US008890719B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,890,719 B2 Salman et al. (45) Date of Patent: Nov. 18, 2014 (54) REDUCEDKEYPAD FOR MULT-TAP NPUT (58) Field of Classification Search (75) Inventors: Majeed D. Salman, Redmond, WA None (US); G. Eric Engstrom, Kirkland, WA See application file for complete search history. (US) (56) References Cited (73) Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC, Brooklyn, NY (US) U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 2,040,248 A 5/1936 Dvorak et al. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 4,677,659 A 6/1987 Dargan U.S.C. 154(b) by 763 days. (Continued) (21) Appl. No.: 12/637,702 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (22) Filed: Dec. 14, 2009 WO WOO3056784 * 7/2003 Prior Publication Data (65) OTHER PUBLICATIONS US 2010/O156677 A1 Jun. 24, 2010 International Search Report, mailed Jul. 15, 2005 for application Related U.S. Application Data PCT/USO5/05054. (62) Division of application No. 1 1/547.827, filed as (Continued) application No. PCT/US2005/005054 on Feb. 17, 2005, now Pat. No. 7,656,317. Primary Examiner — Mohammad Ghayour (60) Provisional application No. 60/565,638, filed on Apr. Assistant Examiner — Jerold Murphy 27, 2004, provisional application No. 60/566,676, (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Schwabe, Williamson & filed on Apr. 30, 2004, provisional application No. Wyatt, P.C. 60/567,214, filed on Apr. 30, 2004, provisional application No. 60/566,704, filed on Apr. 30, 2004. (57) ABSTRACT An apparatus (625) with a first plurality of input keys (635). (51) Int. C. Some of the first input keys may be associated with both a H04M I/00 (2006.01) numeric value and a first set of alphabetic values and arranged H04M 9/00 (2006.01) in a first alphabetic keypad layout. The apparatus (625) is HO3K 7/94 (2006.01) further provided with a second plurality of input keys (645), H03M II/00 (2006.01) positioned adjacent to the first plurality of input keys (635), G06F 3/02 (2006.01) and being associated with at least one alphabetic value. Some G09G 5/00 (2006.01) of the input keys of the second plurality of input keys (645) may be arranged in a second alphabetic keypad layout differ H04M, I/23 (2006.01) ent from the first alphabetic keypad layout. Further, in various G06F 3/023 (2006.01) embodiments, at least some input keys of the first plurality of H04M, I/22 (2006.01) input keys (635) have a second set of alphabetic values that is (52) U.S. C. used as part of the second alphabetic keypad layout. Addi CPC ............... G06F 3/0219 (2013.01); H04M I/23 tionally, in various embodiments, at least some of the alpha (2013.01); G06F 3/0233 (2013.01); H04M betic values of the second keyboard layout are arranged at 2250/70 (2013.01); HOIH 2219/039 (2013.01); least partially based on a frequency of use of Such alphabetic H04M 1/22 (2013.01); G06F 3/0237 (2013.01) values. USPC ............... 341/22: 341/20: 345/168; 34.5/169; 379/.433.07 17 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets P & US 8,890,719 B2 Page 2 (56) References Cited 2004/OO27335 A1 2, 2004 Lin 2004/O145564 A1 T/2004 Duarte et al. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2004O165924 A1 8, 2004 Griffen 2005, 0104869 A1 5/2005 Chung 5,584,588 12, 1996 Harbaugh 2005. O136853 A1 6, 2005 Lenchik et al. 5,660,488 8, 1997 Miller 2006/0263 137 A1 11, 2006 Griffen 5,673.256 9, 1997 Maine 2007/O188472 A1* 8, 2007 Ghassabian ................... 345/169 5,900,867 5, 1999 Schindler et al. 5,963,671 10, 1999 Comerford et al. 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International Preliminary Report on Patentability, mailed Aug. 17. 2002/0136372 9, 2002 Bozorgui-Nesbat ... ... 379,93.18 2006 for application PCT/US05/05008. 2003/0O85870 5/2003 Hinckley 2003/0227745 12, 2003 Khoo * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 1 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 to (Q) (w) GED GR) CTO Gy) (UD CDO) (P) Ga)(s) (D) (E)(G)(E) G.) (k) GDG) 110 (z) G)(C)(V)(B)(N) () OO GD GE)(a) CsPACE d(a)(ed) Fig.1. (Prior Art) U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 2 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 200 Fig.2. (Prior Art) U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 3 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 330 3OO \ COMMUNICATIONINTERFACE 32O 31 O PROCESSING UNIT 3 40 DISPLAY (OPTIONAL) 315 25 \ CONTROLLER 3 KEYPAD 355 OPERATING SYSTEM 360 350 APPLICATION(S) 365 KEY MAP as INPUT ROUTINE Fig.3. U.S. Patent US 8,890,719 B2 <r. C) C) 3 25 450 UMBER OF U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 5 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 BEGIN MULTITAP TEXT INPUT 5OO INITIALIZE ACTIVATION 505 / COUNT 51O DETECT KEY ACTIVATION FIRST 515 ACTIVATION OR SAME KEY ACTIVATEDP NCREMENTACTIVATION COUNT DSPLAY TENTATIVE CHARACTER CORRESPONDING TO KEY AND ACTIVATION COUNT DISPLAY CHARACTER CORRESPONDENG TO KEY AND ACTVATION COUNT U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 6 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 6 2 5 635 e 6 4.5 635 635a 6 4 O 6 4 O 6 4.5 645C 6 4.5 c. U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 7 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 625A 638A QW RT YU OP 2 acb edf AS HG JK 5 jk Orn VB NM 8.7 8 Srpc, tuw yWZX SHIFT SPACE ALT O Fig.6A U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 8 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 745b U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 2014 Sheet 9 of 10 US 8,890,719 B2 852 U.S. Patent US 8,890,719 B2 US 8,890,719 B2 1. 2 REDUCEDKEYPAD FOR MULT-TAP NPUT FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a reduced keypad in accor dance with an embodiment; RELATED APPLICATIONS FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a further embodiment of the reduced keypad of FIG. 6; This application is a divisional of and claims priority to, FIG. 7 illustrates a mobile electronic device having a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 1 1/547.827, which is a reduced keypad in accordance with an embodiment; national stage entry of PCT/US05/05054, and its predecessor FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a reduced keypad in accor applications. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 1 1/547.827 and dance with an embodiment; and PCT/US05/05054 claim the benefit of priority from Provi FIG. 9 illustrates six exemplary non-English language key sional Application Ser. No. 60/565,638 filed Apr. 27, 2004, 10 board layouts that may be implemented in a reduced manner Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,676 filed Apr. 30, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 2004, Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/567,214 filed Apr. 30, 2004, and Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,704, DETAILED DESCRIPTION filed Apr. 30, 2004. The specifications of Ser. No. 1 1/547,827 and PCT/US05/05054 and their predecessors are all fully 15 Embodiments of the present invention include, but are not incorporated herein by reference. limited to, a reduced keypad for a mobile electronic device and apparatuses including the same. TECHNICAL FIELD Parts of the description will be presented in terms such as portable or mobile electronic devices. As well understood by The present disclosure is related to the field of electronic those skilled in the art, the term “portable/mobile electronic device user interfaces. More specifically, but not exclusively, device' as used herein (hereafter, simply “electronic the present disclosure relates to the design of input mecha device'), including in the claims, comprise wireless mobile nisms for use in mobile electronic devices. phones, PDAs, and the like. The term “wireless mobile phone' as used herein refers to BACKGROUND INFORMATION 25 the class of telephone devices equipped to enable a user to make and receive calls wirelessly, notwithstanding the user's Mobile electronic devices have become ubiquitous in movement, as long as the user is within the communication today’s fast paced society. Various portable or mobile hand reach of a service or base station of a wireless network service held devices can perform multiple tasks as well as provide provider. Unless specifically excluded, the term "wireless multiple communication systems. For example, the personal 30 mobile phone' is to include the analog Subclass as well as the digital assistant ("PDA) cellular telephone, in addition to digital Subclass (of all signaling protocols).