# US 9,436,363 B2 · Device, system, and method for informing users of functions and characters associated with telephone keys > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,363 B2 - Document ID: US9436363B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/946,733 - Filed: 2013-07-19 - Published: 2013-11-14 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2005-10-07 - Assignees: BlackBerry Limited - Applicants: BlackBerry Limited - Inventors: Jason Tyler Griffin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436363B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - H04M 1/72406: by software upgrading or downloading - H04M 1/72466: with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device - H04M 1/27475: using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations - H04M 2250/56: including a user help function - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the screen is a touchscreen. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with each key having associated indicia corresponding to at least one of alphabetical characters, numbers and functions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with each key having associated indicia with the indicia being in a QWERTY layout. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with each key having associated indicia with the indicia being in a QWERTY layout with the associated indicia on a subset of the keys comprising a single letter on a key. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard further comprises a mode selection key for switching between the displayed first virtual keyboard and the second virtual keyboard. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the displayed second virtual keyboard further comprises a plurality of keys arranged in four horizontally centered rows: a first row comprising, from left to right, a key associated with the number 1, a key associated with the number 2, and a key associated with the number 3; a second row below the first row and comprising, from left to right, a key associated with the number 4, a key associated with the number 5, and a key associated with the number 6; a third row below the second row and comprising, from left to right, a key associated with the number 7, a key associated with the number 8, and a key associated with the number 9; and a fourth row below the third row and comprising a key associated with the number 0. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mobile device as recited in claim 7 wherein the numbers 2-9 are respectively assigned to keys A-C, D-F, G-I, J-L, M-O, P-S, T-V and W-Z. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The mobile device as recited in claim 8 wherein one of: an additional key is pressed, an ALT key is pressed, and a multi-tap technique is used, to enter the alphabetic character. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The mobile device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first layout is a non-ITU Standard E.161 keypad layout and the second layout is an ITU Standard E.161 keypad layout. ### Claim 11 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the screen is a touchscreen. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with each key having associated indicia corresponding to at least one of alphabetical characters, numbers and functions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with each key having associated indicia with the indicia being in a QWERTY layout. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with each key having associated indicia with the indicia being in a QWERTY layout with the associated indicia on a subset of the keys comprising a single letter on a key. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the displayed first virtual keyboard further comprises a mode selection key for switching between the displayed first virtual keyboard and the second virtual keyboard. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the displayed second virtual keyboard further comprises a plurality of keys arranged in four horizontally centered rows: a first row comprising, from left to right, a key associated with the number 1, a key associated with the number 2, and a key associated with the number 3; a second row below the first row and comprising, from left to right, a key associated with the number 4, a key associated with the number 5, and a key associated with the number 6; a third row below the second row and comprising, from left to right, a key associated with the number 7, a key associated with the number 8, and a key associated with the number 9; and a fourth row below the third row and comprising a key associated with the number 0. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory medium of claim 17 wherein the numbers 2-9 are respectively assigned to keys A-C, D-F, G-I, J-L, M-O, P-S, T-V and W-Z. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory medium of claim 18 wherein one of: an additional key is pressed, an ALT key is pressed and a multi-tap technique is used, to enter the alphabetic character. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The non-transitory medium of claim 11 wherein the first layout is a non-ITU Standard E.161 keypad layout and the second layout is an ITU Standard E.161 keypad layout.