Keyboard device
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakahiro Miwa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compact keyboard for use in a portable electronic device includes keys arranged in two level sets. Each set includes an upper level and a lower level, and the keys of the upper and lower levels of each set are arranged in an interdigitated or staggered fashion such the keys of each set form a pattern similar to a pattern of a single row of keys of a standard full-sized keyboard. This key arrangement allows a compact device having limited horizontal dimensions to mimic a key pattern arrangement of a full-sized keyboard. The keys may have pointed indicator portions that bear a character or symbol that indicates the functions of the keys. The pointed indicator portions of the upper and lower levels of a single set may be interdigitated such that characters or symbols on the keys are arranged in a substantially straight line.
Claims20
A keyboard device for a compact electronic device, comprising a plurality of keys arranged in at least two sets, wherein each set of keys comprises a first horizontally extending row of keys and a second horizontally extending row of keys, wherein the keys of the first and second rows of each set are arranged in a staggered fashion, and wherein a vertical distance between the centers of adjacent keys in different rows of a set is smaller than a vertical distance between the centers of adjacent keys of different sets.
A portable electronic device, comprising:
- a keyboard for inputting characters and symbols comprising a plurality of keys arranged in at least two sets, wherein each set of keys comprises a first horizontally extending row of keys and a second horizontally extending row of keys, wherein the keys of the first and second rows of each set are arranged in a staggered fashion and wherein the combined keys of the first and second rows of each set are arranged in the same sequence as a single row of keys of a standard keyboard;
- and
- a printer for printing characters and symbols input with the keyboard.
A portable electronic device, comprising:
- a keyboard for inputting characters and symbols comprising a plurality of keys arranged in at least two sets, wherein each set of keys comprises a first horizontally extending row of keys and a second horizontally extending row of keys, wherein the keys of the first and second rows of each set are arranged in a staggered fashion, and wherein a vertical distance between the centers of adjacent keys in different rows of a set is smaller than a vertical distance between the centers of adjacent keys of different sets;
- and
- a printer for printing characters and symbols input with the keyboard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.