Device for the prevention of RSI symptoms
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorHans-Erdmann Korth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention describes a device and a method to prevent RSI symptoms when keys are operated, and it contains a measuring device (4) to determine the force acting on the key, a device to compare the measured force with a finger stress model, and a device to make critical finger impact values (14, 16) perceptible. The inventive device may be positioned directly on the keyboard (2) as a stand-alone device, or it may be designed as part of a data processing system.
Claims4
A system for preventing RSI symptoms when keys of a keyboard are operated, said keyboard supported by plural supports, and comprising:
- a force sensor comprising at least one said support;
- means for signalling a user of said keyboard;
- and
- a processor coupled to said force sensor and responsive to a time progression of sensed force signals therefrom, to determine force values applied to a respective key, in part, based upon a location of said key with respect to said force sensor, and for comparing said time progression of force values to a force stress model and for generating a user perceivable output from said means for signalling if a force value on said respective key exceeds said force stress model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.