HANDHELD WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITH FUNCTION KEYS IN EXTERIOR KEY COLUMNS

• US 20070211034A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason, Corley, Cortez
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A handheld wireless communication device configured to send and receive text messages. The device is hand cradleable with a body configured to be held in one hand by an operator during text entry. A display is located on a front face of the body and upon which information is displayed to the operator during text entry. A key field is also located on the front face of the body and that includes a plurality of alphanumeric input keys and menu control keys. A microprocessor is provided that receives operator commands from the keys and the trackball navigation tool and which affects corresponding changes to the display based on user input. The key field is arranged such that the keys in lateral exterior key columns are associated with an application function.

Claims

1. A handheld wireless communication device configured to send and receive text messages, said device comprising:

a hand cradleable body configured to be held in one hand by an operator of said device during text entry;

a display located on a front face of said body and upon which information is displayed to the operator during text entry;

a key field located on the front face of said body, said key field being composed of a plurality of keys selected from a plurality of alphanumeric input keys and at least one menu key, said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys having letters associated therewith and a numeric telephone keypad at least partially overlaid thereon;

a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from said alphanumeric input keys and said at least one menu key and to affect corresponding changes to the display; and

said plurality of keys composing said key field being arranged in a plurality of key columns and each key in lateral exterior key columns of said plurality of key columns having an application function associated therewith.

2. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a trackball navigation tool located on the front face of said body and said microprocessor being further configured to receive operator commands from said trackball navigation tool to affect corresponding changes to the display.

3. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein keys constituting said lateral exterior columns exclusively have application functions associated therewith.

4. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a right-hand side lateral exterior key column is a return-carriage key.

5. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a right-hand side lateral exterior key column is a character delete key.

6. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a right-hand side lateral exterior key column is a call cancel key.

7. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 6, wherein at least one key in the right-hand side lateral exterior key column is a return-carriage key and at least one key in the right-hand side lateral exterior key column is a character delete key.

8. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 7, wherein said call cancel key is located above said character delete key which is above said return-carriage key.

9. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 8, wherein at least one key in a right-hand side lateral exterior key column is a speaker phone toggle key located above said return-carriage key.

10. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a left-hand side lateral exterior key column is a toggle key for changing between predictive text mode and tap-typing mode.

11. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a left-hand side lateral exterior key column is a symbol list call-up key.

12. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a left-hand side lateral exterior key column is a call initiate key.

13. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a left-hand side lateral exterior key column is a CAP lock key.

14. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a left-hand side lateral exterior key column is a numbers lock key.

15. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one key in a left-hand side lateral exterior key column is a call initiate key located above a toggle key for changing between predictive text mode and tap-typing mode which is located above a symbol list call-up key which is located above a CAP lock key which is located above a number lock key.

16. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 12, wherein said display is located in an upper portion of the front face of said body during text entry, said key field is located in a lower portion of the front face of said body during text entry and said trackball navigation tool is located substantially between said key field and said display.

17. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein said trackball navigation tool is at least partially surrounded by said key field.

18. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, wherein a majority of said trackball navigation tool is surrounded by said key field.

19. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

said handheld wireless communication device being configured to send and receive voice communications;

wherein at least one key of said key field is positioned adjacent to said trackball navigation tool and said at least one key has a circular arc-shaped edge conformance fitting to a circular arc-shaped boundary about said trackball navigation tool; and

two call keys oppositely and laterally flank said trackball navigation tool, one of said two call keys being a call initiation key and the other being a call termination key.

20. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 19, wherein said at least one key of said key field that is positioned adjacent to said trackball navigation tool is a menu key that upon actuation displays an available action menu on said display.