WO 2010/131256 Al
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(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (10) International Publication Number (43) International Publication Date 18 November 2010 (18.11.2010) WO 2010/131256 Al (51) International Patent Classification: AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BR, BW, BY, BZ, G06F 3/01 (2006.01) CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, (21) International Application Number: HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, PCT/IN20 10/000052 KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, MD, (22) International Filing Date: ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, 29 January 2010 (29.01 .2010) NO, NZ, OM, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, RU, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, (25) Filing Language: English TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (26) Publication Language: English (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every (30) Priority Data: kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, 974/DEL/2009 13 May 2009 (13.05.2009) IN GM, KE, LS, MW, MZ, NA, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, (72) Inventor; and TM), European (AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, (71) Applicant : MEHRA, Rajesh [IN/IN]; H-39, Tagore ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, Path, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 0 16, Rajasthan (IN). MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, (74) Agent: LALL, Amar, Raj; LaIl Lahiri & Salhotra, Plot ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). No. B-28, Sector - 32, Institutional Area, Gurgaon 122 001, Haryana (IN). Published: (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every — with international search report (Art. 21(3)) kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, (54) Title: A KEYBOARD FOR LINGUISTIC SCRIPTS (57) Abstract: The present invention discloses a keyboard for inputting characters of script of a language. The keyboard compris es seven sets of keys that are assigned 0-6 characters, a set of keys for inputting numerals and a set of toggle keys wherein up to 144 characters are assigned amongst 26 keys of the keyboard, each key of the keyboard is assigned phonetically similar characters and is adapted to input the assigned character by the character key alone or in combination with one or more toggle keys. A KEYBOARD FOR LINGUISTIC SCRIPTS The present invention relates to a device for inputting characters. More specifically, the present invention relates to a keyboard for inputting characters of script of a language. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The traditional computer keyboard is based on QWERTY keyboard designed for English language with 26 alphabets. It can accommodate 26 small letters (a to z) and 26 capital letters (A to Z). Thus in-all 52 letters can be written using the alphabet keys A-Z. The QWERTY layout designed for typing in English Language, has alphabets placed on three lines, as follows: a) Q W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, P b) A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L c) Z5X C5 V5 B5N M Most International languages have more letters than English due to larger alphabet or signs or presence of accented letters, etc. Most International languages use character-set having 60 to 90 characters. Tb accommodate international languages oil a keyboard, presently we have to do one of the following: 1) When We install a keyboard driver or use a font for an International Language, the letters are spread all across different keys .of QWERTY keyboard layout such as alphabet keys, character - keys, number-keys near the top of keyboard, etc. 2) Presently, while using QWERTY computer keyboard for typing international languages by directly pressing marked keys, the keyboards are generally not phonetic as the placement of accented letters is generally on different keys from their unaccented counterparts as Letter-Capacity or the number of characters which can be typed by ari alphabet key is a restraint. For some languages, all the alphabets cannot be accommodated on a keyboard, sometimes alternate characters are used or indirect methods of typing are used as follows: a) Some of the letters have to be typed Using Alt <xxxx number> codes on numeric keypad with Numlock ON. Eg. Alt 0224 gives 'a'. b) To type limited number of accented letters by using unaccented letters, Modifier keys such as Alternate (Alt), Control (Ctrl), Shift, Alt Gr or Option etc are used along with alphabet keys or dead keys like back-quote Q , circumflex(Λ) etc., in some International formats of QWERTY keyboard. When the user strikes a dead key along with a modifier key, nothing happens and then an alphabet key marked with unaccented letter is pressed to type the accented letter. Eg. type Ctrl + '(accent grave) then typing 'a' gives 'a'. This operation is reverse of how one normally thinks and writes 'a'. c) Transliteration is also being used to type various Indian languages where some basic letters are generated by word processor dictionary or software support. Presently Each Language has widely different keyboard layout. The use of QWERTY keyboard layout for International Languages makes learning to type in various International languages difficult as too many letter-key combinations are to be remembered. It makes learning to type in International Languages generally more difficult than typing in English. A variety of solutions have been proposed with regard to keyboards for use with languages such as English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hindi. For example, U.S. Pat. 5,836,705 recites an arrangement for keyboard that maximizes the speed of typing and rate of data entry. Further, the said arrangement eases transition from a QWERTY keyboard. The said arrangement uses a layout where the home keys are assigned according to the frequency of use of letters. U.S. Pat. 6,053,647 teaches a keyboard for the English language that is user friendly and efficient. The said keyboard is having a layout in which punctuation marks are placed in the center of the keyboard. The letters are arranged alphabetically on either side of the punctuation marks.. U.S. Pat. 5,999,950 discloses an on-screen keyboard for typing Japanese language. The on-screen keyboard displays an array of Japanese based Kana characters. A first selection of a character key causes the display of the character in base kana form. The second consecutive selection of the said character key causes the display of the character in a variant form. Subsequent consecutive selections cause the display of the character in further variant forms U.S. Pat. 6,281,884 recites a keyboard apparatus for Chinese language. The said keyboard apparatus is user-definable. Chinese characters and a character may be assigned to one or more keys. A key of the said keyboard apparatus may correspond to one or more Chinese characters and a character may be assigned to one or more keys. By reference to a character sound grouping rules table the apparatus may automatically verufy that a user-defined keyboard is rational. U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,928 recites a Korean language keyboard. A pluralty of jamos (characters) are assigned to the keys on the keyboard. An additional word processor software analyzes key sequences to resolve ambiguities and determine intended characters. U.S. Pat. No. 7,420,543 describes a 'User-friendly Brahmi-derived Hindi keyboard'. Hindi alphabets are divided into groups and first group of consonants are assigned to keys Q-W-E-R-T and second group to keys Y-U-I-O-P and so on. SUMMARY OF INVENTION In an embodiment of the present invention, a keyboard for inputting characters of script of a language is provided. The keyboard comprises a first set of keys wherein each key of the first set of keys is assigned no character, a second set of keys wherein each key of the second set of keys is assigned one character, a third set of keys wherein each key of the third set of keys is assigned two characters, a fourth set of keys wherein each key of the fourth set of keys is assigned three characters, a fifth set of keys wherein each key of the fifth set of keys is assigned four characters, a sixth set of keys wherein each key of sixth set of keys is assigned five character, a seventh set of keys wherein each key of seventh set of keys is assigned six character, a set of keys for inputting numerals and a set of toggle keys wherein up to 144 characters are assigned among 26 keys of the keyboard, each key of the keyboard is assigned phonetically similar characters and is adapted to input the assigned character by the character key alone or in combination with one or more toggle keys. In another embodiment of the present invention, the toggle keys comprise toggle key Tl, toggle key T2 and toggle key T3 and the combination of character key with toggle key is selected from the group consisting of: toggle key Tl + character key, toggle key T2 + character key, toggle key Tl + toggle key T2 + character key, toggle key T3 + character key, and toggle key Tl + toggle key T3 + character key. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the keyboard is a QWERTY keyboard.