CONCAVE HANDHELD MOBILE DEVICE WITH TACTILE SIDE GRIP
A handheld wireless communication device includes features that make it easier to differentiate among various keys and to correctly select a desired key. It also includes features that make the device more comfortable to use. In particular, corner keys have decreasing height profiles to make above-adjacent keys easier to reach and distinguish. Additionally, lowermost, outermost portions of the corner keys may be somewhat truncated. Flanking keys in a navigation row slant toward and are flush with peripheral edges of a navigation tool assembly and have outer edges that are higher than inner edges of adjacent outer keys. The outer edges of the flanking keys may be hump-shaped or crowned. The longitudinally central portion of the device is narrower than the ends of the device, and the corners of the device are contoured to enhance comfort in a user's hand. Soft-touch materials are employed in hand-contacting portions of the device.
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 a text entry orientation in one hand of an operator of said device during text entry, said body having a front face, a vertical centerline, and top and bottom portions relative the text entry orientation;
a display located on said front face of said body and upon which information is displayed to the operator of said device and a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from user inputs located on said device;
a key field located at said front face of said body, said key field comprising a plurality of keys of which a portion are alphanumeric input keys, said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys; and
said top and bottom portions of said body are wider than a mid-portion of said body located there between and wherein right and left sides of said body are each concave.
2 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of alphabetic keys have letters associated therewith that are arranged in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak arrangement for facilitating text entry.
3 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said body is elongate with a longitudinal axis parallel to said vertical centerline relative the text entry orientation and each of said right and left sides of said body are substantially circularly arc-shaped along at least two-thirds of a length of said body measured along said longitudinal axis.
4 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of said right and left sides of said body transition smoothly into reverse arc shapes proximate corners of said body.
5 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a trackball navigation tool disposed at said front face of said body between said display and said key field, said trackball navigation tool being located at a distance from each of four corners of said body and wherein each of said distances is less than one-tenth of a radius of curvature of said right and left concave sides of said body thereby facilitating operator thumb control of said trackball navigation tool and palm-cradling of said device.
6 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 4 , wherein said right and left sides of said body each taper into top and bottom ends of said body.
7 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 4 , wherein said right and left sides of said body are chamfered at said corners of said body.
8 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each of right and left side surfaces of said body comprise soft-touch material.
9 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the hardness of said soft-touch material is less than 100 durometer.
10 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said soft-touch material extends from said side surfaces of said body onto adjacent portions of a rear surface of said body.
11 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said soft-touch material extends up a lower portion of said side surfaces approximately two-thirds of a depth of said body.
12 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 1 1 , wherein the hardness of said soft-touch material is less than 100 durometer.
13 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 12 , wherein an upper portion of said side surfaces are composed of material having a hardness greater than 100 durometer.
14 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said soft-touch material extends from said side surfaces of said body onto adjacent portions of a bottom end surface of said body.
15 . A handheld wireless communication device configured to send and receive text messages, said device comprising:
a hand cradleable body configured to be held in a text entry orientation in one hand of an operator of said device during text entry, said body having a front face, a vertical centerline, and top and bottom portions relative the text entry orientation;
a display located on said front face of said body and upon which information is displayed to the operator of said device and a microprocessor configured to receive operator commands from user inputs located on said device;
a key field located at said front face of said body, said key field comprising a plurality of keys of which a portion are alphanumeric input keys, said alphanumeric input keys comprising a plurality of alphabetic keys; and
at least a portion of each of right and left side surfaces of said body comprise soft-touch material.
16 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 15 , wherein said plurality of alphabetic keys have letters associated therewith that are arranged in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak arrangement for facilitating text entry.
17 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the hardness of said soft-touch material is less than 100 durometer.
18 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 15 , wherein said soft-touch material extends from said side surfaces of said body onto adjacent portions of a rear surface of said body.
19 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 15 , wherein said soft-touch material extends up a lower portion of said side surfaces approximately two-thirds of a depth of said body.
20 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 19 , wherein the hardness of said soft-touch material is less than 100 durometer.
21 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 20 , wherein an upper portion of said side surfaces are composed of material having a hardness greater than 100 durometer.
22 . The handheld wireless communication device as recited in claim 15 , wherein said soft-touch material extends from said side surfaces of said body onto adjacent portions of a bottom end surface of said body.