Apparatus and methods for providing keypress commands and directional commands to a mobile computing device

• US 7,941,580 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: van der Meulen, Pieter S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US12/548,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 710/67, 341/22, 341/23, 341/24, 341/26, 341/33, 341/34
• US Class Current: 710/67
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

Various embodiments for providing directional commands for a mobile computing device are described. In one or more embodiments, a mobile computing device may comprise a keypad arranged to operate in multiple modes including a standard mode and a directional mode such as a gaming mode, for example. The standard mode may support all of the preset and programmable commands and functions typically provided for normal operation of the mobile computing device. The directional mode may associate certain directional commands with multiple keys and/or buttons of the keypad so that most keystrokes and keystroke combinations input by a user will be interpreted as a particular directional command. The directional mode may be used when running applications which respond primarily to directional commands such as gaming applications. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile computing device keypad comprising multiple keypad regions, each keypad region comprising multiple adjacent keys; and

a keypad controller operative to receive input from a matrix key, and recognize the substantially simultaneous pressing of multiple keys within a particular keypad region as a single keystroke;

wherein each keypad region is associated with a single command, and each individual key within a keypad region is associated with that same command; and

wherein said single keystroke is operative to generate a single command as if only one key in said region had been pressed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein certain keypad functions are programmable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the keypad regions are programmable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the matrix key determines user input keystrokes and keystroke combinations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an application to receive commands as input.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the keypad to operate in multiple modes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said command is a single directional command associated with each of said multiple pressed keys.

8. A method comprising:

determining user input keystrokes and keystroke combinations to a keypad region of a keypad, the keypad comprising multiple keypad regions, each keypad region comprising multiple adjacent keys; and

recognizing the substantially simultaneous pressing of multiple keys within a particular keypad region as a single keystroke;

wherein each keypad region is associated with a single command, and each individual key within a keypad region is associated with that same command; and

wherein said single keystroke is operative to generate a single command as if only one key in said region had been pressed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein certain keypad functions are programmable.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the keypad regions are programmable.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining user input keystrokes and keystroke combinations.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising forwarding the keypad data to an application as input.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the keypad operates in multiple modes.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said command is a single directional command associated with each of said multiple pressed keys.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that if executed enable a computing system to:

determine user input keystrokes and keystroke combinations to a keypad region of a keypad, the keypad comprising multiple keypad regions, each keypad region comprising multiple adjacent keys; and

recognize the substantially simultaneous pressing of multiple keys within a particular keypad region as a single keystroke;

wherein each keypad region is associated with a single command, and each individual key within a keypad region is associated with that same command; and

wherein said single keystroke is operative to generate a single command as if only one key in said region had been pressed.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein certain keypad functions are programmable.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the keypad regions are programmable.

18. The storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that if executed enable a computing system to determine user input keystrokes and keystroke combinations.

19. The storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that if executed enable a computing system to forward the keypad data to an application as input.

20. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the keypad operates in multiple modes.