Chordic keyboard system for generating a signal in response to a chord that is assigned using a correlation based on a composite chord-difficulty index

A dual chordic keyboard system for use by an operator having a right hand and a left hand, each hand having a thumb, fingers, and a palm, to communicate with a computer-based machine using a plurality of symbols, including a primary symbol set of said symbols, the dual chordic keyboard system comprising:

• a right-handed tilted chordic keyboard with at least five keys and with a right-handed integral palm rest wherein said right-handed tilted chordic keyboard is comprised of a right-handed finger group of keys and a right-handed thumb group of keys and wherein said right-handed finger group of keys consists of four keys arranged in a finger pattern and wherein said right-handed thumb group of keys consists of at least one key and wherein said right-handed thumb group of keys is located on the keyboard in relation to said right-handed finger group of keys such that said right-handed thumb group of keys can be actuated while the fingers of said operator's right hand are positioned on said right-handed finger group of keys and wherein said right-handed integral palm rest is integrated with said right-handed tilted chordic keyboard such that the operator's right palm can rest on and be partially supported by said right-handed integral palm rest while the fingers of said operator's right hand are positioned on said right-handed finger group of keys and the thumb of said operator's right hand is positioned on said right-handed thumb group of keys and wherein said right-handed tilted chordic keyboard is tilted at an angle in a range of 20.degree. to 45.degree.;
• a left-handed tilted chordic keyboard with at least five keys and with an left-handed integral palm rest wherein said left-handed tilted chordic keyboard is comprised of a left-handed finger group of keys and a left-handed thumb group of keys and wherein said left-handed finger group of keys consists of four keys arranged in a finger pattern and wherein said left-handed thumb group of keys consists of at least one key and wherein said left-handed thumb group of keys is located on the keyboard in relation to said left-handed finger group of keys such that said left-handed thumb group of keys can be actuated while the fingers of said operator's left hand are positioned on said left-handed finger group of keys and wherein said left-handed integral palm rest is integrated with said left-handed tilted chordic keyboard such that the palm of said operator's left hand can rest on and be partially supported by said left-handed integral palm rest while the fingers of said operator's left hand are positioned on said left-handed finger group of keys and the thumb of said operator's left hand is positioned on said left-handed thumb group of keys and wherein said left-handed tilted chordic keyboard is tilted at an angle in the range of 20.degree. to 45.degree.;
• means for detecting a plurality of right- handed chords produced by the actuation of said right-handed finger group of keys and said right-handed thumb group of keys;
• means for detecting a plurality of left-handed chords produced by the actuation of said left-handed finger group of keys and said left-handed thumb group of keys;
• means for transmitting said right-handed chords to said computer-based machine;
• means for transmitting said left-handed chords to said computer-based machine;
• and
• means for programming said computer-based machine to receive said chords from said transmitting means, and to assign to each primary symbol of said primary symbol set a unique chord, said assignment to be derived using a correlation between a frequency-of-use index for each primary symbol and a composite chord-difficulty index of the unique chord such that when said computer-based machine is executing said programming means, said operator can communicate with said computer-based machine by actuating chords of keys on said tilted chordic keyboard.

A chordic keyboard system in a data processing apparatus, wherein the chordic keyboard system is used to communicate with a chordic keyboard including a plurality of keys, the chordic keyboard system comprising:

• means for storing data representative of a plurality of chords, the data organized as a plurality of groups, wherein each chord corresponds to a subset of the plurality of keys of the chordic keyboard, and for storing a plurality of symbols, wherein data representative of a chord is represented by and corresponds to one of the plurality of symbols according to a correlation between a frequency-of-use index of the symbol and a composite chord-difficulty index of the chord, and wherein the plurality of groups includes an alphabetic group, a punctuation/cursor control group, an editing/control function group, a numerical/mathematical group, and a punctuation/symbolic-type group;
• means for receiving data from the chordic keyboard identifying a selected chord of the plurality of chords;
• means for identifying, using the stored data and symbols, the group corresponding to the selected chord, and for identifying a selected symbol of the plurality of symbols representative of the selected chord;
• and
• means, coupled to the identifying means, for generating a signal corresponding to the selected symbol.

A chordic keyboard system in a data processing apparatus, wherein the chordic keyboard system communicates with a chordic keyboard in a plurality of modes, including a let-mode and a num-mode, wherein said chordic keyboard includes a plurality of keys, the chordic keyboard system comprising:

• means for storing data representative of a plurality of chords, the data organized as a plurality of data groups, wherein each chord corresponds to a subset of the plurality of keys of the chordic keyboard, and for storing a plurality of symbols, wherein data representative of a chord is mapped to one of the plurality of symbols based on a correlation between a plurality of symbol-groups and a plurality of chord groups in which each of the symbols is assigned to one of the symbol-groups based on a frequency-of-use index of the symbol and each chord is assigned one of the chord groups based on a composite chord-difficulty index of the chord, wherein the composite chord-difficulty index includes both a motor difficulty index and a perceptual difficulty index corresponding to the chord, and wherein the plurality of data groups includes an alphabetic group, a punctuation/cursor control group, an editing/control function group, a numerical/mathematical group, and a punctuation/symbolic-type group;
• means for receiving data from the chordic keyboard identifying a selected chord of the plurality of chords and for recognizing that the received data corresponds to a depression of the plurality of keys of the chordic keyboard, wherein the keys are divided into a plurality of groups, including at least one of the following groups:
• a finger group and a thumb group, wherein the finger group includes a plurality of keys including an index-finger key, a middle-finger key, a ring-finger key, and a little-finger key, and wherein the thumb group includes a plurality of keys including a first thumb key, a second thumb key and a third thumb key;
• means for identifying, using the stored data and symbols, the group corresponding to the selected chord, and for identifying a selected symbol of the plurality of symbols representative of the selected chord;
• and
• means, coupled to the identifying means, for generating a signal corresponding to the selected symbol.