Granted Patent B2

US 7,643,008 · App. 11/065,169 · Granted Jan 5, 2010

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A method, comprising:

providing a key change command to said electronic device comprising keys of a keypad drawn on a display of said electronic device and a transparent or translucent sensor-screen placed over said keys for actuating said keys; and

drawing new keys on said display by said electronic device in response to said key change command for changing a keypad layout such that said new keys are located under said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, and all drawn keys, visible through said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, can be actuated using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen,

wherein said transparent or translucent sensor-screen is movable relative to said display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said key change command is provided by a user of said electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said key change command is provided by a system which said electronic device is connected to.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said key change command is provided to a key change module of said electronic device and said drawing of said new keys comprises:

providing, in response to said key change command by said key change module to a display driver and controller of said electronic device, a key change signal containing a predetermined new configuration of keys; and

providing, in response to said key change signal by said display driver and controller to said display, a display drive signal for drawing said new keys based on said predetermined new configuration of keys.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said actuating comprises:

applying b a key actuating signal in an area of said transparent or translucent sensor-screen corresponding to one key out of said all drawn keys for communicating a predetermined command to said electronic device defined by said one key;

providing by said transparent or translucent sensor-screen in response to said key actuating signal an actuator identity signal indicative of position coordinates of said area;

comparing by said electronic device said position coordinates of said area with a map of said all drawn keys, stored in said electronic device, and identifying said one key intended to be actuated; and

providing a key command signal indicative of said predetermined command to an appropriate block of said electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transparent or translucent sensor-screen has a permanent key area with permanent marks identifying additional keys of said keypad which can be actuated in a similar way as all said drawn keys using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transparent or translucent sensor-screen is moved away at least partially from said display such that said at least one of said all drawn keys is no longer under said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, and an area of said display corresponding to said at least one of said all drawn keys is available for displaying other applications available in said electronic device for increasing a working area of said display.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said electronic device provides a permanent key layout visible through said transparent or translucent sensor-screen before or after said transparent or translucent sensor-screen is moved away completely or partially from said display and any key of said permanent key layout can be actuated in a similar way as all said drawn keys using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a display, configured to display keys of a keypad drawn on said display and configured to change a keypad layout by displaying new keys of said keypad drawn on said display in response to a key change command; and

a transparent or translucent sensor-screen placed over all drawn keys, visible through said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, such that said all drawn keys can be actuated using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen,

wherein said transparent or translucent sensor-screen is movable relative to said display.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein said key change command is provided by said user of said electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein said key change command is provided by a system which said electronic device is connected to.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a key change module, responsive to said key change command, configured to provide a key change signal containing a predetermined new configuration of keys; and

a display driver and controller, responsive to said key change signal, configured to provide a display drive signal for drawing said new keys based on said predetermined new configuration of keys.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein a key actuating signal is applied in an area of said transparent or translucent sensor-screen corresponding to one key out of said all drawn keys for communicating a predetermined command to said electronic device defined by said one key, and said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, in response to said key actuating signal, is configured to provide an actuator identity signal indicative of said area.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a position sensor driver and controller, responsive to said an actuator identity signal, configured to provide an actuator position signal containing position coordinates of said area; and

a position comparator, responsive to said actuator position signal, configured to compare said position coordinates of said area with a map of said all drawn keys, stored in said electronic device, for identifying said one key intended to be actuated, and configured to provide a key command signal indicative of said predetermined command to an appropriate block of said electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein said transparent or translucent sensor-screen has a permanent key area with permanent marks identifying additional keys of said keypad which can be actuated in a similar way as all said drawn keys using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen.

16. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein said transparent or translucent sensor-screen is configured to be moved away at least partially from said display such that said at least one of said all drawn keys is no longer under said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, and an area of said display corresponding to said at least one of said all drawn keys is available for displaying other applications available in said electronic device for increasing a working area of said display.

17. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein said electronic device is configured to provide a permanent key layout visible through said transparent or translucent sensor-screen before or after said transparent or translucent sensor-screen is moved away completely or partially from said display, and any key of said permanent key layout can be actuated in a similar way as all said drawn keys using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

a display, configured to display keys of a keypad drawn on said display and configured to change a keypad layout by displaying new keys of said keypad drawn on said display in response to a key change command; and

a transparent or translucent sensor-screen,

said transparent or translucent sensor-screen placed in a first position, over said display in said electronic device so that all drawn keys, located under said transparent or translucent sensor-screen and visible, can be actuated using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, or

said transparent or translucent sensor-screen placed in a second position, away from said display for increasing a working area of said display,

wherein permanent keys located not in an area of said display can be actuated using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein said permanent keys are permanent marks on a surface of said transparent or translucent sensor-screen visible by the user of said electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein a permanent key layout of said permanent keys is provided by said electronic device, and said permanent keys are visible through said transparent or translucent sensor-screen.

21. A computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor with said computer program code wherein said computer program code comprises instructions for changing a keypad layout of said electronic device with keys of a keypad drawn on a display of said electronic device and actuating said keys using a transparent or translucent sensor-screen placed over said keys in said electronic device,

wherein drawing new keys on said display under said transparent or translucent sensor-screen by said electronic device for changing said keypad layout is provided in response to a key change command, such that said new keys are located under said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, and all drawn keys, visible through said transparent or translucent sensor-screen, can be actuated using said transparent or translucent sensor-screen,

wherein said transparent or translucent sensor-screen is movable relative to said display.

Assignments (7)