Rounded keypad

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in greater detail to preferred embodiments of the present invention.
In the drawings, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings.
Also, while specific items such as a circuit elements or the like are given in the following description, a person skilled in the art will readily recognize that they are rendered to facilitate understanding of a concept of the present invention and the present invention can be embodied not just by using the specific items.
In the following description of the present invention, a detailed explanation of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.
FIG.
1 represents a prior art keyboard 30 for a computer; FIG.
2 represents a prior art keyboard 40 for a cellular phone or similar instrument; FIG.
3 is a plan view illustrating the key arrangement of a rounded keypad device 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG.
3, the rounded keypad device 10 according to this first embodiment of the present invention has twenty-six keys 11 which correspond to letters of the English alphabet.
The twenty-six keys 11 define a circular arrangement as can be readily seen from FIG.
3.
The twenty-six keys 11 which are arranged in the aforesaid circular layout are positioned within a movement radius in which an operator's thumb for pressing keys 11 upon inputting English letters can be moved.
Describing in detail the arrangement of the twenty-six keys 11 which are part of the English alphabet, keys 11 of high using-frequency, that is, are assigned to letters which are frequently used are positioned around an eye's focal point within a minimum circular movement radius in which the operating finger of the operator can be moved.
The eye's focal point 22 designates a first recognized center portion of a keypad 10 in the case that the operator views the keypad 10 for input of letters