said plurality of electrical contacts 102, 106. The plurality 30 of keys 32 is disposed in at least a first set 40 of keys 42 and a second 60 set of keys 62, wherein at least two keys 42 in the first set 40 are each coupled to, and structured to engage, a first number of conductors 89, 96, 97 and each key 62 in the second set 60 is coupled to, and structured to engage, a second number of conductors 89, 96, 97, wherein the first and second number of conductors 89, 96, 97 is different. For example, each key 42 in the first set 40 may be coupled to, and structured to engage, a primary conductor 89 and at least one secondary conductor 96, and, each key 62 in the second set 60 may be coupled to, and structured to engage, only a primary conductor 89. Additionally, at least two keys 42 in the first set 40 are each structured to engage at least one tertiary conductor 97.
As can be seen in
The indicia 34 may be divided into first indicia 35, second indicia 36 and third indicia 37. As shown, many of the exemplary first indicia 35 are digits, and many of the second and third indicia 36 and 37, respectively, are letters. While not limiting on the claims, but as shown in
As can be best understood from
The keypad 70 includes the aforementioned sets of keys 40, 60, 68 and a key panel 73. The keys 42, 62, 68 are movably disposed on the key panel 73 and are permitted to pivot slightly with respect thereto.
The primary conductor portion 72 includes a plurality 80 of conductive domes 82 disposed on a dome panel 84. The dome panel 84 includes a plurality of primary holes 86 (
The secondary conductor portion 74 includes a plurality of conductive carbon patches 94 disposed on a flexible support sheet 90. The support sheet 90 includes a plurality of primary holes 98 formed therein and positioned to be disposed below an associated key 42, 62, 68. That is, the primary holes 98 in the support sheet 90 are arranged to correspond with and be similar to the arrangement of the primary holes 98 in the dome panel 84. In the preferred embodiment, the carbon patches 94 are positioned to be located on each lateral side of a primary hole 98 associated with a key 42 from the first set 40. The carbon patches 94 located to the left side of a secondary conductor portion 74 primary hole 98 is hereinafter a secondary conductor 96 and the carbon patches 94 located to the right side of a secondary conductor portion 74 primary hole 98 is hereinafter a tertiary conductor 97. It is understood that in other embodiments the secondary conductor portion 74 could have patches of a different conductive material, such as a metal or other material, without departing from the concept of the invention. The support sheet 90 may be a thin plastic sheet, although other configurations are possible.
It is understood that the primary conductor portion 72 and the secondary conductor portion 74 can be said to provide switches for the keys 42, 62, 68. Such switches of the primary conductor portion 72 provide a tactile feedback, and such switches of the secondary conductor portion 74 generally do not provide tactile feedback, but such switches could be of other configurations.
The spacer 76 is a sheet of material that can be generally said to space the carbon patches 94 away from the printed circuit board 78. The spacer 76 includes a plurality of circular primary holes 99 arranged in rows similar to the arrangement of the primary holes 98 in the support sheet 90 and the primary holes 86 in the dome panel 84. The spacer 76 additionally includes a plurality of elongated secondary holes 101 that correspond generally with the arrangement of the carbon patches 94 on the support sheet 90. In the exemplary embodiment, the spacer 76 is a thin sheet of an insulative material, such as plastic, although configurations are possible. It is also understood that the keyboard assembly 12 potentially could be configured in other fashions that would eliminate the need for the spacer 76 but would still be considered to be within the scope of the invention.
As is best shown in
The domes 82 (
As can be understood from
As can further be understood from
When the dome 82 is in the deflected position, it contacts the ball contact 108 of the associated pair of primary contacts 102. The domes 82 are primary conductors 89 which, when engaged with a corresponding set of primary contacts 102, electrically connect together the pair of primary contacts 102 in order to complete a circuit or to complete an open portion of a circuit, which provides a first function associated with the first terminal position of the key 42. The dome 82 is configured to “snap” when moving between the relaxed position (
As can be understood from
When the key 42 is in the second terminal position, i.e.,
The secondary conductor 96 and tertiary conductor 97 are mounted on the support sheet 90 (
The key 42 in the second terminal position is pivoted slightly in a direction away from the first terminal position. In the exemplary embodiment depicted herein, the second terminal position, i.e.,
When the secondary conductor 96 and tertiary conductor 97 are moved to their deflected positions, which alternately occur at the second and third terminal positions of the key 42, the deflected carbon patch 94 engages an associated pair of the secondary contacts 106 and, being a conductor, electrically connects together the pair of secondary contacts 106. In the embodiment depicted herein, a given pair of the secondary contacts 106 extends along the printed circuit board 78 adjacent a plurality of the pairs of primary contacts 102 and, in the depicted embodiment, the primary contacts 102 of some of the pairs of the primary contacts 102 lie on opposite sides of the given set of secondary contacts 106. Since, in the depicted exemplary embodiment, a single pair of the secondary contacts 106 extends past a plurality of pairs of the primary contacts 102, the single set of secondary contacts 106 serves as the associated secondary contacts 106 for the first set 40 of keys 42 with which the adjacent pairs of primary contacts 102 are associated.
It thus can be seen that each key 42 in the first set 40 of keys 42 is movable between the initial position and a plurality of terminal positions, i.e., the first, second, and third terminal positions, depicted in
As can be understood from
As can further be understood from
When the dome 82 is in the deflected position, it contacts the ball contact 108 of the associated pair of primary contacts 102. The domes 82 are primary conductors which, when engaged with a corresponding set of primary contacts 102, electrically connect together the pair of primary contacts 102 in order to complete a circuit or to complete an open portion of a circuit, which provides a first function associated with the first terminal position of the key 62. The dome 82 is configured to “snap” when moving between the relaxed position (
It thus can be seen that each key 62 in the second set of keys 60 is movable between the initial position and a single terminal position. The single terminal position is associated with the three indicia 35, 36, 37 (
As shown in
In operation, the processor 18 utilizes the input from the keyboard assembly 12 to provide an output to the display 17. The speed of creating a message including text corresponding to the indicia 34 is enhanced by the disambiguation routine 21 and the input created by the primary conductors 89, the secondary conductors 96 and the tertiary conductors 97. The disambiguation routine 21 is structured to select likely letter combinations, i.e., letter combinations that create known words, as is known in the art. The functionality of the disambiguation routine 21 is enhanced by the additional input created by the secondary conductors 96 and the tertiary conductors 97. That is, the additional input of the secondary conductors 96 and the tertiary conductors 97 weights, or makes more likely, the selection by the processor 18 of the indicia 34 associated with either the secondary conductor 96 and the tertiary conductor 97.
For example, with the key pad 70 layout described above, the letters “U” and “I” are both located on a single key 42 in the first set 40. The letter “U” is located on the left side of the key 42 and above the secondary conductor 96 associated with that key 42. The letter “I” is located on the right side of the key 42 and above the tertiary conductor 97 associated with that key 42. That is, the “U/I” key is a key 42 structured to engage the secondary conductors 96 and the tertiary conductors 97 located on either side of the primary conductor 89. Additionally, the key 42 may also be associated with the number “3.” Thus, this single key 42 has the first indicia 35 of the number “3”, a second indicia 36 of the letter “U” and a third indicia 37 of the letter “I.” For this example, this key 42 will be identified as the “3/U/I key.”
By way of further example, assuming a user is beginning to create a message in the handheld electronic device and there are no prior inputs, when a user presses on the 3/U/I key 42, the processor 18 will provide an output to the display 17. When the user moves the 3/U/I key 42 to the first terminal position only the primary conductor 89 is engaged. The disambiguation routine 21 may be adapted to associate this position with the number “3” and the processor 18 will cause the number “3” to be presented on the display 17. If, however, the 3/U/I key 42 is moved into the second terminal position, the primary conductor 89 and the secondary conductor 96 are engaged and the disambiguation routine 21 will weigh the letter “U” as a more likely choice. Thus, the processor 18 will cause the letter “U” to be presented on the display 17. Similarly, if the “3/U/I” key 42 is moved into the third terminal position, the primary conductor 89 and the tertiary conductor 97 are engaged and the disambiguation routine 21 will weigh the letter “1” as a more likely choice. Thus, the processor 18 will cause the letter “I” to be presented on the display 17.
The processor 18 may also be adapted to display the alternate choices. That is, if the user moves the 3/U/I key 42 to the first terminal position, the number “3” may be displayed as a first of three choices and the letters “U” and “I” may be displayed as alternative choices. As is known in the art, the user could use the dial 19 to provide an input to the processor 18 indicating the alternate choices are desired. Typically, this is accomplish by having a display 17 show a indication, e.g., a highlight, associated with one of the choices, either “3,” “U,” or “I.” As the dial 19 is rotated, the highlight moves between the choices and the user selects the desired choice by engaging another key, typically the “enter” key.
Additionally, as is known in the art, the disambiguation routine 21 is adapted to provide a list of frequent character choices on the display based on combinations of input from the keys 32. For example, a user initially selects the letter “Q.” That is, the user depressed the “Q/W” key and, as “W” is a more commonly used letter, the disambiguation routine 21 would display the letter “W” with the letter “Q” as an alternate choice. The user then would use the dial 19, or another selection device, to choose the letter “Q” as the desired choice. Having selected the letter “Q”, the next key pressed is the “3/U/I” key 42. At this point, the disambiguation routine 21 is likely to suggest the letter combination of “QU” regardless of which terminal position the “3/U/I” key 42 is in as the letter “Q” is almost always followed by the letter “U”. Similarly, if the prior character is a number and the “3/U/I” key 42 is pressed, the disambiguation routine 21 will suggest the number “3” regardless of which terminal position the “3/U/I” key 42 is in because very few common words incorporate numerical characters and, with the exception of variables in mathematical expressions, few numbers include letters. Again, the processor 18 may also be adapted to display the alternate choices which may be selected using the dial 19.
Therefore, the method of using the handheld electronic device 10 described above, and as shown in
When the user engages a sequence of keys 32, the method includes the following steps as well. First, determining 210 whether the first input resulted from engaging a secondary conductor 96 and if so, assigning additional weight to the character corresponding to the indicia 36 associated with the secondary conductor 96. Second, detecting 212 a second input from a key 32 on the keypad 70. Third, determining 214 whether the second input resulted from engaging the secondary conductor 96 and, if so, assigning additional weight to the character corresponding to the indicia 36 associated with the secondary conductor 96. Fourth, utilizing 216 the disambiguation routine 21 to propose a likely combination of characters selected from the indicia disposed on the first and second input keys 32. Where either, or both, the first and second input resulted from engaging the secondary conductor 96, the proposal is weighted to favor a combination including the character corresponding to the indicia 36 associated with the at least one secondary conductor 96. Fifth, outputting 218 a list of combined characters corresponding to indicia 34 disposed on the first and second input keys 32 and, where a secondary conductor 96 was engaged, favoring outputting the characters indicia 36 corresponding to the indicia associated with the at least one secondary conductor 96 by placing the combination of characters corresponding to the indicia 36 associated with the at least one secondary conductor 96 on the top of the list. Where the handheld electronic device 10 includes a dial 19 structured to provide a selective output, the method may include the further steps of detecting 220 the rotation of said dial 19 and providing 222 an output corresponding to the rotation that includes an indication highlighting one set of combined characters on the list.
Additionally, as the first set 40 of keys 42 are preferably structured to engage a tertiary conductor 97 as well, as shown in
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. For example, as shown in
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5528235 | Lin et al. | Jun 1996 | A |
| 5824978 | Karasik et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 6080941 | Yokobori | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6377685 | Krishnan | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6452588 | Griffin et al. | Sep 2002 | B2 |
| 6489950 | Griffin et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6931125 | Smallwood | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 6995326 | Sugimura et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 7014099 | Crisan | Mar 2006 | B2 |
| 7109973 | Fyke et al. | Sep 2006 | B2 |
| 20010006587 | Keinonen et al. | Jul 2001 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 3715765 | Dec 1988 | DE |
| 0930760 | Jul 1999 | EP |
| 1 400 889 | Mar 2004 | EP |
| 1 515 527 | Mar 2005 | EP |
| 1515527 | Mar 2005 | EP |
| 2003241885 | Aug 2003 | JP |
| WO 9915952 | Apr 1999 | WO |
| WO 0167720 | Sep 2001 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20070018855 A1 | Jan 2007 | US |
