Handheld electronic device and keypad providing enhanced usability and reduced size, and associated method

A handheld electronic device comprising:

• a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory;
• an input apparatus comprising a keypad, the input apparatus being cooperable with the processor apparatus to provide input to the processor apparatus;
• and
• an output apparatus cooperable with the processor apparatus to receive signals from the processor apparatus and to provide output;
• the keypad comprising a contact apparatus, a button apparatus, a primary conductor portion, and a secondary conductor portion;
• the a contact apparatus comprising a plurality of electrical contacts:
• the button apparatus comprising a number of key sets, each key set of at least a portion of the number of key sets comprising a pair of keys and a support, the pair of keys being disposed on the support;
• the primary conductor portion comprising a number of primary conductors that are elastically deflectable between a relaxed position and a deflected position, each primary conductor of at least a portion of the number of primary conductors in the deflected position electrically connecting together a pair of electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts;
• the secondary conductor portion comprising a number of secondary conductors that are movable between a first position and a second position, each secondary conductor of at least a portion of the number of secondary conductors in the second position electrically connecting together a pair of electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts;
• the pair of keys comprising a first key and a second key, the first key being movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the second key being movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position;
• a primary conductor of the number of primary conductors which corresponds with the key set being in the deflected position when the first key is in the actuated position;
• a first secondary conductor of the at least a portion of the number of secondary conductors which corresponds with the first key being in the second position when the first key is in the actuated position;
• the primary conductor which corresponds with the key set being in the deflected position when the second key is in the actuated position;
• and
• a second secondary conductor of the at least a portion of the number of secondary conductors which corresponds with the second key being in the second position when the second key is in the actuated position.

A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device of a type that includes an input apparatus having a pair of keys, the pair of keys including a first key having a first linguistic element assigned thereto and a second key having a second linguistic element assigned thereto, the pair of keys having a third linguistic element assigned thereto, the handheld electronic device being operable in at least a first input mode and a second input mode, the method comprising:

• detecting in the first input mode at least one of:
• an actuation of the first key as being an input of the first linguistic element;
• and
• an actuation of the second key as being an input of the second linguistic element;
• and
• detecting in the second input mode an actuation of the first key as being an input of the third linguistic element and an actuation of the second key as being an input of the third linguistic element.