Portable electronic device with keyboard

• US 20040198249A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Grifffin, Jason T
• Granted Patent: US 7,504,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

A keyboard (32, 1230) for a handheld electronic device (100, 1100, 1200) comprising a row of keys (102) wherein each of said keys (102) represents at least two alphanumeric characters and the characters of each key (102) are positioned relative to the characters on adjacent keys (102) so as to form a QWERTY or DVORAK layout.

Claims

1. A keyboard for an electronic device, said keyboard comprising:

a plurality of alphanumeric keys, each alphanumeric key corresponding to a plurality of alphanumeric values, each key for providing an input signal corresponding to at least one of the corresponding alphanumeric values of the key, the plurality of keys arranged to provide a standard keyboard layout;

a non-alphanumeric key for providing an input signal corresponding to a command key value; and

a keystroke interpreter for receiving the input signals from the plurality of alphanumeric keys and from the non-alphanumeric key and for mapping the received inputs to a sequence of alphanumeric and command values.

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the standard keyboard layout is a conventional QWERTY layout.

3. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the standard keyboard layout is a conventional Dvorak layout.

4. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the alphanumeric keys include only alphabetic values.

5. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the plurality of alphanumeric keys is provided by an electronic touch display.

6. The keyboard of claim 5, wherein the electronic touch display is a touch sensitive liquid crystal display.

7. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of keys provides one input signal.

8. The keyboard of claim 7, wherein the keystroke interpreter employs predictive text routines for mapping the received inputs to a sequence of alphanumeric and command values.

9. The keyboard of claim 7, wherein each of said keys has a single protruberance from an underside of said key which is adapted to engage a switching element located upon a printed circuit board underlying said keyboard.

10. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein each key of the plurality of keys provides a plurality of distinct input signals.

11. The keyboard of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of input signals corresponds to one of the alphanumeric values of the key.

12. The keyboard of claim 10, wherein the keystroke interpreter employs predictive text routines for mapping the received inputs to a sequence of alphanumeric and command values.

13. The keyboard of claim 10, wherein each of said keys has plural protruberances from an underside of said key which are adapted to engage corresponding switching elements located upon a printed circuit board underlying said keyboard, each of said protruberances associated with a respective character upon said key.

14. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the keys are arranged as a row that extends along a horizontal reference line through the handheld electronic device and said keys are of elongated shape with their longitudinal axes parallel to or tilted from a vertical reference line through the handheld electronic device.

15. The keyboard of claim 14, wherein a first group of keys is located on one side of said vertical reference line and a second group is located on an opposite side of said vertical reference line, said first group being tilted at a positive angle with respect to said vertical reference line and said second group being tilted at a corresponding negative angle with respect to said vertical reference line.

16. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the keys are arranged as a row that extends along a vertical reference line through the handheld electronic device and said keys are of elongated shape with their longitudinal axes parallel to or tilted from a horizontal reference line through the handheld electronic device.

17. The keyboard of claim 16, wherein a first group of keys is located on one side of said horizontal reference line and a second group of keys is located on an opposite side of said horizontal reference line, said first group being tilted at a positive angle with respect to said horizontal reference line and said second group being tilted at a corresponding negative angle with respect to said horizontal reference line.

18. The keyboard of claim 17 wherein each of said angles is between about 20 degrees and about 70 degrees.

19. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the non-alphanumeric key corresponds to one of the group consisting of an ALT key, a SYMBOL key, a SPACE key, a RETURN key, a BACKSPACE key and a SHIFT key.

20. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of alphanumeric keys, each alphanumeric key corresponding to a plurality of alphanumeric values, each key for providing an input signal corresponding to at least one of the corresponding alphanumeric values of the key, the plurality of keys arranged to provide a standard keyboard layout, a non-alphanumeric key for providing an input signal corresponding to a command key value, and a keystroke interpreter for receiving the input signals from the plurality of alphanumeric keys and from the non-alphanumeric key and for mapping the received inputs to a sequence of alphanumeric and command values;

a microprocessor, operatively connected to the keyboard for receiving the sequence of alphanumeric and command values, and for controlling the operation of the device; and

a software application, executable by the microprocessor, for providing a plurality of operational features and initiating such features upon certain inputs from the keyboard.

21. The handheld electronic device of claim 20, further including a display.

22. The handheld electronic device of claim 21, wherein the display is a touch sensitive liquid crystal display.

23. The handheld electronic device of claim 22, wherein the keyboard is displayed on the touch sensitive liquid crystal display.

24. The handheld electronic device of claim 20, wherein the keyboard interpreter of the keyboard employs predictive text routines for mapping the received inputs to a sequence of alphanumeric and command values.