US 8,284,163 B2 · Handheld electronic device

Abstract

A handheld electronic device includes an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor apparatus. The input apparatus includes a reduced keyboard and roller ball input. The roller ball input includes a movable portion that is substantially continuously rotatable with respect to a housing of the device and is rotatable about more than one axis providing input. The processor apparatus includes a disambiguation routine that can output various proposed interpretations of inputs from the reduced keyboard. The roller ball input advantageously provides various inputs to the handheld electronic device without requiring significant user attention, which enables a user to direct greater amount of attention to the output from the disambiguation routine and other aspects of the device. The roller ball input can be configured to additionally be translatable to provide an input, and additionally and/or alternatively the roller ball input can provide a tactile or other feedback to a user.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory;
a first input device communicatively coupled with the processor apparatus and adapted to generate first inputs upon actuation;
an output apparatus communicatively coupled with the processor apparatus, the output apparatus including a display;
a second input device communicatively coupled with the processor and adapted to generate a number of second inputs upon actuation;
the processor apparatus being adapted to receive the first inputs outputted from the first input device and the second inputs outputted from the second input device;
a housing;
the memory having stored therein a routine that is executable on the processor upon detection of a number of the first inputs, the routine being adapted to:
output to the display a number of primary output items;
move an indicator through the number of primary output items on the display responsive to the second inputs outputted from the second input device;
and
generate secondary output items in response to the second inputs outputted from the second input device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Handheld electronic device

Life of this patent

Handheld electronic device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18