Handheld wireless communication device

• US 8,064,946 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Fyke, Steven, Griffin, Jason T.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/672,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20070254707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/466, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 345168- 69
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation

Abstract

An handheld wireless communication device that is cradleable in one hand during text entry. A display, key field and trackball navigation tool are located on a front face of the device. At least some keys of the key field are arranged in key-columns and each of the key-columns is vertically offset from adjacent key-columns. Alphanumeric input keys include several alphabetic keys with letters arranged in a traditional (QWERTY), but non-ITU Standard E.161 telephone letter layout. A microprocessor is provided that receives operator commands from the keys and the trackball navigation tool and which affects corresponding changes to the display based on user input. A menu key is positioned adjacent to the trackball navigation tool that upon actuation displays an available action menu on the display in dependence of the currently running application on the device.

Claims

1. A handheld wireless communication device configured to send and receive text messages, said device comprising:

a hand cradleable body configured to be held in one hand by an operator with a long axis of said device being substantially horizontally oriented or substantially vertically oriented during text entry;

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

a key field located on the front face of said elongate body, said key field being composed of a plurality of keys selected from a plurality of alphanumeric input keys and at least one menu key;

a navigation tool located on the front face of said body and a majority of the navigation tool is surrounded by said key field;

a menu key positioned laterally adjacent to said navigation tool and which upon actuation displays an available action menu on said display;

said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys having letters associated therewith and said letters, in a top row of said alphabetic keys, comprising in consecutive order the letters Q, W, E, R and T;

a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from said alphanumeric input keys, said menu keys and said navigation tool and to affect corresponding changes to the display;

said alphanumeric input keys of said key field are arranged in key-rows and key-columns and each key-column is vertically offset from an adjacent key-column, the key-columns are linearly arranged and the key-rows are non-linearly arranged; and

a plurality of keys of said key field are substantially arranged in rows and columns, a top key in a column adjacent to the navigation tool has an edge conformance fitting to a boundary about the navigation tool and each key in that column is offset below the other keys in each associated row, with each key in the column adjacent to the navigation tool has substantially the same shape which is a different shape compared to the shape of keys in the other columns.

2. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein each key-column is vertically offset from all adjacent key-columns.

3. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said letters associated with said alphabetic keys are arranged in a QWERTY layout.

4. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said letters associated with said alphabetic keys are arranged in a reduced-QWERTY layout.

5. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said display is located in an upper portion of the front face of said body during text entry, said key field is located in a lower portion of the front face of said body during text entry and said navigation tool is located substantially between said key field and said display.

6. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation tool is at least partially surrounded by said key field.

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

said handheld wireless communication device being configured to send and receive voice communications;

wherein at least one key of said key field is positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and said at least one key has a circular arc-shaped edge conformance fitting to a circular arc-shaped boundary about said navigation tool; and

two call keys oppositely and laterally flank said navigation tool, one of said two call keys being a call initiation key and the other being a call termination key.

8. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 7, wherein said at least one key of said key field that is positioned adjacent to said navigation tool is a menu key that upon actuation displays an available action menu on said display.

9. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the displayed menu is dependent on the an application running on said device.

10. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to run one or more applications on said device and to affect corresponding changes to the display.

11. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said alphanumeric input keys comprise numeric keys having numerals associated therewith and wherein said associated numerals are arranged in a telephone keypad layout.

12. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the navigation tool has a circular arc-shaped edge conformance fitting to a circular arc-shaped boundary about the navigation tool.

13. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of said rows and columns are arranged with respective long axes thereof substantially radially oriented relative to said navigation tool.

14. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of said rows and columns are arranged with respective long axes thereof substantially radially oriented relative to said navigation tool and said long axes are perpendicularly oriented to one another.

15. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the navigation tool is a trackball.

16. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one key of said key field is positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and said at least one key has an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about said trackball navigation tool.

17. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 16, wherein said arcuate-shaped edge and said arcuate-shaped boundary substantially conform to a circular arc.

18. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the top key in the column adjacent to the navigation tool has an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about the navigation tool.

19. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one key of said key field comprises at least two keys, each positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and having an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about said navigation tool.

20. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 19, wherein each of said arcuate-shaped edges and said arcuate-shaped boundary substantially conforms to a circular arc.

21. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one key of said key field comprises at least three keys, each positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and having an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about said navigation tool.

22. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 21, wherein each of said arcuate-shaped edges and said arcuate-shaped boundary substantially conforms to a circular arc.

23. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said hand cradleable body is elongate.

24. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 23, wherein said hand cradleable body has a length greater than a width thereof and said display, said key field and said navigational tool are located in series along said length of said elongate body.

25. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 23, wherein each of said display, said key field and said navigational tool is substantially width-wise centered on said elongate body.

26. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein said display, said navigational tool said key field are consecutively ordered along a lengthwise longitudinal-axis of said elongate body.

27. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 26, wherein said letters associated with said alphabetic keys are arranged in a QWERTZ layout.

28. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 26, wherein said alphanumeric input keys comprise numeric keys having numerals associated therewith and wherein said associated numerals are arranged in a telephone keypad layout.

29. A handheld wireless communication device configured to send and receive text messages, said device comprising:

a hand cradleable, body configured to be held in one hand by an operator with a long axis of said device being substantially horizontally oriented or substantially vertically oriented during text entry;

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

a key field located on the front face of said elongate body, said key field being composed of a plurality of keys selected from a plurality of alphanumeric input keys and at least one menu key;

a navigation tool located on the front face of said body and a majority of the navigation tool is surrounded by said key field;

a menu key positioned laterally adjacent to said navigation tool and which upon actuation displays an available action menu on said display;

said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys having letters associated therewith and said letters being arranged in a traditional, non-ITU Standard E. 161 layout;

a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from said alphanumeric input keys, said menu keys and said navigation tool and to affect corresponding changes to the display;

said alphanumeric input keys of said key field are arranged in key-rows and key-columns and each key-column is vertically offset from an adjacent key-column, the key-columns are linearly arranged and the key-rows are non-linearly arranged; and

a plurality of keys of said key field are substantially arranged in rows and columns, a top key in a column adjacent to the navigation tool has an edge conformance fitting to a boundary about the navigation tool and each key in that column is offset below the other keys in each associated row, with each key in the column adjacent to the navigation tool has substantially the same shape which is a different shape compared to the shape of keys in the other columns.

30. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein each key-column is vertically offset from all adjacent key-columns.

31. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

said handheld wireless communication device being configured to send and receive voice communications;

wherein at least one key of said key field is positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and said at least one key has a circular arc-shaped edge conformance fitting to a circular arc-shaped boundary about said navigation tool; and

two call keys oppositely and laterally flank said navigation tool, one of said two call keys being a call initiation key and the other being a call termination key.

32. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein the displayed menu is dependent on the an application running on said device.

33. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein the microprocessor is configured to run one or more applications on said device and to affect corresponding changes to the display.

34. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein said alphanumeric input keys comprise numeric keys having numerals associated therewith and wherein said associated numerals are arranged in a telephone keypad layout.

35. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein the navigation tool has a circular arc-shaped edge conformance fitting to a circular arc-shaped boundary about the navigation tool.

36. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein at least two of said rows and columns are arranged with respective long axes thereof substantially radially oriented relative to said navigation tool.

37. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein at least two of said rows and columns are arranged with respective long axes thereof substantially radially oriented relative to said navigation tool and said long axes are perpendicularly oriented to one another.

38. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein the navigation tool is a trackball.

39. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein at least one key of said key field is positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and said at least one key has an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about said trackball navigation tool.

40. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 39, wherein said arcuate-shaped edge and said arcuate-shaped boundary substantially conform to a circular arc.

41. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein the top key in the column adjacent to the navigation tool has an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about the navigation tool.

42. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein said at least one key of said key field comprises at least two keys, each positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and having an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about said navigation tool.

43. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 42, wherein each of said arcuate-shaped edges and said arcuate-shaped boundary substantially conforms to a circular arc.

44. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein said at least one key of said key field comprises at least three keys, each positioned adjacent to said navigation tool and having an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about said navigation tool.

45. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 44, wherein each of said arcuate-shaped edges and said arcuate-shaped boundary substantially conforms to a circular arc.

46. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein said hand cradleable body is elongate.

47. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 46, wherein said hand cradleable body has a length greater than a width thereof and said display, said key field and said navigational tool are located in series along said length of said elongate body.

48. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 46, wherein each of said display, said key field and said navigational tool is substantially width-wise centered on said elongate body.

49. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 29, wherein said display, said navigational tool said key field are consecutively ordered along a lengthwise longitudinal-axis of said elongate body.

50. The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 49, wherein said letters associated with said alphabetic keys are arranged in a QWERTZ layout.