Mobile terminal having improved user interface

A handheld radio communications device having a user interface, said user interface comprising:

• a display disposed on a surface of said device, said display displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with a non-perpendicular orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of said device, said display being partitionable into a plurality of windows capable of displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with an orientation that is neither parallel to a longitudinal axis of said device or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said device.

A cellular telephone having a user interface, said user interface comprising:

• means for inputting information to said cellular telephone, said means for inputting extending outwardly from a surface of said cellular telephone and comprising an actuator having an axis that passes therethrough and that is generally perpendicular to said surface, wherein said actuator has at least 10 degrees of freedom in a plane parallel to said surface for selecting at least individual ones of numeric digits 0 through 9;
• and
• means for displaying information to a user of said device, said display means being partitionable into a plurality of windows capable of displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with an orientation that is neither parallel to a longitudinal axis of said device or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said device.

A wireless personal communicator having a user interface, said user interface comprising:

• means for inputting information to said wireless personal communicator, said means for inputting comprising a multiple degree of freedom actuator having individual ones of indicia 0-9 arrayed about said actuator, said actuator extending outwardly from a surface of said personal communicator and having at least 10 degrees of freedom in a plane parallel to the surface, each degree of freedom corresponding to one of the indicia 0-9;
• and
• a display, said display being electrically partitionable into a plurality of windows each of which is capable of displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with a selected orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of said wireless personal communicator, the selected orientation including at least one of parallel, perpendicular, and diagonal to the longitudinal axis.

A handheld radio communications device having a user interface, said device having a longitudinal axis that passes through opposing first and second sides of said device and a transverse axis passing through opposing third and fourth sides of said device, wherein a distance between said first and second sides is greater than a distance between said third and fourth sides, said user interface comprising:

• a display disposed on a surface of said device, said display displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with a non-perpendicular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of said device, said display being partitionable into a plurality of windows each of which is capable of displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with a parallel orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of said device.

A handheld radio communications device having a user interface, said user interface comprising:

• a display disposed on a surface of said device, said display displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with a non-perpendicular orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of said device, said display being partitionable into a plurality of windows each of which is capable of displaying at least one text line of alphanumeric characters with a diagonal orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of said device.