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(19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub US 20120295236A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2012/0295236 A1 Miller (43) Pub. Date: NOV. 22, 2012 (54) MODIFIED KEYBOARD WITH INSERTABLE Publication Classi?cation KEYS AND AN INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD (51) Int Cl FOR TEACHING TOUCH-TYPING USING G09B 13/04 (200601) SAME (52) us. Cl. ...................................................... .. 434/227 (57) ABSTRACT ( 76 ) l nven t or : Nlliaggs)S Ell yn M'll1 er’ S Omen/1'11 e’ This invention provides a methodology for teaching touch typing using a keyless keyboard Whose keys are inserted one by one as instruction progresses. A beginner keyboard only 21 A 1_ N _. 13/451 853 contains the home keys (A S D F J K L;) or the letters (F and ( ) pp 0 ’ J) used by the pointer ?ngers, making it easier for the user’s hands to ?nd the keys correctly Without having to look doWn (22) Filed; APL 20, 2012 at the letters.As each neW letter is introduced, it is added to the keyboard. The letter key being taught is easier to ?nd since there are no other keys in the vicinity for the user’s ?ngers to Related US, Application Data go. This makes touch-typing easier because the only keys _ _ _ _ available are those that have been taught. The user’s ?ngers (60) PrOVlSlOnéll apphcatlon NO- 61/ 477,395, ?led 011 Apr- Will naturally go to those keys because there are no other keys 20, 2011. on the keyboard. 100 20a L]delete @ 20d Patent Application Publication Nov. 22, 2012 Sheet 1 0f 4 US 2012/0295236 A1 FIG. 1 100 Patent Application Publication Nov. 22, 2012 Sheet 2 0f 4 US 2012/0295236 A1 FIG. 2 100 \ 20a Patent Application Publication Nov. 22, 2012 Sheet 3 0f 4 US 2012/0295236 A1 FIG. 3 100 40 \ 40 20a @@©@R @@ @@@@@°@ @1 @ F @ @l i @ @1 20b 30 20d 30 10 20b 20c Patent Application Publication Nov. 22, 2012 Sheet 4 0f 4 US 2012/0295236 A1 FIG. 4 100' 40' I K/ \\ i3) ,_(/40' \ 20I a 5 IA shift k 20b 30' 30' 20b 20d 20c US 2012/0295236 A1 Nov. 22, 2012 MODIFIED KEYBOARD WITH INSERTABLE ing as they do When trying to control a pen or pencil; as a KEYS AND AN INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD result, they too, often resort to the ‘hunt and peck’ method of FOR TEACHING TOUCH-TYPING USING typing. SAME [0007] Keyboards for typeWriters and computers are Well knoWn. Touch-typing is the most ef?cient Way of Working on CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED a keyboard. Skilled typists are able to copy text or create APPLICATIONS original text Without looking at the keys; their ?ngers have learned the position of the home roW of keys as Well as each [0001] This application claims the bene?t of US. Provi letter and symbol on the keyboard and they are automatically sional Patent Application No. 61/477395 ?led Apr. 20, 2011, able to type Words almost as fast as they can see them or Which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. conceive of them. TECHNICAL FIELD [0008] Touch-typing is not easy to learn, hoWever. It can take up to several years of extensive practice to master the [0002] This invention relates to the teaching of touch-typ basics and longer than that to reach a high level of speed and ing. More speci?cally, the invention relates to instruction in accuracy. Many people never reach mastery, typing sloWly touch-typing using a keyless-keyboard With insertable keys. and With a loW level of accuracy, forcing them to either looking doWn at the keyboard and/or going through several BACKGROUND rounds of editing in order to correct their errors. [0009] Various methods of instruction have been proposed [0003] Typing and/or keyboarding skills are necessary for to make typing easier to learn. Although they present slight all aspects of computer usage, including composing docu variations to traditional instruction, these solutions basically ments or email, searching the Web and updating personal/ use the same method of teaching typing that has been used for business calendars. These skills are no longer relegated to the over a century. The learner is presented With an intact key high school student or those in the Work World as children as board, usually of the QWERTY style, and is taught to place young as 6 years old noW use computers and their keyboards their ?ngers on the home keys (A S D F J K L ;). Individual for both recreational and educational purposes, such as play letters are then practiced in isolation and Within the context of ing games and Watching interactive videos teaching letter and Words until they are learned. number skills At the same time, schools are spending less [0010] Several methods advocate a technique Where colors time teaching handwriting to young children, leading to on the ?ngers are matched to colors on the keys. The colors on declining printing and cursive skills Also, given the inclusive the ?ngers can be displayed on ?nger bands, rings, or gloves. model of special education mandated by laW, classrooms noW The ?nger bands or rings could be easily dropped, lost or are made up of many children With learning disabilities that placed on the incorrect ?ngers. These methods also reinforce may cause dif?culty in learning both handWriting and key the unfavorable habit of looking at the keyboard While typing. boarding. Furthermore, it is expected that schools Will be moving more and more to using computer tablets Where typ [0011] Several more technologically advanced methods ing is done on the computer screen itself. It is extremely have been proposed to promote better typing skills In one dif?cult to learn to type on such a touch screen because, method, the typist Wears a ?nger detector Which, When Without keys, there is no sensory feedback. For all these pressed on a keyboard key, sends a signal to the PC main body reasons, the early instruction of the touch-typing skills used in Which can determine if an improper key Was selected. The computer keyboarding are more important than ever. computer then relates this error by generating a sound. [0004] Historically, typing Was taught to students in high Another device uses magnets attached to the student’s ?nger school. More recently, its formal introduction tends to begin tips Which are then magnetically draWn to electrically anyWhere from the third grade through middle school, When charged corresponding keyboard keys. A draWback to both of children’s ?ne motor skills and attention span are considered these systems is that the expense of purchasing the needed to be at an appropriate level for standard instruction. There is, technology Would place them out of reach of most families therefore, a gap of at least 3 years betWeen the age at Which and school systems. many children use the computer keyboard and the age at [0012] In yet another method the tactile sensation of the Which its use is formally taught. home roW keys is increased by either placing caps With raised [0005] When these skills are taught, the method of instruc edges over these keys or by replacing the standard keys With tion is fundamentally that Which Was used during the days of others With raised edges. While this method does help the the manual typeWriter. Current instructional practices are not typist ?nd the home roW keys Without looking at the key geared toWards children younger than the 3rd grade, nor are board, it does not help the typist’s ?ngers to easily ?nd and they designed to facilitate the needs of children With special learn the remaining keys. needs. [0013] Another type of device is a keyboard With keys that [0006] Young children Who are lacking any formal instruc are all completely blank, thus decreasing dependency on tion in touch keyboarding and novice keyboard users are left visual key feedback. While this does help prevent the learner to use the ‘hunt and peck’ method, Wherein they must look at from looking at the keys, it does nothing to assist With proper the keyboard and search for the correct letter to type. This placement of the ?ngers. results in sloW, often inaccurate typing Which over time [0014] These solutions do not address the needs of those becomes habitual and di?icult to unlearn. In addition, chil Who have dif?culty With ?nger coordination. Nor are they dren With dysgraphia and dyspraxia (learning disabilities that designed to prevent errors caused by incorrect ?nger place make Writing di?icult), are often assigned typing as a method ment. This is a key problem in teaching touch-typing, because of classroom accommodation, yet these same individuals once errors are made, it is easy for those errors to become have similar di?iculties coordinating their ?ngers When typ learned and the mistake perpetuated. US 2012/0295236 A1 Nov. 22, 2012 [0015] Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive device and [0022] FIG. 3 is a front vieW of the keyboard of the present methodology to teach touch-typing skills to children younger invention shoWing the function keys inserted along With addi than the 3rd grade Who have not yet developed re?ned ?ne tional letters. motor skills, to those With learning disabilities, and to those [0023] FIG. 4 is a front vieW an alternative embodiment of Who have not achieved success using the standard method of the keyboard of the present invention in Which the keys to be instruction. There is a need to have a systematic, multi-sen taught are housed in a recessed area.
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