Apparatus comprising a variable number of parts which may be paired in multiple configurations to form a user interface

A method comprising:

• pairing a first part comprising a first proximity sensor and a third part but not a second part as a user interface if communication is detected between a second proximity sensor of the second part and a fourth proximity sensor of the third part and no communication is detected between the first proximity sensor of the first part and a third proximity sensor of the third part and it is determined that the first part and the third part are adjacent and exposed side-by-side on top of a respective first stack and a second stack;
• pairing the second part and the third part but not the first part as a user interface if communication is detected between the first proximity sensor of the first part and the third proximity sensor of the third part and no communication is detected between the second proximity sensor of the second part and the fourth proximity sensor of the third part and it is determined that the first part and the third part are adjacent and exposed side-by-side on top of the respective first stack and second stack;
• and
• pairing the first part and the second part as a user interface if no communication is detected between the first proximity sensor of the first part and the third proximity sensor of the third part and if no communication is detected between the second proximity sensor of the second part and the fourth proximity sensor of the third part and it is determined that the first part and second part are adjacent and exposed side-by-side on top of the respective first stack and second stack.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and at least one memory including computer program code the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:
• pairing a first part and a third part but not a second part as a user interface if communication is detected between a second proximity sensor of the second part and a fourth proximity sensor of the third part and no communication is detected between a first proximity sensor of the first part and a third proximity sensor of the third part and it is determined that the first part and the third part are adjacent and exposed side-by-side on top of a respective first stack and a second stack;
• pairing the second part and the third part but not the first part as a user interface if communication is detected between the first proximity sensor of the first part and the third proximity sensor of the third part and no communication is detected between the second proximity sensor of the second part and the fourth proximity sensor of the third part and it is determined that the first part and the third part are adjacent and exposed side-by-side on top of the respective first stack and second stack;
• and
• pairing the first part and the second part as a user interface if no communication is detected between the first proximity sensor of the first part and the third proximity sensor of the third part and if no communication is detected between the second proximity sensor of the second part and the fourth proximity sensor of the third part and it is determined that the first part and second part are adjacent and exposed side-by-side on top of the respective first stack and second stack.

An apparatus comprising:

• a controller;
• a first part comprising at least a first proximity sensor;
• a second part comprising at least a second proximity sensor;
• a third part comprising at least a third proximity sensor and a fourth proximity sensor;
• and
• an arrangement configured to add the third part between the first part on a first stack and the second part on a second stack to change a configuration of the apparatus between a first configuration in which the first part and the second part are adjacent and exposed side-by-side on top of the different first and second stacks and there is no third part between the first part and the second part, to a second configuration in which the first part and the second part are separated by the third part, the first and second parts are no longer adjacent, and the third part is adjacent to the first part and the second part, wherein the controller is configured to pair the first part and the second part, not the third part, as a user interface when the apparatus is in the first configuration, and is configured to pair the first part and the third part, not the second part, as a user interface when the apparatus is in the second configuration and the first part and the third part are exposed side-by-side on top of the different first and second stacks, and is configured to pair the second part and the third part, not the first part, as a user interface when the apparatus is in the second configuration and the second part and the third part are exposed side-by-side on top of the different first and second stacks,
• wherein each third part comprises:
• a front face and a rear face;
• and wherein the third proximity sensor and/or the fourth proximity sensor are provided by
• at least one proximity transmitter associated with at least one of the front face and the rear facet and
• at least one proximity receiver associated with at least one of the front face and the rear face;
• wherein at least one proximity transmitter associated with at least one of the faces is configured to transmit an identifier of the third part to a proximity sensor on an adjacent part only to identify the third part to the adjacent part;
• wherein at least one proximity receiver associated with at least one of the faces is configured to receive an identifier of an adjacent part in the same stack only to identify the adjacent part to the third part.