Apparatus and method for inputting information

An apparatus for inputting information, the apparatus comprising:

• a first sensor operably configured to be mounted proximate a tip of a user's thumb;
• a plurality of sensors operably configured to be mounted on the user's fingers such that the user can move the user's thumb and/or fingers to cause contact between said first sensor and at least one of said plurality of sensors, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned proximate a tip of a distal phalange of one of the user's fingers, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned on a side of one of the user's fingers, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned on a distal phalange of one of the user's fingers, on a palm side of the user's hand and spaced inwardly from the tip of the distal phalange;
• means for associating contact between said first sensor and said plurality of sensors with respective data items such that frequently used data items are associated with the contacts between said first sensor and the sensors of said plurality of sensors which are positioned proximate the tips of the distal phalanges of the user's fingers, which are positioned on the sides of the user's fingers, and which are positioned on the distal phalanges of the user's fingers, on the palm side of the user's hand and spaced inwardly from the tips of the distal phalanges;
• and
• means for producing a data signals representing said data items.

In a system comprising a first sensor operably configured to be mounted proximate a tip of a user's thumb and a plurality of sensors operably configured to be mounted on the user's fingers such that the user can move the user's thumb and/or fingers to cause contact between said first sensor and at least one of said plurality of sensors, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned proximate a tip of a distal phalange of one of the user's fingers, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned on a side of one of the user's fingers, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is positioned on a distal phalange of one of the user's fingers, on a palm side of the user's hand and spaced inwardly from the tip of the distal phalange, a method of producing a data signal from contact between said first sensor and one of said plurality of sensors, the method comprising:

• associating contact between said first sensor and said plurality of sensors with respective data items such that frequently used data items are associated with the contacts between said first sensor and the sensors of said plurality of sensors which are positioned proximate the tips of the distal phalanges of the user's fingers, which are positioned on the sides of the user's fingers, and which are positioned on the distal phalanges of the user's fingers, on the palm side of the user's hand and spaced inwardly from the tips of the distal phalanges;
• providing the contact between said first sensor and the one of said plurality of sensors, wherein the one of said plurality of sensors is positioned proximate the tip of the distal phalange of one of the user's fingers, is positioned on the side of one of the user's fingers, or is positioned on the distal phalange of one of the user's fingers, on the palm side of the user's hand and spaced inwardly from the tips of the distal phalanges;
• producing the data signal representing one of said frequently used data items.