Thumb-Home Keyboard Layout for Faster Shift and Control Input

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional personal computer keyboards inefficiently arrange shift and control keys, placing them outside their home positions, which hinders simultaneous operation with other keys, reducing input efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The space key width is reduced to 1 or 1.5 times that of character keys, with the space key placed at the left or right thumb home position, and a shift key placed at the other thumb home position, allowing a control key to be placed between them, while other keys are positioned outside the thumbs, optimizing key placement for easier operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If shift keys and control keys are placed on the outer edges of the character key column (traditional arrangement), then the keyboard layout is simple and easy to manufacture, but the ease of operation for simultaneous key combinations is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the keyboard into distinct functional zones: character keys in the center, shift keys at the thumbs' home positions, and control keys on the outer edges. This segmentation allows each zone to serve its primary function while maintaining overall system simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by placing shift keys specifically at the thumbs' home positions rather than uniformly distributing them. This localized placement optimizes the frequency-used shift operations without requiring complete redesign of the entire keyboard layout

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the space key is made large (2 or more times width of character key), then it is easy to locate and press, but it occupies excessive space that prevents optimal placement of other functional keys

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidarea of stationary object

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of space key width from the conventional 2 or more times character key width to exactly 1.5 times. This parameter optimization maintains adequate spacing for easy operation while freeing sufficient space for optimal placement of shift and control keys

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If shift keys are placed away from the thumbs' home positions, then the character key layout remains traditional and familiar, but the productivity for simultaneous key operations is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveproductivityVSAvoidloss of time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent prepares the shift keys in advance at the thumbs' home positions, which are the natural starting positions for thumb operations. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for additional finger movement when shift key combinations are required, directly improving productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10275042B2Text input keyboard

Publication Date: 2019.04.30 KUBOTA MASASHI

AI summary

The character input keyboard. One shift key and one space key are placed on the home position of the left and right thumb, and one control key is placed between them. These keys have the width from 1 to 1.5 times of the character key.