MULTIFUNCTIONAL KEYBOARD FOR A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A communication device, comprising:
- a plurality of character entry keys that can function as either letter entry keys or number entry keys, wherein each character entry key is labeled with a letter of the alphabet and with a number;
the device being configured to communicate the letter with which a character entry key is labeled when the character entry key is pressed while the device is in a letter entry mode and to communicate the number with which the character entry key is labeled when the character entry key is pressed while the device is in a number entry mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for telephony tone signal and character code generation for QWERTY keyboards includes a QWERTY style keyboard, a processor and a keyboard mode control software module. The QWERTY style keyboard has a plurality of letter keys, wherein each letter key is configured to generate a unique input signal. The processor is coupled to the keyboard and is configured to convert each unique input signal generated by the letter keys into a character code and/or a telephony tone signal. The keyboard mode control software module operates on the processor, and controls whether the processor converts the unique input signals from the letter keys into character codes or telephony tone signals.
71 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A communication device, comprising:
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a plurality of character entry keys that can function as either letter entry keys or number entry keys, wherein each character entry key is labeled with a letter of the alphabet and with a number; the device being configured to communicate the letter with which a character entry key is labeled when the character entry key is pressed while the device is in a letter entry mode and to communicate the number with which the character entry key is labeled when the character entry key is pressed while the device is in a number entry mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28)
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24. The communication device of 23, wherein the memory comprises a service store memory location that associates each software application of the plurality of software applications with a keyboard mode that is detected by the keyboard mode control software module to determine whether the generated keyboard output signals are converted into character codes or telephony tone signals.
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25. The communication device of 22, further comprising:
a software application stored in a memory of the communication device and executed by the processor of the communication device, wherein the memory comprises a configuration store memory location that identifies a preferred keyboard mode for the software application, and wherein the preferred keyboard mode is detected by the keyboard mode control software module to determine whether the keyboard output signals are converted into character codes or telephone tone signals.
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26. The communication device of 22, wherein the telephone tone signals are Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMP) signals.
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27. The communication device of 22, wherein the character codes are American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character codes.
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29. A method of controlling an operational mode of a communication device, comprising:
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providing a plurality of character entry keys that can function as either letter entry keys or number entry keys, wherein each character entry key of the plurality of character entry keys is labeled with a letter of the alphabet and with a number; providing a letter entry mode in which a letter of a pressed character entry key of the plurality of character entry keys is communicated; providing a number entry mode in which a number of a pressed character entry key of the plurality of character entry keys is communicated; and communicating the letter of a character entry key of the plurality of character entry keys when the character entry key is pressed in the letter entry mode and communicating the number of the character entry key when the character entry key is pressed in the number entry mode. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification