Four column keypad

• US 20070296703A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bestle, Nikolaj
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,037 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

A keypad arrangement and keypad arrangement of a handheld device implements a 12-key keypad to optimize space utilization on a handheld device. The display area on a user viewable side may occupy 25% or more of the available user side surface of the handheld device. The keypad is arranged as a three row by four column matrix. The number sign special function key may remain adjacent to the number 9 key of a standard keypad to facilitate effective changeover for the user when switching from a standard keypad.

Claims

1. A keypad arrangement for use with a handheld device, comprising a matrix of keys on a user viewable surface of a handheld device, wherein the user viewable surface has a left side, a right side, a top side, and a bottom side as viewed by a user viewing the user viewable surface, the matrix of keys having a plurality of rows of the keys and a plurality of columns of the keys, wherein a first three of the columns of keys, corresponding to leftmost columns of keys in the matrix have a primary designation of all numeric keys.

2. A keypad arrangement for use with a handheld device according to claim 1, wherein a fourth column of keys includes a numeric key.

3. A keypad arrangement for use with a handheld device according to claim 2, wherein a fourth column of keys includes two special function keys.

4. A keypad arrangement for use with a handheld device according to claim 3, wherein the two special function keys are a number sign key and an asterisk key.

5. A keypad arrangement for use with a handheld device according to claim 4, wherein a top key of the first three columns of keys is numbered, from left to right, ‘

1,’

‘

2,’ and

‘

3.’

6. A keypad arrangement for use with a handheld device according to claim 5, wherein a middle key of the first three columns of keys is numbered, from left to right, as ‘

4,’

‘

5,’ and

‘

6,’ and

, a bottom key of the first three columns of keys is numbered, from left to right, as ‘

7,’

‘

8,’ and

‘

9.’

7. A keypad arrangement for use with a handheld device according to claim 6, wherein the fourth column, from top to bottom is marked with an asterisk, ‘

0,’ and

a number sign.

8. A handheld device, comprising:

a housing that includes internal electronic processing circuitry for performing at least one function, the housing having a plurality of apertures on a user viewable side of the handheld device, the user viewable side having a top side, a left side, a bottom side, and a right side;

a display mounted in one of the plurality of apertures, the display being electronically coupled to the internal electronic processing circuitry;

a keypad that includes a matrix of keys that project through at least one of the apertures, wherein the keys are arranged in columns and rows, wherein a leftmost column of the keys of the keypad have a primary designation as all numeric keys, wherein the number of columns of the keys is greater than the number of rows of the keys.

9. A handheld device according to claim 8, wherein a rightmost column of the keys includes special function keys.

10. A handheld device according to claim 9, wherein the keypad is disposed proximate the bottom side of the handheld device and the display is disposed proximate the top side of the handheld device.

11. A handheld device according to claim 10, further comprising a set of keys disposed between the display and the keypad.

12. A handheld device according to claim 11, wherein the set of keys includes a navigation key.

13. A handheld device according to claim 12, wherein the set of keys includes a send key and an end key.

14. A handheld device according to claim 10, wherein the set of keys includes five keys.

15. A handheld device according to claim 10, wherein the set of keys includes seven keys.

16. A handheld device, comprising:

a housing that includes internal electronic processing circuitry for performing at least one function, the housing having a plurality of apertures on a user viewable side of the handheld device, the user viewable side having a top side, a left side, a bottom side, and a right side;

a display mounted in one of the plurality of apertures, the display being electronically coupled to the internal electronic processing circuitry;

a keypad that includes a matrix of keys that project through at least one of the apertures, wherein the keys are arranged in columns and rows, wherein a rightmost column of the keys of the keypad has a primary designation as, from top to bottom, as ‘

*,’

‘

0,’ and

‘

#,’

wherein the number of columns of the keys is greater than the number of rows of the keys.

17. A handheld device according to claim 16, wherein a leftmost column of the keys of the keypad has a primary designation as, from top to bottom, as ‘

1,’

‘

4,’ and

‘

7,’ and

wherein the ‘

4’

key has a secondary designation of ‘

G,’

‘

H,’ and

‘

I’ and

the ‘

7’

key has a secondary designation of ‘

P,’

‘

Q,’

‘

R,’ and

‘

S.’

18. A handheld device according to claim 16, wherein none of the keys of the rightmost column of the keys of the keypad has a secondary designation.