Folding keyboard for a personal digital assistant
The present invention provides a wireless folding keyboard for a personal digital assistant which has a stand for supporting the personal digital assistant in the appropriate orientation to receive the wireless signals.
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This application is a division of application Ser. No. 10/179,169 filed Jun. 26, 2002, which is pending and was a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/850,158 filed May 8, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,142 issued 15 Jul. 2003.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe invention relates to folding keyboards, and in particular to a folding keyboard particularly useful for use with a personal digital assistant.
BACKGROUND ARTPersonal digital assistants (“PDA's”), such as the devices manufactured by PALM™ and HANDSPRING™, are popular both as portable computers and as wireless communication devices. These devices use a pen to either hand-write characters or select letters from a simulated keyboard. However the lack of a standard keyboard greatly reduces the usefulness of these devices for word processing, e-mail, internet access or software applications. Touch typists require a standard size keyboard to type at full speed and efficiency. This requires a standard key size of about 18 mm square, with a 1 mm spacing between keys. Thus a standard size keyboard cannot be reduced to a size comparable to the size of a PDA without folding and/or collapsing the keyboard.
A collapsible full-size keyboard has been developed for PDA's and similar devices. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,097 issued Jan. 16, 2001 to Simon entitled “Collapsible Keyboard”, which keyboard is sold under the trademark STOWAWAY by Think Outside, Inc. While such a device provides a collapsible full-size keyboard for a PDA, it is complex to manufacture due to the need for three folding axes and multiple slidable keys and spring connections to effect collapsing. It is also larger than the PDA when collapsed. Before one can use the STOWAWAY keyboard, a driver program must be installed on the PDA. To connect the PDA with the STOWAWAY keyboard, a popup stand to support the PDA is provided on the keyboard. The connector of the PDA is slid onto a corresponding connector on the keyboard.
The present inventor has invented a folding keyboard which allows a full-size keyboard to be folded using a split key, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,220 issued Jul. 11, 2000. However such a keyboard, while useful for a pocket-sized computer is also greater in size than a PDA when folded.
The present inventor has also invented a combination mobile telephone, personal digital assistant and computer, as disclosed in provisional application No. 60/219,125 filed Jul. 19, 2000 which comprises a computer keyboard comprising a plurality of keys generally corresponding to the keys of a standard personal computer keyboard, and comprising two halves hingedly connected along a fold line extending transversely across the keyboard, each half thereby comprising a portion of the plurality of keys, whereby the computer is folded from a first open position in which the plurality of keys forms the generally standard personal computer keyboard, to a closed position in which the two halves are in opposed parallel relationship whereby the respective portions of the plurality of keys on the respective halves face each other in close proximity or actual contact, and which includes keys which are reduced in size but act like regular sized keys due to the shape of the key surface.
There is therefore a need for a folding keyboard for use with PDA's which functions as a full-size keyboard and which folds in a simple manner to the size of a PDA.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTIONThe present invention provides a combination of a wireless folding keyboard for a personal digital assistant and a stand for supporting the personal digital assistant, wherein the personal digital assistant has a first port for wireless communication, the folding keyboard comprises a second port for wireless communication and the stand is adapted to support the personal digital assistant in an orientation whereby the first and second port are in wireless communication with each other, and wherein the keyboard further comprises a battery, a plurality of keys and computer software for wirelessly communicating a keystroke signal when a key is struck
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGSIn drawings which disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention:
With reference to the drawings, a folding keyboard, shown fully folded in
In order to facilitate a typist utilizing the same finger action as that employed on a standard full-size QWERTY keyboard, the top and bottom rows of keys 28, 32 preferably have a scalloped or contoured upper surface 46, 48 (see
Also as shown in
Further embodiments of the configuration of the keys for the top and bottom rows 28, 32 and end keys are shown in
In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
Further variants of the scalloped key are shown in
Keyboard 10 can be connected to PDA 100 either by a direct plug-in connection or by infrared (IR) communication. If infrared connection is utilized, the PDA 100 is connected to the keyboard 10 by hinge 90 as shown in
When an IR connection is provided, pen or stylus 102 of the PDA 100 (
Hinge 90, shown in
To minimize the thickness of the keyboard 10 when folded, the keys 20 are compressed or squeezed to their maximum depression and minimum height between halves 12 and 14 through contact with the keys on the opposing half, and a snap or clasp 13 (
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A combination of a wireless folding keyboard for a personal digital assistant and a stand for supporting said personal digital assistant, wherein said personal digital assistant has a first port for wireless communication, said folding keyboard comprises a second port for wireless communication and said stand is adapted to support said personal digital assistant in an orientation whereby said first and second port are in wireless communication with each other, and wherein said keyboard further comprises a battery, a plurality of keys and computer software for wirelessly communicating a keystroke signal from said second port when a key is struck.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said wireless communication comprises infrared communication and said first and second ports are infrared ports.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said stand for supporting a personal digital assistant comprises a stylus-shaped element having a first end sized to be removably received in a stylus-receiving cavity of said personal digital assistant, and a rigid elongated element pivotally connected to said first end, whereby when said first end is received in said stylus-receiving cavity said rigid elongated element may be pivoted to support said personal digital assistant in an orientation whereby said first and second port are in wireless communication with each other.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein personal digital assistant is hingedly connected to said folding keyboard and said stand supports said personal digital assistant in an orientation to permit wireless communication between said first and second ports.
5. The combination of claim 3 further comprising a hinge to removably and hingedly connect said personal digital assistant to said folding keyboard in an orientation to permit wireless communication between said first and second ports.
6. The combination of claim 3 wherein the screen display of the personal digital assistant is rotated 90 degrees.
7. The combination of claim 4 wherein the screen display of the personal digital assistant is rotated 90 degrees.
8. The combination of claim 5 wherein said hinge comprises a stylus-shaped rod which is sized and shaped to fit into the stylus cavity of said personal digital assistant.
9. The combination of claim 5 wherein said hinge when removably installed on said keyboard thereby locks said keyboard in an open position.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 6, 2003
Publication Date: Feb 3, 2005
Applicant: Pocketop Computers Corp. (Vancouver)
Inventor: Michael Katz (Vancouver)
Application Number: 10/701,520