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EP0243188A2
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Keyboard entry system
Assignee: Quixote Corp
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Filing: 1987-04-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-04-23
Abstract
Abstract A keyboard entry system (10) is disclosed which comprises a keyboard (20) which includes a plurality of letter keys, one for each letter of a selected language. The entry system responds to conventional sequential activation of individual keys by providing output signals indicative of the respective individual letters associated with the activated keys to an application program (90) such as a word processor or printer control program. The keyboard entry system (10) also responds to chords of simultaneously activated multiple keys by using these chords to retrieve stored words from a dictionery (70). It is the stored words rather than the entered chords which are applied as inputs to the application program (90). This system allows an operator to use both conventional sequential key entry techniques and chorded entry techniques for rapid data entry. Chords are detected by comparing a stored constant with the elapsed time between a key release and the immediately preceding key depression of an overlapping key. The overlapping keys are characterised as a chord when the elapsed time is greater than the stored constant. A biofeedback mechanism alerts the operator of inadvertent chords.
Inventors
- 👤 Philip E. Rollhaus
- 👤 Yukio Endo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 19:30
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J5/00; B41J5/08; B41J5/10; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/02; G06F3/023; G06F40/00; G06F40/20; G06F40/274
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
271 words
A keyboard entry system (10) for a selected language, comprising a keyboard (20) having a plurality of keys, including a set of letter keys with a respective key for each letter of said selected language; characterised by first means (40) responsive to activation of the plurality of letter keys to generate keying signals each distinguished by a respective depression time when the keying signal is generated in response to depression of the respective letter key, and a respective release time when the keying signal is generated in response to release of the respective letter key; second means (50) responsive to the first means (40) for generating output signals in response to the keying signals, said second means (50) comprising means for classifying a plurality of keying signals as a key chord in the event that the respective depression and release times satisfy predetermined criteria, said criteria comprising the criterion that the elapsed time between a first one of the release times and an immediately preceding one of the depression times is greater than a preselected time interval; means (70) for storing a list of stored texts, each corresponding to a respective chord; means responsive to the key chord, for utilizing the key chord to select the one of the stored texts in the list of stored texts which corresponds to the key chord; means for setting the output signal to correspond to the selected one of the stored texts; and means for setting the output signal to correspond to the letters corresponding to the activated letter keys in the event the respective depression and release times fail to satisfy said criteria.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
271 words
A keyboard entry system (10) for a selected language, comprising a keyboard (20) having a plurality of keys, including a set of letter keys with a respective key for each letter of said selected language; characterised by first means (40) responsive to activation of the plurality of letter keys to generate keying signals each distinguished by a respective depression time when the keying signal is generated in response to depression of the respective letter key, and a respective release time when the keying signal is generated in response to release of the respective letter key; second means (50) responsive to the first means (40) for generating output signals in response to the keying signals, said second means (50) comprising means for classifying a plurality of keying signals as a key chord in the event that the respective depression and release times satisfy predetermined criteria, said criteria comprising the criterion that the elapsed time between a first one of the release times and an immediately preceding one of the depression times is greater than a preselected time interval; means (70) for storing a list of stored texts, each corresponding to a respective chord; means responsive to the key chord, for utilizing the key chord to select the one of the stored texts in the list of stored texts which corresponds to the key chord; means for setting the output signal to correspond to the selected one of the stored texts; and means for setting the output signal to correspond to the letters corresponding to the activated letter keys in the event the respective depression and release times fail to satisfy said criteria.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system as claimed in any Claim 1, characterised in that each of said keying signals comprises a key code identifying the activated key and a time code identifying the time of depression or release.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
22 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said preselected time interval is in the range of 70-85 milliseconds.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
23 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the means for generating the keying signals is included in the keyboard.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
45 words
A system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said classifying means is included in a computer, and in that the means for generating the keying signals is included in a module interconnected between the keyboard and the computer.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
61 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by means for measuring a plurality of time intervals each characteristic of the elapsed time separating a keying signal generated in response to release of the respective letter key and the immediately preceding keying signal generated in response to depression of the respective letter key, for comparison with said preselected time interval.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
26 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by means for storing said preselected time interval such that its value remains unchanged over multiple chords.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
29 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by biofeedback means for alerting an operator when a key chord fails to correspond to any of the stored texts.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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