US 5,808,567 A · Apparatus and method of communicating using three digits of a hand

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for inputting information to an electronic device using the primary digit and first and second ancillary digits of the operator's hand. In the preferred embodiment, the operator's index finger acts as the primary digit while the middle finger and thumb act as the first and second ancillary digits, respectively. The apparatus includes an interface surface having a selector pad divided into a plurality of selector pad switches. In the preferred embodiment, the nine selector pad switches are arranged on the interface surface according to a 3.times.3 array for activation by the operator's index finger. Located laterally and below the selector pad are two address switches capable of being selected by the middle finger and thumb of the hand. Using the two address switches, each selector pad switch located in the selector pad may be assigned up to four possible switch addresses. A microprocessor assigns a code element taken from a programmable code table to each address. By using the digits to select the various combinations of switches, the operator is able to input information into an electronic device designed to receive such information. In one embodiment, the code elements are phonemes take from a modified set of IPA phonemes assigned to the code table.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An apparatus for inputting information into an electronic device using three digits of a hand, comprising;

a. a selector pad having a plurality of selector pad switches capable of being selected by the index finger of said hand;
b. a first address switch located in the vicinity of said selector pad capable of being activated by a first ancillary digit located immediately adjacent to said index finger while one said selector pad switch is being simultaneously selected by said index finger;
c. a second address switch located in the vicinity of said selector pad capable of being activated by a second ancillary digit located immediately adjacent to said index finger while one said selector pad switch is being selected by said index finger and said first address switch is being simultaneously selected by said first ancillary digit;
d. a gate means capable of decoding the combined switch closure information of said selector pad switches and said first and second address switches into an unique switch address;
e. a transferring means capable of transmitting said switch address to an electronic device capable of using said information, and;
f. a memory means capable of associating said signal address transferred from said apparatus with one code taken from a set of communication codes capable of being used to communicate between said apparatus and the electronic device.

3 more elements

An apparatus for inputting information to an electronic device, comprising:

a. a selector pad having nine selector pad switches arranged according to a 3.times.3 array;
b. a first address switch in the vicinity of said selector pad so that an user may simultaneously select said first address switch and any one said selector pad switch on said selector pad using one hand;
c. a second address switch in the vicinity of said selector pad switches in said selector pad so that an user may simultaneously select said second address switch and any one said selector pad switch on said selector pad and simultaneously select said first address switch using one said hand;
d. a gate means capable of decoding switch closure information of said selector pad switches and said first and second address switches into a plurality of switch addresses;
e. a transferring means capable of transmitting said signal addresses from said gate means to an electronic device capable of using said information, and;
f. a memory means connected to said electronic device, said memory means being capable of associating said signal address produced by said apparatus with one code taken from a set of communication codes capable of being used to communicate between said apparatus and said electronic device.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method of communicating using three digits of a hand

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method of communicating using three digits of a hand

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24