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US 7,733,330 B2Granted
Mobile device keyboard having three-direction keys
AssigneeResearch In Motion Limited
InventorsJason T. Griffin, Roman Peter Rak, Mihal Lazaridis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keyboard for a mobile device is provided that includes a plurality of three-direction keys. The three-direction keys may include three protruding portions that each correspond to at least one character of the keyboard. At least one of the three-direction keys may be inverted with respect to other ones of the three-direction keys. The three-direction keys may be positioned on the mobile device to provide characters in at least three rows the keyboard.
Claims16
A mobile device comprising:
- a plurality of three-direction keys, including an upper row of keys and a lower row of keys, the upper row including first, second and third keys that each include left and right upper end portions and a lower end portion, and the lower row of keys including fourth and fifth keys that each include an upper end portion and left and right lower end portions;
- each end portion being marked with at least one letter, the letters appearing on the end portions in a QWERTY sequence, with the letters Q and W appearing together on the first key's left upper end portion, the letter E appearing alone on the first key's right upper end portion, the letters R and T appearing together on the second key's left end portion, the letters Y and U appearing together on the second key's right upper end portion, the letter I appearing alone on the third key's left upper end portion, the letters 0 and P appearing together on the third key's right upper end portion, the letters A and S appearing together on the first key's lower end portion, the letters D and F appearing together on the fourth key's upper end portion, the letters G and H appearing together on the second key's lower end portion, the letters J and K appearing together on the fifth key's upper end portion, the letter L appearing alone on the third key's lower end portion, the letters Z and X appearing together on the fourth key's left lower end portion, the letters C and V appearing together on the fourth key's right lower end portion, the letters B and N appearing together on the fifth key's left lower end portion, and the letter M appearing alone on the fifth key's right lower end portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.