Compact keyboard

Abstract

A compact keyboard characterized by a novel key arrangement allowing for an overall reduction in the width of the keyboard while retaining a full set of keys standard to a computer and including a numeric keypad. In the compact keyboard of the present invention, the Home and End keys are located on the row of function keys, while the Down, Left and Right arrow keys are nested under the lowermost row of the text entry and numeric keypad sections of the keyboard. This allows the Insert, Delete, Page Up and Page Down keys to be disposed in a single column as opposed to three columns in the keyboard of the prior art.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A compact keyboard having at least a plurality of alpha-numeric keys disposed in rows and an arrow key section, the arrow key section comprising an Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys disposed in an inverted T arrangement with a first of the arrow keys on the top and the remaining three arrow keys on the bottom, wherein the first arrow key is disposed in the lowermost row of the plurality of alpha-numeric keys and the remaining the arrow keys are disposed below the lowermost row of the plurality of alpha-numeric keys.  
     
     
         2 . The compact keyboard of  claim 1 , wherein the arrow keys are reduced to three quarters the height of the plurality of alpha-numeric keys.  
     
     
         3 . The compact keyboard of  claim 1 , wherein the first arrow key is the Up Arrow key and the remaining three arrows keys are the Left Arrow, the Down Arrow, and the Right Arrow keys, disposed in that order.  
     
     
         4 . The compact keyboard of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of alpha-numeric keys includes a navigation section comprising Insert, Delete, Page Up, and Page Down keys disposed in single a column above the first arrow key.  
     
     
         5 . The compact keyboard of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of alpha-numeric keys includes a text entry section comprising an arrangement of rows of keys for the entry of text and numbers.  
     
     
         6 . The compact keyboard of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of alpha-numeric keys includes a numeric keypad entry section comprising an arrangement keys for the entry of numbers.  
     
     
         7 . The compact keyboard of  claim 6 , wherein the arrow key section is disposed between the text entry section and the numeric keypad section.  
     
     
         8 . The compact keyboard of  claim 1 , further comprising a function key section disposed above the topmost row of the plurality of alpha-numeric keys.  
     
     
         9 . The compact keyboard of  claim 8 , wherein the function key section comprises a row of function keys and includes the Home key and End key.  
     
     
         10 . The compact keyboard of  claim 8 , wherein the function keys are reduced to three quarters the height of the plurality of alpha-numeric keys.  
     
     
         11 . A compact keyboard comprising a text entry section, a navigation section, a numeric keypad section, a function key section, and an arrow key section, wherein the text entry section comprises an arrangement of keys including five rows of alpha-numeric keys for the entry of text and numbers; the navigation section is disposed adjacent to and between the text entry section and the numeric keypad section, the navigation section comprising Insert, Delete, Page Up, and Page Down keys disposed in a single column corresponding to the row one through four in the Text entry section; the numeric keypad section comprises five rows of alpha-numeric keys for the entry of numbers; the function key section comprises a row of function keys and Home and End keys, the function key section being disposed above the text entry section, navigation section, and numeric keypad section; and the arrow key section comprises Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys disposed in an inverted T arrangement with the Up Arrow key on the top and the Down Arrow, Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys on the bottom, wherein the Up Arrow key occupies the fifth row of the navigation section between the text entry section and the numeric keypad section and the Down Arrow, Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys are disposed in a sixth row below the lowermost rows of the text entry section and the numeric keypad section.  
     
     
         12 . The compact keyboard of  claim 11 , wherein the function key section further comprises indicators for displaying whether Num Lock, Caps Lock or Scroll Lock are activated.  
     
     
         13 . The compact keyboard of  claim 11 , wherein the arrow keys are reduced to three quarters the height of the other keys.  
     
     
         14 . The compact keyboard of  claim 11 , wherein the function keys are reduced to three quarters the height of the other keys.  
     
     
         15 . The compact keyboard of  claim 11 , wherein the navigation section is set off from the text entry section and the numeric keyboard section by a small gap.