Keyboard for hand-held devices

Abstract

A hand-held electronic device has a keyboard with a plurality of keys, each key having a substantially flat contact surface extending to the sides of each key. One of the sides of the key is beveled.

1 . A hand-held electronic device comprising:
 a keyboard, said keyboard having a plurality of keys, each key having a substantially flat contact surface extending to sides of said each key, one side of said sides being bevelled.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said one side has a substantially planar surface meeting said contact surface at an obtuse angle. 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein said obtuse angle is between 25° and 45°. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said planar surface of said one side meets said contact surface along a straight edge. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein said one side is a first side of said sides, a second side of said sides opposite said first side having a substantially planar surface meeting said contact surface at substantially a right angle. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein each of said sides, other than said first side, has a substantially planar surface meeting said contact surface at substantially a right angle. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 5  wherein said first side planar surface extends along a length of said each key between endmost sides of said each key. 
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 4  wherein said keys comprise first keys located left of a midline of said keyboard and second keys located right of said midline of said keyboard and wherein said straight edge of each first key is at a right hand side of said first key and wherein said straight edge of each second key is at a left hand side of said second key. 
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein said each key has a major axis which makes an angle of between 20 and 70 degrees with said midline. 
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 8  wherein said each key has a major axis which makes an angle of about 40 degrees with said midline. 
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 9  wherein said major axis of each of said first keys makes a negative angle with said midline and said major axis of each of said second keys makes a positive angle with said midline. 
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein a length dimension of each of said keys is aligned with said major axis of each of said keys. 
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 2  wherein said contact surface of each of said keys has a generally parallelogram shaped outline. 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 8  wherein said keys bear alphabetic letters. 
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 14  wherein said alphabetic letters extend on said contact surface and at least some of said alphabetic letters extend from said contact surface onto said first side planar surface. 
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein said keys are arranged in three rows and bear alphabetic letters according to the layout of a QWERTY keyboard. 
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a display; and   a processor operatively connected to said keyboard and said display.   
   
   
       18 . A hand-held electronic device, comprising:
 a keyboard on an upper face of said hand-held electronic device;   said keyboard having a plurality of keys;   each key of said keys having an upper surface, said upper surface comprising a first substantially planar upper surface portion and a second substantially planar upper surface portion,   said first planar upper surface portion meeting said second planar upper surface portion at an angle;   said second planar upper portion substantially paralleling said face;   said first planar upper portion angled with respect to said second upper planar portion such that said first upper planar portion slopes from said second upper planar portion toward said upper face.   
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 18  wherein said second planar upper surface portion meets said first planar upper surface portion at a straight edge. 
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 19  wherein said second planar upper surface portion meets said first planar upper surface portion at an angle of between 25° and 45°. 
   
   
       21 - 25 . (canceled)