Keyboard letter area layout method
This invention relates to a keyboard letter zone layout method, specifically designed for physical and on-screen keyboards used for data input on devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers. The layout includes 26 letter keys (A, B, C, D . . . E, F, G) and serves as an input method for hardware or electronic device software. The keyboard letter zone is divided into 8 regions based on the rhythm of the alphabet song, with each region corresponding to a segment of the song's rhythm and containing multiple keys. By utilizing the popular rhythm of the alphabet song, this layout makes it intuitive to remember letter positions, allowing users to locate each letter on the keyboard quickly without needing intensive learning. With a short period of practice, users can achieve proficient touch typing with both hands.
1 . A keyboard alphabetical area layout method, comprising: dividing an alphabetical area of a keyboard into eight letter zones according to rhythm segments of the alphabet song; arranging six of the eight letter zones as horizontally oriented zones corresponding to first through sixth rhythmic segments of the alphabet song;
wherein the two vertically oriented zones are positioned between the horizontally oriented zones so as to form a structural visual divider separating the horizontally oriented zones into left and right groups;
wherein each letter zone contains a number of keys equal to or greater than the number of letters in its corresponding rhythmic segment, each key holding at most one letter or a blank;
and wherein the vertically oriented zones are not configured as frequency-prioritized letter groups, but are configured to provide rhythmic and spatial memory cues corresponding to the alphabet song.
2 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method described in claim 1 ,
wherein the alphabet song is selected from a closed set of alphabet songs each having eight rhythmic segments, including:
Song 1: ABCD, EFG, HIJK, LMNOP, QRS, TUV, WX, YZ;
Song 2: ABCD, EFG, HIJK, LMN, OPQ, RST, UVW, XYZ; and
Song 3: ABCD, EFG, HIJK, LMN, OPQR, STU, VWX, YZ.
3 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method described in claim 1 wherein the two vertically oriented zones correspond to the last two rhythmic segments of the alphabet song.
4 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout described in claim 1 , wherein each letter zone contains at least as many keys as letters in its corresponding rhythmic segment.
5 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method described in claim 2 , the keys within each zone are arranged in alphabetical order without restriction on the overall directional orientation (up, down, left, or right) of the letter combinations; the character order for keys (1, 2, 3, 4) is A, B, C, D; for keys (5, 6, 7) is E, F, G; and for keys (8, 9, 10, 11) is H, I, J, K.
6 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method described in claim 5 , based on the layout of different alphabet song rhythms, the character order for keys (26, 12, 13, 14, 28) is L, M, N, O, P; for keys (15, 16, 17, 18) includes Q, R, S, and a blank; for keys (19, 20, 21), the character order is T, U, V; for keys (22, 23, 24) includes W, a blank, and X; and for keys (25, 27), the character order is Y, Z; blank positions in the alphabetical area may hold any character, can be placed anywhere within the zone, and do not affect the sequential order of characters within the zone.
7 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method described in claim 5 , based on the layout of different alphabet song rhythms, the characters for keys (12, 13, 14, 28) include L, M, N, and a blank; for keys (15, 16, 17, 18) include O, P, Q, and a blank; the character order for keys (19, 20, 21) is R, S, T; for keys (22, 23, 24) is U, V, W; and for keys (25, 26, 27) is X, Y, Z; blank positions in the alphabetical area may hold any character, can be placed anywhere within the zone, and do not affect the sequential order of characters within the zone.
8 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method described in claim 5 , based on the layout of different alphabet song rhythms, the characters for keys (12, 13, 14, 28) include L, M, N, and a blank; the character order for keys (15, 16, 17, 18) is O, P, Q, R; for keys (19, 20, 21) is S, T, U; for keys (22, 23, 24) is V, W, X; and for keys (25, 26, 27) includes Y, a blank, and Z; blank positions in the alphabetical area may hold any character, can be placed anywhere within the zone, and do not affect the sequential order of characters within the zone.
9 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method according to claim 1 , wherein the alphabetical area is arranged into three rows having nine, ten, and nine key positions respectively, and wherein specific key positions in each row are grouped to form the eight letter zones according to their corresponding rhythmic segments, as defined by fixed positional relationships between rows and columns.
10 . The keyboard alphabetical area layout method according to claim 1 , wherein each vertically oriented zone has a primary longitudinal axis that is substantially vertical, including arrangements in which keys within the vertically oriented zone are offset, stepped, or staggered along a vertical direction while maintaining an overall vertical alignment of the zone.