Hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs

A method of changing the character display associated with a key on a mobile device having a display, a keyboard, and a thumbwheel input device, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) selecting a key on the keyboard and displaying a first character on the display;
• (B) holding down the selected key;
• (C) while the key is held down, if the thumbwheel input device is rolled in a first direction, then displaying a second character on the display in place of the first character;
• and
• (D) while the key is held down, if the thumbwheel input device is rolled in a second direction, then displaying a third character on the display in place of the first character.

A method of changing the character display associated with a key on a mobile device having a display, a keyboard, and an auxiliary input device, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) selecting a key on the keyboard and displaying a first character on the display, wherein the first character is displayed using a first display characteristic;
• (B) holding down the selected key;
• and
• (C) while the key is held down, activating the auxiliary input device and changing the display characteristic of the first character from the first display characteristic to one of a plurality of second display characteristics.

A method of changing the character display associated with a key on a mobile device having a display, a keyboard, and a thumbwheel input device, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) Selecting a key on the keyboard and displaying a first character on the display;
• (B) holding down the selected key;
• (C) while the key is held down, rolling the thumbwheel input device and displaying a first set of characters on the display in place of the first character;
• and
• ((D) while the key is held down, rolling the thumbwheel input device and displaying a second set of characters on the display in place of the first set of characters.

A method of inputting characters into a mobile device having a keyboard and a display, the keyboard including a plurality of character keys and a space bar, the method comprising the steps of:

• (A) inputting a first set of characters into the mobile device using the keyboard, wherein the first set of characters comprise a first sentence;
• (B) selecting the space bar of the keyboard twice in succession and (1) displaying a period symbol (.) after the first sentence, and (2) instructing the mobile device to capitalize the next character input using the keyboard;
• and
• (C) inputting a second set of characters into the mobile device using the keyboard, wherein the second set of characters comprise a second sentence, and wherein the first character in the second set of characters is automatically capitalized by the mobile device.

A method of character substitution in a handheld mobile device having a display, an auxiliary input device, and a keyboard, comprising the steps of:

• associating a plurality of characters with at least one key on the keyboard;
• selecting the key and displaying a first character of the plurality of characters on the display;
• and
• while holding the selected key down, activating the auxiliary input device and substituting a second character of the plurality of characters for the first character on the display.