HANDHELD WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20070254707A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fyke, Steven, Griffin, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.200
• 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 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

An handheld wireless communication device that is cradleable in one hand during text entry. A display, key field and trackball navigation tool are located on a front face of the device. At least some keys of the key field are arranged in key-columns and each of the key-columns is vertically offset from adjacent key-columns. Alphanumeric input keys include several alphabetic keys with letters arranged in a traditional (QWERTY), but non-ITU Standard E.161 telephone letter layout. 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. A menu key is positioned adjacent to the trackball navigation tool that upon actuation displays an available action menu on the display in dependence of the currently running application on the device.

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 elongate 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;

a trackball navigation tool located on the front face of said body;

a menu key positioned laterally adjacent to said trackball navigation tool and which upon actuation displays an available action menu on said display;

said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys having letters associated therewith and said letters, in a top row of said alphabetic keys, comprising in consecutive order the letters Q, W, E, R and T;

a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from said alphanumeric input keys, said menu keys and said trackball navigation tool and to affect corresponding changes to the display; and

said alphanumeric input keys of said key field are arranged in key-rows and key-columns and each key-column is vertically offset from an adjacent key-column.

2. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein each key-column is vertically offset from all adjacent key-columns.

3. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said key-columns are linearly arranged and said key-rows are non-linearly arranged.

4. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said letters associated with said alphabetic keys are arranged in a QWERTY layout.

5. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said letters associated with said alphabetic keys are arranged in a reduced-QWERTY layout.

6. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said body is configured to be held in the hand of the operator with a long axis of said device substantially horizontally oriented during text entry.

7. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said body is configured to be held in the hand of the operator with a long axis of said device substantially vertically oriented during text entry.

8. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 7, 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.

9. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said trackball navigation tool is at least partially surrounded by said key field.

10. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein a majority of said trackball navigation tool is surrounded by said key field.

11. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, 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.

12. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 11, 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.

13. 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 elongate 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;

a trackball navigation tool located on the front face of said body;

a menu key positioned laterally adjacent to said trackball navigation tool and which upon actuation displays an available action menu on said display;

said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys having letters associated therewith and said letters being arranged in a traditional, non-ITU Standard E.161 layout;

a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from said alphanumeric input keys, said menu keys and said trackball navigation tool and to affect corresponding changes to the display; and

said alphanumeric input keys of said key field are arranged in key-rows and key-columns and each key-column is vertically offset from an adjacent key-column.

14. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein each key-column is vertically offset from all adjacent key-columns.

15. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein said key-columns are linearly arranged and said key-rows are non-linearly arranged.

16. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein said body is configured to be held in the hand of the operator with a long axis of said device substantially horizontally oriented during text entry.

17. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein said body is configured to be held in the hand of the operator with a long axis of said device substantially vertically oriented during text entry.

18. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein a majority of said trackball navigation tool is surrounded by said key field.

19. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 13, 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.