OUTWARDLY DECREASING HEIGHT KEYS FOR A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE KEYBOARD

• US 20080074394A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T., Rak, Roman P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/14 Operating parts, e.g. push-button
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type

Abstract

A handheld wireless communication device includes features that make it easier to differentiate among various keys and to correctly select a desired key. It also includes features that make the device more comfortable to use. In particular, corner keys have decreasing height profiles to make above-adjacent keys easier to reach and distinguish. Additionally, lowermost, outermost portions of the corner keys may be somewhat truncated. Flanking keys in a navigation row slant toward and are flush with peripheral edges of a navigation tool assembly and have outer edges that are higher than inner edges of adjacent outer keys. The outer edges of the flanking keys may be hump-shaped or crowned. The longitudinally central portion of the device is narrower than the ends of the device, and the corners of the device are contoured to enhance comfort in a user'"'"'s hand. Soft-touch materials are employed in hand-contacting portions of the device.

Claims

1. A handheld wireless communication device comprising:

a body having a front face, a vertical centerline and top and bottom portions;

a key field located at said front face of said body, said key field comprising a plurality of keys and of which a portion of said plurality of keys are alphanumeric input keys, said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys having letters associated therewith for facilitating text entry and wherein at least a portion of each of said plurality of keys has an upper surface with heights higher than said front face of said body of said device; and

said key field comprising a bottom corner key having upper surface heights that decrease from a laterally inner portion of said bottom corner key toward a laterally outer edge thereof and wherein said laterally outer edge of said bottom corner key has a height that is lower than a height of a bottom edge of an above-adjacent key to said bottom corner key.

2. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said bottom corner key is a function key.

3. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said bottom corner key is a shift-function key.

4. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein a letter and a numeral are associated with at least one of said alphanumeric keys.

5. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of keys is an alphanumeric key and a function key.

6. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said bottom corner key is at least approximately twice as wide as said above-adjacent key.

7. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two keys are located adjacent and at least partially above said bottom corner key.

8. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said bottom corner key comprises a right-hand bottom corner key.

9. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said bottom corner key comprises a left-hand bottom corner key.

10. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said key field comprises a right-hand bottom corner key and a left-hand bottom corner key.

11. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said key field is substantially mirror symmetric about said vertical centerline.

12. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said body is elongate parallel to said vertical centerline.

13. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a trackball navigation tool disposed at said front face of said body.

14. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said upper surface of said bottom corner key at said bottom edge thereof is substantially flush with said front face of said body.

15. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

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

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

a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from said alphanumeric input keys and to effect corresponding changes to the display, wherein the alphanumeric input keys have letters arranged in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak arrangements thereby facilitating text entry.

16. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 15, wherein said device is configurable to send and receive voice communications.

17. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 15, wherein said display is located in said top portion of said body during text entry and said key field is located in said bottom portion of said body during text entry.

18. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 17, further comprising a trackball navigation tool disposed at said front face of said body substantially between said display and said key field.

19. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein a bottom laterally outer corner of said bottom corner key has a greater radius of curvature than a radius of curvature of other corners of said bottom corner key.

20. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 19, wherein a bottom edge of said bottom corner key transitions smoothly and continuously along said greater radius of curvature into said laterally outer edge of said bottom corner key.