On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 11:54 AM, sankarshan sankarshan.mukhopadhyay@gmail.com wrote:
On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 9:50 AM, Anivar Aravind anivar.aravind@gmail.com wrote:
I came across this strange news. It seems like a GNU/Linux Customization. He talks about Free Software & RMS aldo about the patent application for his input method. kannada Support is already existing is GNU/Linux
My comprehension is that the patent pertains to the input method. For example, http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=AneHAAAAEBAJ&dq=Brahmi+Keyboard provides the following details:
What is claimed is:
- A character input system using a keyboard comprising a plurality of
keys, at least some of the keys each being assigned at least one Hindi script character, and at least one key being assigned a halant, the key assignments being spatially grouped on the keyboard according to their phonetic characteristics.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the key assignments
are also grouped according to the vowels and consonants.
- The character input system of claim 2 wherein Hindi script
consonants are spatially grouped according to Vargs and Non-Vargs.
- The character input system of claim 3 wherein the keys comprising
each Varg are grouped on keys that are adjacent or diagonal to one another on the keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 4 wherein the keys comprising
each Varg are grouped in a single row on the keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 5 wherein the keyboard
comprises five Vargs of consonant keys that each contain five phonetically-related consonants.
- The character input system of claim 6 wherein the five Varg
consonant sets are assigned to keys that correspond to q-w-e-r-t, a-s-d-f-g, z-x-c-v-b, y-u-i-o-p, and h-j-k-l-; on a standard keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the Hindi final
consonant keys are grouped together on the keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 8 wherein the Hindi final
consonant keys are grouped together on a row of the keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 8 wherein Hindi final
consonant keys are assigned to keys that correspond to n-m-,-.-/ on a standard keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard
comprises a plurality of Hindi script vowel keys, each vowel key being assigned to a Hindi script vowel.
- The character input system of claim 11 wherein the Hindi vowel
keys are grouped together on the keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 12 wherein the Hindi vowel
keys are grouped on keys that are adjacent or diagonal to one another on the keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 13 wherein at least some of
the Hindi vowels are assigned to keys that correspond to the number-row on a standard keyboard.
- The character input system of claim 14 wherein the diacritic Hindi
"vowel signs" (Matras) may be accessed by pressing a modifier key with the appropriate vowel key.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard is
adapted for use with the Hindi language.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard is
adapted for use with an Indian Brahmi-based script based on similarities to Hindi.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard is
adapted for use with one of the group of Bengali, Telegu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Manipuri and Sanskrit.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard is
adapted for use with any non-Indian Brahmi-based script.
- The character input system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard is
adapted for use with one of the group of Sinhala, Nepali, Burmese, Tibetan, Laotian, Thai, Khmer, Javanese, Bali, Batak, Bugis/Buginese and Tagalog.
- A keyboard for the use with a Brahmi-derived script comprising:
vowel keys mapped to the vowels, at least some of the vowel keys being arranged in a row; initial consonant keys arranged in a plurality of subsets, each subset comprising keys mapped to a group of phonetically-related initial consonants, at least some of each subset of initial consonant keys being arranged on a single row; final consonant keys mapped to final consonants, at least some of the final consonant keys being arranged in a row; and a halant key mapped to halant character;
wherein Brahmi-derived script communications may be inputted quickly and efficiently as a result of the arrangement of character keys and a simplified character set provided through use of the halant character.
The keyboard of claim 21 wherein a row comprises horizontally adjacent keys.
The keyboard of claim 21 wherein the keyboard is adapted for use
with the Hindi script.
- The keyboard of claim 21 wherein the initial consonants comprise
Varg consonants and the final consonant comprise non-Varg consonants.
- A method of adapting a keyboard for a language that uses a
Brahmi-derived script such as Hindi script, the method comprising:
mapping vowels to vowel keys arranged in a row; mapping initial consonants to initial consonant keys arranged in a plurality of subsets, each subset comprising keys mapped to a group of phonetically-related initial consonants, each subset of initial consonant keys being arranged on a single row; mapping final consonants to final consonant keys arranged in a row; and mapping a halant character to a halant key;
wherein Brahmi-derived script communications may be inputted quickly and efficiently as a result of the arrangement of character keys and a simplified character set provided through use of the halant character.
- A computer system for use with a language that uses Brahmi-derived
script, the computer system comprising:
a processor; a memory system; a graphical user interface; and a Brahmi-derived script keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, at least some of the keys each being assigned at least one Brahmi-derived script character, and at least one key being assigned a halant, the key assignments being spatially grouped on the keyboard according to phonetic characteristics of the characters.
The system of claim 26 wherein the keyboard comprises a virtual keyboard.
The system of claim 26 wherein the virtual keyboard comprises a
touch-sensitive screen.
- A keyboard adapted for use with Hindi script, the keyboard comprising:
a group of vowel keys each being assigned a Hindi script vowel, the vowel keys comprising keys corresponding to the number-row on a standard keyboard; a first Varg group of phonetically-related consonant keys comprising keys corresponding to Q-W-E-R-T on a standard keyboard; a second Varg group of phonetically-related consonant keys comprising keys corresponding to A-S-D-F-G on a standard keyboard; a third Varg group of phonetically-related consonant keys comprising keys corresponding to Z-X-C-V-B on a standard keyboard; a fourth Varg group of phonetically-related consonant keys comprising keys corresponding to Y-U-I-O-P on a standard keyboard; and a fifth Varg group of phonetically-related consonant keys comprising keys corresponding to H-J-K-L-; on a standard keyboard. a final group of Non-Varg consonant keys comprising keys corresponding to N-M-,-.-/-'-- on a standard keyboard.
- A character input system using a keyboard comprising a plurality
of keys, at least some of the keys each being assigned at least one Hindi script character, and at least one key being assigned a halant, the key assignments being spatially grouped on the keyboard according to the vowels and consonants, their phonetic characteristics and the method in which the characters are learned.
It reads like a patent on Indic Keyboard with more than one layer or Indic Phonetic Keyboard. Can anyone confirm this?