Ergonomic data entry device

Abstract

A data entry device includes a housing comprising a front and rear surface and laterally separated grip portions each configured to engage with a hand of a user. The user may thereby support the housing by engaging the grip portions of the housing. The rear surface includes first and second generally concave portions disposed proximate the first and second grip portions, which curve generally towards the hand of the user when the housing is supported by the user. The device further includes input keys positioned on each of the first and second generally concave portions of the rear surface such that the user may actuate the input keys with fingers of each hand while engaging the grip portions, and such that the generally concave portions facilitate ergonomic access to the input keys.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A data entry device, comprising:
 a housing including:
 a front surface configured to face a user and a rear surface configured to face away from the user when the housing is supported by the user; 
 first and second grip portions disposed proximate opposing ends of the housing on either side of an intermediate portion of the housing, each grip portion configured to engage with a hand of the user; 
 the rear surface including first and second concave portions that are disposed proximate the respective first and second grip portions on either side of the intermediate portion, the concave portions facing away from each other and including curved surfaces that are generally concave and configured to curve generally toward the grip portions when the housing is supported by the user; 
 a split format keyboard disposed on the rear surface of the housing, respective portions of the split format keyboard each including a plurality of rows of keys that are positioned at each of the first and second concave portions; 
 the rows of keys of a respective split format keyboard portion being positioned successively from a corresponding grip portion along the generally concave curved surface of the respective concave portion for reducing the distance of the successive rows from the grip portion and moving the row closer to the fingers of a user for actuating the keys of the row; 
 the plurality of rows of keys including at least A-Z letter keys and 0-9 numerical keys with the first concave portion including a first portion of the 0-9 numerical keys and a first portion of the A-Z letter keys and with the second concave portion including a second portion of the 0-9 numerical keys and a second portion of the A-Z letter keys. 
   
     
     
         2 . The data entry device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 key indicators positioned on a front surface of the housing, wherein the position of each key indicator on the front surface corresponds to a position of a corresponding key on the rear surface;   control circuitry disposed in the housing and configured to receive input data from the keys and selectively activate at least one key indicator.   
     
     
         3 . The data entry device of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an input/output interface disposed in the housing and configured to communicate data, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to communicate data using the input/output interface based on the received input data.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the input/output interface includes at least one of wireless data transceiving circuitry or wired data transceiving circuitry. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the input/output interface includes Bluetooth compatible transceiving circuitry. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a dock mounted on the housing between the first and second grip portions, the dock configured for coupling with an electronic device. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing front surface includes a generally concave portion, the dock positioned proximate the front surface generally concave portion. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one motion sensor disposed in the housing and configured to generate input data based at least in part on motion detected with the at least one motion sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a grip removably coupled to each grip portion of the housing.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display coupled to the housing.   
     
     
         11 . An electronic device comprising:
 a housing having a front surface configured to face a user and a rear surface configured to face away from the user when the housing is supported by the user;   a display;   a processor disposed in the housing;   memory;   a data entry device for entering input data, the data entry device including:
 first and second grip portions disposed proximate opposing ends of the housing on either side of an intermediate portion of the housing, each grip portion configured to engage with a hand of the user; 
 the rear surface including first and second concave portions that are disposed proximate the respective first and second grip portions on either side of the intermediate portion, the concave portions facing away from each other and including curved surfaces that are generally concave and configured to curve generally toward the grip portions when the housing is supported by the user; 
 a split format keyboard disposed on the rear surface of the housing, respective portions of the split format keyboard each including a plurality of rows of keys that are positioned at each of the first and second concave portions; 
 the rows of keys of a respective split format keyboard portion being positioned successively from a corresponding grip portion along the generally concave curved surface of the respective concave portion for reducing the distance of the successive rows from the grip portion and moving the row closer to the fingers of a user for actuating the keys of the row; 
 the plurality of rows of keys including at least A-Z letter keys and 0-9 numerical keys with the first concave portion including a first portion of the 0-9 numerical keys and a first portion of the A-Z letter keys and with the second concave portion including a second portion of the 0-9 numerical keys and a second portion of the A-Z letter keys. 
   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 11  wherein the display is positioned proximate the intermediate portion of the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 11  further comprising:
 key indicators positioned on a front surface of the housing, wherein the position of each key indicator on the front surface corresponds to a position of a corresponding key on the rear surface; 
 control circuitry disposed in the housing and configured to receive input data from the keys and selectively activate at least one key indicator. 
 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one motion sensor disposed in the housing and configured to generate input data based at least in part on motion detected with the at least one motion sensor.   
     
     
         15 . A device, comprising:
 a housing including:
 a front surface configured to face a user and a rear surface configured to face away from the user when the housing is supported by the user; 
 first and second grip portions disposed proximate opposing ends of the housing on either side of an intermediate portion of the housing, each grip portion configured to engage with a hand of the user; 
 the intermediate portion of the housing configured for supporting an electronic device; 
 the rear surface including first and second concave portions that are disposed proximate the respective first and second grip portions on either side of the intermediate portion, the concave portions facing away from each other and including curved surfaces that are generally concave and configured to curve generally toward the grip portions when the housing is supported by the user; 
 a split format keyboard disposed on the rear surface of the housing and configured for generating input data for an electronic device supported by the housing, respective portions of the split format keyboard each including a plurality of rows of keys that are positioned at each of the first and second concave portions; 
 the rows of keys of a respective split format keyboard portion being positioned successively from a corresponding grip portion along the generally concave curved surface of the respective concave portion for reducing the distance of the successive rows from the grip portion and moving the row closer to the fingers of a user for actuating the keys of the row; 
 the plurality of rows of keys including at least A-Z letter keys and 0-9 numerical keys with the first concave portion including a first portion of the 0-9 numerical keys and a first portion of the A-Z letter keys and with the second concave portion including a second portion of the 0-9 numerical keys and a second portion of the A-Z letter keys. 
   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 an input/output interface disposed in the housing and configured to communicate data with an electronic device supported by the device.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the input/output interface includes at least one of wireless data transceiving circuitry or wired data transceiving circuitry. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the input/output interface includes Bluetooth compatible transceiving circuitry. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 at least one motion sensor disposed in the housing and configured to generate input data based at least in part on motion detected with the at least one motion sensor.   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 15  further comprising a dock mounted on the housing at the intermediate portion of the housing, the dock configured for coupling with an electronic device supported on the housing.