Shorthand for data retrieval from a database

A method for initiating a communication session from a mobile device, the mobile device including a storage device that stores a contact database, the database including a plurality of database records, each database record including a contact identifier in the form of an ordered set of characters from an alphabet, and address data effective for initiating a communication session, the method comprising:

• displaying, on a touchscreen of the mobile device, a keypad comprising a plurality of keys, each key of the plurality of keys having exactly one character of a subset of the alphabet displayed thereon, and wherein each key of the plurality of keys is exclusively operable for inputting the character displayed thereon, wherein the keypad does not include any key operable for inputting any character of the alphabet that does not belong to the subset;
• wherein the subset of the alphabet comprises a plurality of different characters of the alphabet and consists of no more than the smaller of half of the alphabet or sixteen characters of the alphabet;
• receiving, via the keypad, a search string that includes an ordered sequence of a plurality of characters of the subset and no characters of the alphabet that do not belong to the subset;
• responsive to receiving the search string, selectively retrieving, by a processor, a non-negative integer number of database records, wherein each retrieved database record includes the characters of the search string interspersed within a predefined function of at least one text field of the database record, such that the subset characters interspersed within the predefined function appear in the same order as the characters of the search string;
• and
• if the non-negative integer number is at least one:
• presenting the retrieved database records,
• receiving a selection of a retrieved database record, and
• initiating a communication session according to address data included in the selected record.

A mobile communication device comprising:

• a communication module;
• a storage device storing a contact database, the database including a plurality of database records, each database record including a contact identifier in the form of an ordered set of characters from an alphabet, and address data;
• a keypad comprising a plurality of keys, each key of the plurality of keys having exactly one character of a subset of the alphabet displayed thereon, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is exclusively operable for inputting the character displayed thereon, and wherein the keypad does not include any key operable for inputting any character of the alphabet that does not belong to the subset;
• wherein the subset of the alphabet comprises a plurality of different characters of the alphabet and consists of no more than the smaller of half of the alphabet or sixteen characters of the alphabet;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• receive, from the keypad, a search string comprising an ordered sequence of a plurality of characters of the subset and no characters of the alphabet that do not belong to the subset;
• responsive to receiving the search string, selectively retrieve a non-negative integer number of database records, wherein each retrieved database record includes the characters of the search string interspersed within a predefined function of at least one text field of the database record, such that the subset characters interspersed within the predefined function appear in the same order as the characters of the search string;
• and
• if the non-negative integer number is at least one:
• present the retrieved database records,
• receive a selection of a retrieved database record, and
• initiate a communication session according to address data included in the selected record.