Device, system, and method for informing users of functions and characters associated with telephone keys
AssigneeBlackBerry Limited
InventorJason Tyler Griffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System and method for informing a user of functions or characters associated with keys on a mobile communications device includes a keyboard operable to input dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) codes and a display screen operable to display information. The display screen is also operable to display a virtual representation of at least a portion of the keyboard. The virtual representation includes help information on one or more virtually represented keys of the keyboard. This help information informs a user of an associated telephone function or character of one or more keys that are virtually represented on the display.
Claims20
A mobile device comprising:
- a keyboard including a portion with a plurality of physical keys;
- a screen adapted to display an image of the keyboard separate from the keyboard;
- and
- a processor coupled to the screen and configured to:
- provide instructions for displaying on the screen a first virtual keyboard in response to the mobile device being in a text entry mode, the first virtual keyboard being a first virtual representation of the portion of the keyboard and having each of a plurality of virtual keys associated with a different indicia in a first layout, and selecting one of the plurality of physical keys results in selection of indicia associated with a corresponding key in the plurality of virtual keys in the first virtual keyboard;
- and
- provide instructions for displaying on the screen a second virtual keyboard in response to the mobile device being in a telephony entry mode, the second virtual keyboard being a second virtual representation of the portion of the keyboard and having each of a plurality of virtual keys associated a different indicia in a second layout, with the first layout and the second layout being different, and selecting one of the plurality of physical keys results in selection of indicia associated with a corresponding key in the plurality of virtual keys in the second virtual keyboard.
A non-transitory medium configured to store instructions for execution by a processor of a mobile device having a keyboard including a plurality of physical keys, the non-transitory medium including instructions to:
- display, on a screen separate from the keyboard, a first virtual keyboard on a screen in response to the mobile device being in a text entry mode, the first virtual keyboard being a first virtual representation of the portion of the keyboard and having each of a plurality of virtual keys associated with a different indicia in a first layout, and selecting one of the plurality of physical keys results in selection of indicia associated with a corresponding key in the plurality of virtual keys in the first virtual keyboard;
- and
- display on the screen separate from the keyboard, a second virtual keyboard on the screen in response to the mobile device being in a telephony entry mode, the second virtual keyboard being a second virtual representation of the portion of the keyboard and having each of a plurality of virtual keys associated a different indicia in a second layout, with the first layout and the second layout being different, and selecting one of the plurality of physical keys results in selection of indicia associated with a corresponding key in the plurality of virtual keys in the second virtual keyboard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.