Hand-held electronic device

• US 7,158,120 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Major, Harry R., Lazaridis, Mihal, Griffin, Jason T., Dunk, Craig, Little, Herb A., Brown, Michael, Holmes, John A., Lang, Jeo
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US10/176,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345168-172
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard, thumbwheel, display and associated software is optimized for use of the device with the thumbs. The associated software has a plurality of features to optimize efficient use of the limited keyboard space and encourage the use of the device by thumb-based data entry through the thumbwheel and/or through a combination of minimal number of keystrokes. Software features include international character scrolling, and auto-capitalization. The keys on the device keyboard are optimally shaped and configured for thumb-based input. In addition, the thumbwheel is inclined between the front and a side edge of the device so as to be reachable by either the thumb or index finger of the user'"'"'s hand at the side edge of the device.

Claims

1. A method of inputting an E-mail address into a communication device, the E-mail address having three text fields, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) inputting a first set of text characters associated with a first text field of a field designed to hold an E-mail address in an electronic message;

(B) the device detecting when an entry is being made in the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

(C) inputting a first delimiter and substituting the at-sign symbol (@) for the first delimiter;

(D) appending the at-sign symbol (@)to the first text field of the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

(E) inputting a second set of text characters associated with a second text field of the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

(F) inputting a second delimiter and substituting a period symbol (.) for the second delimiter;

(G) appending the period symbol (.) to the second text field of the field designed to hold the E-mail address; and

(H) inputting a third set of text characters associated with a third text field of the field designed to hold the E-mail address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first delimiter is a blank space delimiter input by selecting a space bar associated with the communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second delimiters are blank space delimiters input by selecting a space bar associated with the communication device.

4. A method of changing the character display associated with a first set of characters on a mobile device having a display, a keyboard, and a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) storing a second set of characters in the memory of the mobile device, wherein the memory associates the second set of characters with the first set of characters;

(B) inputting the first set of characters into a field designed to hold an E-mail address in an electronic message using the keyboard, and displaying the first set of characters;

(C) the device detecting when an entry is being made in the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

(D) scanning the memory and determining that the first set of characters is associated with the second set of characters; and

(E) replacing the first set of characters on the display with the second set of characters.

5. A method of automatic character substitution in a mobile communications device, comprising the steps of:

entering a first portion of text in a field designed to hold an E-mail address in an electronic message;

entering a first delimiter trigger in the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

detecting when an entry is being made in the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

automatically substituting a first text delimiter for the first delimiter trigger; and

entering a second portion of text in the field designed to hold the E-mail address that is automatically separated from the first portion of text by the first text delimiter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first portion of text is an electronic mail username and the second portion of text is an electronic mail secondary domain name.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising the additional steps of:

entering a second delimiter trigger in a field designed to hold an E-mail address in an electronic message;

detecting when an entry is being made in the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

automatically substituting a second electronic mail delimiter for the second delimiter trigger; and

entering a third portion of text in the field designed to hold the E-mail address that is automatically separated from the second portion of text by the second delimiter trigger.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first text delimiter is an at-sign (@) character.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second text delimiter is a period (.) character.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first delimiter trigger is a blank space.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the second delimiter trigger is a blank space.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first portion of text is an electronic mail username, the second portion of text is an electronic mail secondary domain name, and the third portion of text is a top-level electronic mail domain name.

13. A mobile communication device with intelligent character substitution, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a user interface coupled to the processor;

an electronic mail application program executed by the processor that processes electronic mail messages input to the mobile communication device with the user interface and displays the electronic mail messages on the display, wherein the electronic mail messages include an address field; and

an intelligent character substitution software module executed by the processor that detects a delimiter trigger in the address field of an electronic mail message and automatically substitutes an electronic mail delimiter for the delimiter trigger.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the delimiter trigger is a blank space.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the electronic mail delimiter is an at-sign (@) character.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the electronic mail delimiter is a period (.) character.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes a keyboard.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes a thumbwheel.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 13, further comprising:

a transceiver circuit coupled to the processor that sends and receives electronic mail messages over a wireless network.

20. A method of automatic character substitution in a mobile communication device, comprising the steps of:

providing an e-mail field configured for holding an e-mail address;

defining a trigger character;

defining a substitute character;

detecting when an entry is being made in the field designed to hold the E-mail address;

detecting the trigger character in text entered into the field configured for holding the e-mail address; and

automatically substituting the substitute character for the trigger character.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the triggering character is a letter character and the substitute character is a number character.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the triggering character is a blank space and the substitute character is an at-sign (@) character.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the triggering character is a blank space and the substitute character is a period (.) character.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

defining a set of trigger characters;

defining a set of substitute characters;

detecting when an entry is being made in a field designed to hold an E-mail address;

detecting one trigger character from the set of trigger characters in text entered into the field designed to hold the e-mail address; and

automatically substituting one substitute character from the set of substitute characters for the one trigger character.