Keyboard and program

Abstract

This product provides a keyboard that improves the usability of key input, such as text input. [Solution] The keyboard 1 comprises a keyboard body 2 on which a plurality of keys 5 are arranged, including a plurality of alphanumeric keys 11 with the longitudinal direction of the center line of a long rectangle as the X axis and the transverse direction as the Y axis; a left-hand alphanumeric area 10L having some of the plurality of alphanumeric keys 11, with the X axis of each alphanumeric key 11 tilted from the upper left to the lower right in the left-right direction; a right-hand alphanumeric area 10R having the other of the plurality of alphanumeric keys 11, with the X axis of each alphanumeric key 11 tilted from the upper right to the lower left in the left-right direction; and a central area 20 provided on the keyboard body 2, including a "Backspace" key, an "Enter" key, a "Shift" key, and arrow keys, and located between the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a program for displaying a keyboard and a software keyboard on a display device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, keyboards for input means such as personal computers have been disclosed in which the key arrangement and layout are devised to improve the operability of key input such as character input. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a keyboard in which an Enter key and a BackSpace key are arranged at a substantially central position in the left - right direction of the keyboard body. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a keyboard in which a plurality of keys are arranged in a substantially inverted - V shape and arrow keys are arranged in the center.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By arranging a plurality of keys in a substantially inverted - V shape and arranging an Enter key, a BackSpace key, and arrow keys in the center as in a conventional keyboard, an improvement in the operability of certain key inputs can be expected, but there is still room for improvement in further improving the operability of key input.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard with improved operability of key input such as character input.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The keyboard of the present invention comprises: a keyboard body on which a plurality of keys are arranged, including a plurality of alphanumeric keys with the longitudinal direction of the center line of a long rectangle as the X-axis and the transverse direction as the Y-axis; a left-hand alphanumeric area having some of the plurality of alphanumeric keys, wherein the X-axis of each alphanumeric key is tilted from the upper left to the lower right in the left-right direction and is positioned on the left side; a right-hand alphanumeric area having other of the plurality of alphanumeric keys, wherein the X-axis of each alphanumeric key is tilted from the upper right to the lower left in the left-right direction and is positioned on the right side; and a central area located between the left-hand alphanumeric area and the right-hand alphanumeric area, including a "Backspace" key, an "Enter" key, a "Shift" key, and arrow keys.

[0007] The program of the present invention causes a computer to display a software keyboard on a display device, comprising: a keyboard body on which a plurality of keys are arranged, including a plurality of alphanumeric keys with the longitudinal direction of the center line of a long rectangle as the X-axis and the transverse direction as the Y-axis; a left-hand alphanumeric area provided on the keyboard body, having some of the plurality of the plurality of alphanumeric keys, wherein the X-axis of each alphanumeric key is tilted from the upper left to the lower right in the left-right direction and is positioned on the left side; a right-hand alphanumeric area provided on the keyboard body, having other of the plurality of the plurality of alphanumeric keys, wherein the X-axis of each alphanumeric key is tilted from the upper right to the lower left in the left-right direction and is positioned on the right side; and a central area provided on the keyboard body, including a "Backspace" key, an "Enter" key, a "Shift" key, and arrow keys, and positioned between the left-hand alphanumeric area and the right-hand alphanumeric area. The computer-readable storage medium of the present invention stores the above-mentioned program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a keyboard that improves the operability of key input such as character input. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing a keyboard according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the longitudinal and transverse directions of an alphanumeric key according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows a keyboard according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the computer configuration of a tablet PC. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. The keyboard 1 has a keyboard body 2 which serves as the casing of the keyboard 1 and is equipped with a plurality of keys 5. The keyboard 1 is configured to be connectable to a PC (personal computer) or the like by wire or wireless connection and can function as an input device for the PC. Here, although each key 5 is shown in plan view in Figures 1 to 3, it is formed three-dimensionally, also having a height direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. In the following description, the left side of the keyboard 1 will be referred to as left, the right side as right, the top side as top, and the bottom side as bottom.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, multiple keys 5 include multiple alphanumeric keys 11. The alphanumeric keys 11 include keys that display the alphabet from A to Z and keys that display the numbers from 0 to 9. In addition, the alphanumeric keys 11 also display hiragana, punctuation marks, and symbols, similar to a JIS layout keyboard. The alphanumeric keys 11 further include a ";" key, a "," key, a "." key, and a " / " key. As shown in Figure 2, the alphanumeric keys 11 (in Figure 2, the "1" key and the "Q" key are shown in magnified view) are formed as long rectangles with a long side 12 and a short side 13 in a plan view. All alphanumeric keys 11 are of the same shape. In the following, the longitudinal direction (direction along the center line CLX) of the center lines CLX and CLY in the long rectangle shape of the alphanumeric keys 11 is defined as the X-axis, and the short direction (direction along the center line CLY) is defined as the Y-axis.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the keyboard body 2 of keyboard 1 is provided with a left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, a right-hand alphanumeric area 10R, a central area 20, a left-hand symbol area 30L, a right-hand symbol area 30R, a left-hand special area 40L, a right-hand special area 40R, a left-hand function area 50L, and a right-hand function area 50R.

[0013] The left-hand alphanumeric area 10L is located on the left side of the keyboard body 2. The left-hand alphanumeric area 10L has some of the alphanumeric keys 11 among a plurality of alphanumeric keys 11. Each alphanumeric key 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L is positioned with its X-axis tilted from the upper left to the lower right in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the X-axis of the alphanumeric key 11 is tilted at approximately 8 degrees in the left-right direction.

[0014] The right-hand alphanumeric area 10R is located on the right side of the keyboard body 2. The right-hand alphanumeric area 10R has some of the other alphanumeric keys 11 among the multiple alphanumeric keys 11. Each alphanumeric key 11 in the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R is positioned with its X-axis tilted from the upper right to the lower left in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the X-axis of the alphanumeric key 11 is tilted at approximately 8 degrees in the left-right direction.

[0015] The multiple alphanumeric keys 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R are arranged so that the longer sides 12 of the alphanumeric keys 11 aligned along the X-axis are aligned, and the shorter sides 13 of the alphanumeric keys 11 aligned along the Y-axis are aligned. In other words, the multiple alphanumeric keys 11 are arranged so that their longer sides 12 are aligned in a straight line along the X-axis. Similarly, the multiple alphanumeric keys 11 are arranged so that their shorter sides 13 are aligned in a straight line along the Y-axis. The multiple alphanumeric keys 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R are each arranged in a 4x5 grid.

[0016] Multiple alphanumeric keys 11 are arranged generally following the QWERTY keyboard layout. The left-hand alphanumeric area 10L mainly contains keys that are operated with the left hand in the QWERTY keyboard layout. Similarly, the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R mainly contains keys that are operated with the right hand in the QWERTY keyboard layout. However, the "X" and "Z" keys, which are located on the left side in the QWERTY keyboard layout, are swapped with the ";" and "," keys, which are located on the right side in the QWERTY keyboard layout. In other words, the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L includes the ";" and "," keys, and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R includes the "X" and "Z" keys.

[0017] Each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "1", "2", "3", "4", "5" in the left - hand alphanumeric area 10L is arranged symmetrically with respect to the left - right axis with each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "6", "7", "8", "9", "0" in the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R. Similarly, each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "Q", "W", "E", "R", "T" is arranged symmetrically with respect to the left - right axis with each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "Y", "U", "I", "O", "P", each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "A", "S", "D", "F", "G" is arranged symmetrically with respect to the left - right axis with each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "H", "J", "K", "L", "Z", and each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for ";", ",", "C", "V", "B" is arranged symmetrically with respect to the left - right axis with each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "N", "M", "X", ".", " / ". In the fourth row of the left - hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R, each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "C", "V", "B" and each of the alphanumeric keys 11 for "N", "M", "X", which are alphanumeric keys where alphabet letters are displayed, are arranged symmetrically with respect to the left - right axis.

[0018] Also, to the left and right of the "Backspace" key, the alphanumeric keys 11 for "1", "​​​The central area 20 is located between the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. The central area 20 includes the "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, "Shift" key, and arrow keys (cursor keys). The "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, "Shift" key, and arrow keys are arranged in this order from top to bottom. The upper edge of the "Backspace" key and "Enter" key is roughly V-shaped, the lower edge is formed along the left-right direction, and the left and right edges are roughly V-shaped. The "Shift" key is roughly trapezoidal. The arrow keys are arranged in an inverted T-shape. By placing one "Backspace" key, one "Enter" key, and one "Shift" key in the central area 20, they can be easily accessed and operated with the left and right thumbs.

[0020] To the left of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, adjacent to it, is a left-hand symbol area 30L. In the left-hand symbol area 30L, the keys displaying symbols, namely the "^", "''", "''", and "￥" keys, are arranged in a single row along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. More specifically, each of the "^", "''", "''", and "￥" keys in the left-hand symbol area 30L is formed in a roughly right-angled trapezoidal shape with its shorter upper base facing downwards and its right-angle side facing to the right. The right-hand edges of each of the "^", "''", "''", and "￥" keys are aligned along the Y-axis of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. Each of the "^", "''", "''", and "￥" keys is formed to become narrower from top to bottom, in accordance with the vertically linear keyboard body 2.

[0021] On the right side of the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R, adjacent to the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R, a right - hand symbol area 30R is provided. In the right - hand symbol area 30R, among the keys with symbols displayed, the "―" key, "@" key, ":" key, and "_" key are arranged in a column along the Y - axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R. Each key in the right - hand symbol area 30R is formed in a substantially right - angled trapezoidal shape with a short upper base facing downward and a right - angled side facing left. The left sides of the keys of the "―" key, "@" key, ":" key, and "_" key are aligned along the Y - axis of the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R. The keys of the "―" key, "@" key, ":" key, and "_" key are formed so as to be narrower from top to bottom in accordance with the linear keyboard body 2 in the vertical direction.

[0022] Below the left - hand alphanumeric area 10L, adjacent to the left - hand alphanumeric area 10L, a left - hand special area 40L is provided. In the left - hand special area 40L, the special keys "Alphanumeric" key, "Chinese character" key, "Tab" key, "Alt" key, and "Ctrl" key are arranged in a row along the X - axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the left - hand alphanumeric area 10L. Here, the "Alphanumeric" key is also the "Caps Lock" key, and the "Chinese character" key is also the "Half - width / Full - width" key.

[0023] Below the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R, adjacent to the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R, a right - hand special area 40R is provided. In the left - hand special area 40L, the special keys "Non - conversion" key, "Roman character" key, "Alt" key, and "Ctrl" key are arranged in a row along the X - axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the right - hand alphanumeric area 10R. Here, the "Non - conversion" key is also the "Conversion" key, and the "Roman character" key is also the "Katakana / Hiragana" key. <O000103>

[0024] Above the left - hand alphanumeric area 10L, adjacent to the left - hand alphanumeric area 10L, a left - hand function area 50L is provided. In the left - hand function area 50L, the function keys (F keys) of F1~F6 are arranged in a row.

[0025] Furthermore, above the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R, adjacent to it, is a right-hand function area 50R. The right-hand function area 50R contains function keys (F keys) F7 to F12 arranged in a single row.

[0026] In addition, the keyboard body 2 has a power button 60 located above the central area 20. Furthermore, spacebars 61 are provided between the left-hand special area 40L and the central area 20, and between the right-hand special area 40R and the central area 20.

[0027] The left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, left-hand symbol area 30L, left-hand special area 40L, and left-hand function area 50L of keyboard 1 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line CL in terms of key shape and placement, compared to the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R, right-hand symbol area 30R, right-hand special area 40R, and right-hand function area 50R. The left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, left-hand symbol area 30L, left-hand special area 40L, and left-hand function area 50L are keys that are pressed with the left hand, while the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R, right-hand symbol area 30R, right-hand special area 40R, and right-hand function area 50R are keys that are pressed with the right hand. The keys located in the central area 20 can be pressed with either the left or right hand.

[0028] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 3. The keyboard 1A according to this embodiment is a full keyboard that includes a numeric keypad 21 and the like, compared to the keyboard 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the same components and parts as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0029] In the central area 20A of keyboard 1A, there are two "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys, one on the left and one on the right side of central area 20A, for a total of two. The left "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. The right "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. Between the left and right "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys in central area 20A, there is a numeric keypad 21.

[0030] The numeric keypad 21 has the keys "1", "2", and "3" on the bottom row, "4", "5", and "6" on the middle row, "7", "8", and "9" on the top row, and the "0" key at the top of the central column (above the "8" key). Additionally, the directional keys (also called arrow keys or cursor keys) are located adjacent to the bottom of the numeric keypad 21.

[0031] Furthermore, above the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, adjacent to the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, is a left-hand function area 50L, in which the function keys "F1", "F2", "F3", "F4", and "F5" are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. The "F6" key is located in the central area 20A, above the "Backspace" key on the left side of the central area 20A, and adjacent to the "Backspace" key. To the right of the "F6" key, adjacent to the " / " key, which is the arithmetic operation key on the numeric keypad 21, is located. Below the " / " key, adjacent to the "NumLock" key, is located.

[0032] Adjacent to the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R is the right-hand function area 50R, in which the function keys "F8", "F9", "F10", "F11", and "F12" are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. The "F7" key is located in the central area 20A, above the "Backspace" key on the right side of the central area 20A, and adjacent to the "Backspace" key. To the left of the "F7" key is the "-" key, which is an arithmetic operation key on the numeric keypad 21, and is located adjacent to the "F7" key. Below the "-" key is the "+" key, which is an arithmetic operation key on the numeric keypad 21, and is located adjacent to the "-" key. Between the " / " key and the "-" key is the "*" key, which is an arithmetic operation key on the numeric keypad.

[0033] Additionally, a space key 61L is provided between the left-hand special area 40L and the central area 20A's directional keys. A space key 61R is provided between the right-hand special area 40R and the central area 20A's directional keys. The directional keys are arranged in an inverted T-shape.

[0034] In the central area 20A, the leftmost keys "F6", "Backspace", "Enter", "Shift", and spacebar 61L are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. Similarly, the rightmost keys "F7", "Backspace", "Enter", "Shift", and spacebar 61L in the central area 20A are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. In addition, the "Print Screen" key 62 and "Scroll Lock" key 63 are located above the right-hand symbol area 30R.

[0035] In keyboard 1A, the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, left-hand symbol area 30L, left-hand special area 40L, and left-hand function area 50L are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line CL in terms of key shape and layout, compared to the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R, right-hand symbol area 30R, right-hand special area 40R, and right-hand function area 50R. Furthermore, in the central area 20A, the keys on the left and right sides of the central column containing the "*", "0", "8", "5", "2", "↑", and "↓" keys are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line CL in terms of key shape and layout.

[0036] (Embodiment 3) The keyboards 1 and 1A according to Embodiments 1 and 2 can each be software keyboards. For example, as shown in Figure 4, a program 200 that displays the keyboards 1 and 1A as software keyboards on a display device 110 such as a tablet PC 100 can be stored in a storage device 120 such as flash memory of the tablet PC 100. The tablet PC 100 has a CPU 130 and an input device 140 in addition to the display device 110 and storage device 120, and these are connected via a bus 150.

[0037] According to the above embodiment, the keyboard 1,1A comprises a keyboard body 2 on which a plurality of keys 5 are arranged, including a plurality of alphanumeric keys 11 with the longitudinal direction of the center line of a long rectangle as the X-axis and the transverse direction as the Y-axis; a left-hand alphanumeric area 10L having some of the plurality of alphanumeric keys 11, where the X-axis of each alphanumeric key 11 is tilted from the upper left to the lower right in the left-right direction and is positioned on the left side; a right-hand alphanumeric area 10R having the other plurality of the plurality of alphanumeric keys 11, where the X-axis of each alphanumeric key 11 is tilted from the upper right to the lower left in the left-right direction and is positioned on the right side; and a central area 20,20A provided on the keyboard body 2, which includes a "Backspace" key, an "Enter" key, a "Shift" key, and arrow keys and is positioned between the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. The computer program then displays the keyboard 1,1A as a software keyboard on a display device.

[0038] As a result, keyboard 1,1A clearly distinguishes between the keys pressed by the left and right hands by arranging the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R at an angle, while placing the frequently used "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys in the central area 20,20A of the keyboard body 2, allowing easy access to these frequently used keys with the thumb, thereby further improving the operability of key input such as text input.

[0039] Furthermore, the multiple alphanumeric keys 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R are arranged so that the longer sides 12 aligned along the X-axis are aligned, and the shorter sides 13 aligned along the Y-axis are aligned. This allows the user to position their left and right hands at a natural angle on the keyboards 1 and 1A, and place their fingers on the desired keys simply by moving their hands linearly along the X and Y axes, thus reducing fatigue and further improving the accuracy of touch typing.

[0040] Furthermore, the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R includes the "X" and "Z" keys. This allows the arrangement of the letters in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R to be symmetrical, thus equalizing the feel of typing on both sides of the keyboard and further improving the operability of key input.

[0041] Furthermore, the alphanumeric keys 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L and the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R are arranged in a 4x5 grid. This allows the four fingers excluding the thumb to be assigned to each row.

[0042] Furthermore, adjacent to the left side of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L is a left-hand symbol area 30L in which the "^" key, ``" key, ``" key, and ``" key are arranged in a single row along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. Adjacent to the left side of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L is a left-hand special area 40L in which the "English / Numeric" key, "Kanji" key, "Tab" key, "Alt" key, and "Ctrl" key are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. Adjacent to the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R is a right-hand symbol area 30R, in which the "-", "@", ":", and "_" keys are arranged in a single row along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. Adjacent to the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R is a right-hand special area 40R, in which the "No Conversion" key, "Romaji" key, "Alt" key, and "Ctrl" key are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R.

[0043] This allows for the placement of symbol keys and special keys that function in combination with other keys on the outside or below the frequently used alphanumeric keys (11 keys), clearly defining the roles of left-hand and right-hand key operations for symbol keys and special keys.

[0044] Furthermore, above the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, a left-hand function area 50L is provided adjacent to it, in which function keys are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. Similarly, above the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R, a right-hand function area 50R is provided adjacent to it, in which function keys are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. This allows for a clear distinction between the roles of left-hand and right-hand key operations for the function keys as well.

[0045] Furthermore, two "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys are each placed, one on the left and one on the right side of the central area 20A. The left "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, while the right "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 in the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. A numeric keypad 21 is placed between the left and right "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys. This allows for the provision of a keyboard 1A that supports key operations that frequently use the numeric keypad 21. By placing one "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" key on each side, it is possible to clearly distinguish between the keys operated by the left and right hands for the "Backspace," "Enter," and "Shift" keys.

[0046] Furthermore, the directional keys are positioned adjacent to the numeric keypad 21. This allows the directional keys to be operated with either the left or right hand, even on keyboard 1A equipped with the numeric keypad 21.

[0047] Furthermore, above the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L, there is an adjacent left-hand function area 50L where the function keys "F1", "F2", "F3", "F4", and "F5" are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the left-hand alphanumeric area 10L. In the central area 20A, the F6 key is positioned adjacent to the left "Backspace" key, the " / " key is positioned to the right of the "F6" key, and the "NumLock" key is positioned below the " / " key. Adjacent to the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R is a right-hand function area 50R, where the function keys "F8", "F9", "F10", "F11", and "F12" are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys 11 of the right-hand alphanumeric area 10R. In the central area 20A, the "F7" key is positioned adjacent to the right-hand "Backspace" key above it, the "-" key is positioned to the left of the "F7" key, the "+" key is positioned below the "-" key, and the "*" key is positioned between the " / " key and the "-" key.

[0048] This allows the function keys and arithmetic keys to be arranged symmetrically on keyboard 1A, where the numeric keypad 21 is located, further improving the usability of key operations.

[0049] The present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be implemented with various modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1: Keyboard 1A: Keyboard 2: Keyboard body 5: Key 10L: Alphanumeric area for left hand 10R: Alphanumeric area for right hand 11: Alphanumeric key 12: Long side 13: Short side 20: Central area 20A: Central area 21: Numeric keypad 30L: Left-hand symbol area 30R: Right-hand symbol area 40L:Special area for left hand 40R:Special area for right hand 50L: Left-hand function area 50R: Right-hand function area 60: Power button 61: Space key 61L: Space key 61R: Space key 62: "Print Screen" key 63: "Scroll Lock" key CL: Center line CLX: Center line CLY: Center line 100: Tablet PC 110:Display device 120: Storage device 130:CPU 140: Input device 150: Bus 200: Program

Claims

1. A keyboard body with multiple keys, including multiple alphanumeric keys, arranged with the long side of the center line of a rectangular rectangle as the X-axis and the short side as the Y-axis, The system includes a portion of the alphanumeric keys among the plurality of alphanumeric keys, wherein the portion of the alphanumeric keys is positioned on the left side with the X-axis of each alphanumeric key tilted from the upper left to the lower right in the left-right direction, and a left-hand alphanumeric area is provided. The system has a plurality of alphanumeric keys, the other plurality of alphanumeric keys, and the other plurality of alphanumeric keys are arranged on the right side with the X-axis of each alphanumeric key tilted from the upper right to the lower left in the left-right direction, and a right-hand alphanumeric area is provided. A central area located between the left-hand alphanumeric area and the right-hand alphanumeric area, including the "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, "Shift" key, and arrow keys, A keyboard equipped with these features.

2. The plurality of alphanumeric keys in the left-hand alphanumeric area and the right-hand alphanumeric area are arranged such that the longer sides of the alphanumeric keys along the X-axis are aligned, and the shorter sides of the alphanumeric keys along the Y-axis are aligned. The keyboard according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned alphanumeric area for the right hand includes the "X" key and the "Z" key. The keyboard according to claim 1.

4. The alphanumeric keys in the left-hand alphanumeric area and the right-hand alphanumeric area are each arranged in a 4x5 grid. The keyboard according to claim 1.

5. Adjacent to the left side of the aforementioned left-hand alphanumeric area is a left-hand symbol area in which the "^" key, "" key, "" key, and "¥" key are arranged in a single row along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the left-hand alphanumeric area. Adjacent to the left-hand alphanumeric area is a special left-hand area in which the "Alphanumeric" key, "Kanji" key, "Tab" key, "Alt" key, and "Ctrl" key are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the left-hand alphanumeric area. Adjacent to the right side of the aforementioned right-hand alphanumeric area is a right-hand symbol area in which the "-" key, "@" key, ":" key, and "_" key are arranged in a single row along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the aforementioned right-hand alphanumeric area. Adjacent to the aforementioned alphanumeric area for the right hand, a special area for the right hand is provided, in which the "No Conversion" key, the "Romanization" key, the "Alt" key, and the "Ctrl" key are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the aforementioned alphanumeric area for the right hand. The keyboard according to claim 1.

6. Adjacent to the left-hand alphanumeric area is a left-hand function area in which function keys are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the left-hand alphanumeric area. Adjacent to the right-hand alphanumeric area is a right-hand function area in which function keys are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the right-hand alphanumeric area. The keyboard according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, and "Shift" key are each positioned one on the left and one on the right side of the central area, for a total of two keys. The aforementioned "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, and "Shift" key on the left side are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the left-hand alphanumeric area. The aforementioned "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, and "Shift" key on the right side are arranged in a single column along the Y-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the right-hand alphanumeric area. A numeric keypad is positioned between the aforementioned left-side "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, and "Shift" key and the aforementioned right-side "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, and "Shift" key. The keyboard according to claim 1.

8. The directional keys are located adjacent to the lower side of the numeric keypad. The keyboard according to claim 7.

9. Adjacent to the left-hand alphanumeric area is a left-hand function area in which the "F1", "F2", "F3", "F4", and "F5" keys are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the left-hand alphanumeric area. In the aforementioned central area, the "F6" key is positioned adjacent to the "Backspace" key on the left side, To the right of the aforementioned "F6" key is the " / " key. Below the aforementioned " / " key, the "NumLock" key is located. Adjacent to the right-hand alphanumeric area is a right-hand function area in which the "F8", "F9", "F10", "F11", and "F12" keys are arranged in a single row along the X-axis of the alphanumeric keys in the right-hand alphanumeric area. In the aforementioned central area, the F7 key is positioned adjacent to the "Backspace" key on the right side. To the left of the aforementioned "F7" key is the "-" key. Below the aforementioned "-" key, the "+" key is located. The "*" key is located between the " / " key and the "-" key. The keyboard according to claim 1.

10. On the computer, A keyboard body with multiple keys, including multiple alphanumeric keys, arranged with the long side of the center line of a rectangular rectangle as the X-axis and the short side as the Y-axis, The keyboard body is provided with a portion of the alphanumeric keys, and the portion of the alphanumeric keys is arranged on the left side with the X-axis of each alphanumeric key tilted from the upper left to the lower right, and a left-hand alphanumeric area is provided on the keyboard body, The keyboard body is provided with a plurality of alphanumeric keys, the other plurality of alphanumeric keys, the other plurality of alphanumeric keys, and the right-hand alphanumeric area is located on the right side with the X-axis of each alphanumeric key tilted from the upper right to the lower left in the left-right direction, The keyboard body is provided with a central area located between the left-hand alphanumeric area and the right-hand alphanumeric area, which includes the "Backspace" key, "Enter" key, "Shift" key, and arrow keys. A program that displays a software keyboard equipped with [specific features / features] on a display device.

11. A computer-readable storage medium for storing the program described in claim 10.

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