# US 6,297,752 B1 · Backside keyboard for a notebook or gamebox

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- Number: US 6,297,752 B1
- Document ID: US6297752B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 08/995,321
- Filed: 1997-12-22
- Granted: 2001-10-02
- Earliest claimed: 1996-07-25
- Inventors: Xuan Ni
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6297752B1

## CPC

- G06F 1/1616: {with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position}
- G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]}
- G06F 1/1666: {Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys (G06F1/1664 takes precedence)}
- G06F 3/0202: {Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A keyboard for a notebook computer, personal computer, Personal Data Assistance computer or a game having two keyboard sections. In one embodiment the sections are fixedly mounted on the underside of the chassis of the device and the keys are arranged with half the keys on one section and half the keys are on the other section and positioned such that each key is in a natural position corresponding to the position of the keys when one is typing on a conventional keyboard. In another embodiment, each section is hingeably attached to an edge of the keyboard and the keyboard may be used in one position where the sections extend from the keyboard and face the user an another position where the sections are folded against the backside of the chassis of the device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A keyboard for an electronic device, said device being one of
(i) a notebook computer;
(ii) a personal digital assistant computer;
(iii) a game;
mounted in a chassis having a substantially rectangular shape and front surface opposite a rear surface; wherein said keyboard comprises:
said front surface facing an operator when said operator is operating said device;
a right keyboard section having a right array of keys arranged on a key side of said right keyboard section;
a left keyboard section having a left array of keys arranged on a key side of said left keyboard section;
said right and left arrays arranged to provide that when said right keyboard section is positioned with a parting edge of said right keyboard section against a parting edge of said left keyboard section, the combination of said left and right arrays is arranged identically to a standard keyboard;
means for securing said backside of said right keyboard section and said backside of said left keyboard section to said rear surface of said chassis oriented in a first position to provide that when said user faces said front surface and holds said device with a left hand holding a left edge and a right hand holding a right edge of said device, fingers of said left and right hand are in a normal position in which the palms of the hand are turned toward the face of the user and they have the same spatial relationship to said left and right arrays respectively as when the fingers are positioned for typing on a standard keyboard.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein said device comprises a monitor screen mounted on said front surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein said means for securing comprises:
a left hinge located an upper left corner of said chassis and coupling said left keyboard section to said chassis; and
a right hinge located in an upper right corner of said chassis and coupling said left keyboard section to said chassis;
said right and left hinges arranged in operable combination with said chassis and said right and left keyboard sections, respectively, to permit orientation of said right and left keyboard sections to said first position and orientation of said right and left keyboard sections to a second position where said right and left keyboard sections face said operator with left and right arrays oriented to permit typing with fingers of said left and right hand having the same spatial relationship to said left and right arrays respectively as when the fingers are positioned for typing on a standard keyboard.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 which comprises at least one additional key on said front surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4 wherein said one additional key is a two position switch wherein, in one position, said screen presents an image of said keyboard aligned with said keyboard whereby a user is presented with a visual guide to keys on said keyboard and, in another position, presents data.