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US 7,511,700 B2Granted
Device and technique for assigning different inputs to keys on a keypad
AssigneePalm, Inc.
InventorPeter Skillman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide an effective keypad assembly and keypad layout for mobile computing devices. In particular, embodiments of the invention provide keyboard layouts and designs. Additionally, embodiments described herein provide for stack components to make keyboards operable on small-form factor devices.
Claims22
A mobile computing device comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more processors contained within the housing;
- a keypad coupled to the one or more processors and comprising a plurality of key structures provided on a surface of the housing, wherein key structures in a first set of the plurality of key structures are individually actuatable to register with the one or more processors a corresponding non-numeric character entry, and wherein key structures in a second set of the plurality of key structures are individually actuatable to register with the one or more processors a corresponding numerical entry;
- wherein the first set of key structures and the second set of key structures have at least some of the same key structures;
- and wherein the second set of key structures comprises a plurality of key structure pairs, each key structure pair including a first key structure and a second key structure;
- and
- wherein the one or more processors are configured to register any of (i) actuation of the first key structure in a given key structure pair of the second set, or (ii) actuation of the second key structure of the given key structure pair to be of a same numerical value;
- wherein the second set of key structures is arranged in a dial pad configuration, with each key structure pair forming a number of the dial pad, wherein the second set of key structures that arrange to form the dial pad configuration occupy only a portion of the keypad.
5 more elements
A mobile computing device comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more processors contained within the housing;
- a keypad coupled to the one or more processors and comprising a plurality of key structures provided on a surface of the housing, wherein key structures in a first set of the plurality of key structures are individually actuatable to register with the one or more processors a corresponding alphanumeric input, and wherein key structures in a second set of the plurality of key structures are individually actuatable to register with the one or more processors a single corresponding non-alphanumeric input;
- wherein the first set of key structures and the second set of key structures have at least some of the same key structures;
- and wherein the second set of key structures comprises one or more key structure clusters, each key structure cluster comprising two or more adjacent key structures;
- and
- wherein the one or more processors are configured to register independent actuation of any key structure in any of the one or more key structure clusters as a same corresponding non-alphanumeric input for that key structure cluster;
- and
- wherein the second set of key structures is arranged in a dial pad configuration, with each key structure cluster forming a number of the dial pad, and wherein the second set of key structures that arrange to form the dial pad configuration occupy only a portion of the keypad.
6 more elements
A mobile computing device comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more processors contained within the housing;
- a keypad coupled to the one or more processors to enable operability of individual keys that comprise the keypad, the keypad comprising a plurality of pair sets of keys;
- wherein when the keypad is operated in a first mode, each key of each pair set is individually operable to signal a value that is different than a corresponding value of an other key in that pair set,
- wherein when the keypad is operated in a second mode, each key of each pair set is operable to signal a same value as the other key in that pair set;
- wherein the plurality of pair sets of keys are arranged to collectively form a dial pad, with each pair set of keys forming a number of the dial pad, and wherein the pair sets of keys that arrange to form the dial pad configuration occupy only a portion of the keypad.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.