Handheld electronic device and keypad providing enhanced usability and reduced size, and associated method
View Patent ↗An improved handheld electronic device, keypad, and method in accordance with the invention meet these and other needs. An improved handheld electronic device having an improved keypad provides enhanced usability and reduced size by organizing its keys in pairs, with a pair of keys being disposed on a support. Each key of a pair of keys is individually actuatable. An actuation of a key causes a primary conductor associated with the key set to electrically to connect a pair of contacts and to cause a secondary conductor associated with the key to electrically connect another pair of contacts. The primary conductor is a dome that is collapsible to electrically connect the pair of contacts and to provide a particular tactile feedback to the user. The secondary conductor is a conductor other than a collapsible dome. An actuation of any key or of any pair of keys thus provides to the user a consistent tactile feedback from a collapse of a single dome. An improved method in accordance with the invention is also disclosed.
1. An electronic device comprising:
a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory;
an input apparatus comprising a keypad and being structured to provide input to the processor apparatus; and
an output apparatus structured to receive signals from the processor apparatus and to provide output;
the keypad comprising a contact apparatus, a primary conductor portion, a secondary conductor portion, and a button apparatus;
the contact apparatus comprising a plurality of electrical contacts;
the primary conductor portion comprising a number of primary conductors that are movable between a first position and a second position, at least some of the primary conductors in the second position each electrically connecting together a pair of the electrical contacts;
the secondary conductor portion comprising a number of secondary conductors that are movable between a first position and a second position, at least some of the secondary conductors in the second position each electrically connecting together a pair of the electrical contacts;
the button apparatus comprising a number of key sets, at least some of the key sets each comprising:
a first key movable between a first position and a second position,
a second key movable between a first position and a second position, and
a support, the first and second keys being disposed on the support;
for each of at least some of the key sets:
one of the primary conductors corresponding with the key set and being:
in the second position when the first key is in the second position, and
in the second position when the second key is in the second position;
one of the secondary conductors corresponding with the first key and being in the second position when the first key is in the second position; and
another of secondary conductors corresponding with the second key and being in the second position when the second key is in the second position.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the contact apparatus further comprises a printed circuit board, the primary conductors and the secondary conductors being disposed generally between the printed circuit board and the key sets, the support of one of the key sets being disposed generally between the first key and the second key of the key set.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the secondary conductors each comprise a conductive carbon element movable into conductive contact with the electrical contacts.
4. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the button apparatus further comprises a flexible mount, at least some of the key sets and at least some of the secondary conductors being disposed on the mount, the mount being structured to be flexed when at least one of a first key and a second key of one of the key sets is moved between the first and second positions.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first key of one of the key sets has a first linguistic element assigned thereto, wherein the second key of the one of the key sets has a second linguistic element assigned thereto, and wherein the one of the key sets has a third linguistic element assigned thereto.
6. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein the memory has a number of routines stored therein which, when executed on the processor, provide a plurality of input modes comprising a first input mode and a second input mode, the processor in the first input mode being structured to detect an actuation of the first key as an input of the first linguistic element and to detect an actuation of the second key as an input of the second linguistic element, the processor in the second input mode being structured to detect an actuation of the first key as an input of the third linguistic element and to detect an actuation of the second key as an input of the third linguistic element.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the support of one of the key sets provides a space between the first key and the second key of the key set, the one of the key sets and another of the key sets being disposed adjacent one another, the one of the key sets and the another of the key sets having a pitch space therebetween, the space being smaller than the pitch space.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the button apparatus further comprises a number of actuators, at least some of the key sets each having associated therewith an associated actuator that extends away from the key set in a direction generally toward the contact apparatus and which is engageable with an associated one of the primary conductors to move the associated one of the primary conductors between the first and second positions.
9. A method of enabling input into an electronic device that comprises an input apparatus having a pair of keys comprising a first key having a first linguistic element assigned thereto and a second key having a second linguistic element assigned thereto, the pair of keys having a third linguistic element assigned thereto, the electronic device being operable in at least a first input mode and a second input mode, the method comprising:
detecting in the first input mode at least one of:
an actuation of the first key as being an input of the first linguistic element, and
an actuation of the second key as being an input of the second linguistic element; and
detecting in the second input mode an actuation of the first key as being an input of the third linguistic element and an actuation of the second key as being an input of the third linguistic element.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the detecting in the first input mode comprises detecting in a text mode, and wherein the detecting in the second input mode comprises at least one of detecting in a telephone mode and detecting in a numeric mode.
11. A keypad structured to be incorporated into an electronic device and comprising:
a contact apparatus comprising a plurality of electrical contacts;
a primary conductor portion comprising a number of primary conductors that are movable between a first position and a second position, at least some of the primary conductors in the second position each electrically connecting together a pair of the electrical contacts;
a secondary conductor portion comprising a number of secondary conductors that are movable between a first position and a second position, at least some of the secondary conductors in the second position each electrically connecting together a pair of the electrical contacts;
a button apparatus comprising a number of key sets, at least some of the key sets each comprising:
a first key movable between a first position and a second position,
a second key movable between a first position and a second position, and
a support, the first and second keys being disposed on the support;
for each of at least some of the key sets:
one of the primary conductors corresponding with the key set and being:
in the second position when the first key is in the second position, and
in the second position when the second key is in the second position;
one of the secondary conductors corresponding with the first key and being in the second position when the first key is in the second position; and
another of secondary conductors corresponding with the second key and being in the second position when the second key is in the second position.
12. The keypad of claim 11 wherein the contact apparatus further comprises a printed circuit board, the primary conductors and the secondary conductors being disposed generally between the printed circuit board and the key sets, the support of one of the key sets being disposed generally between the first key and the second key of the key set.
13. The keypad of claim 11 wherein at least some of the secondary conductors each comprise a conductive carbon element movable into conductive contact with the electrical contacts.
14. The keypad of claim 13 wherein the button apparatus further comprises a flexible mount, at least some of the key sets and at least some of the secondary conductors being disposed on the mount, the mount being structured to be flexed when at least one of a first key and a second key of one of the key sets is moved between the first and second positions.
15. The keypad of claim 11 wherein the first key of one of the key sets has a first linguistic element assigned thereto, wherein the second key of the one of the key sets has a second linguistic element assigned thereto, and wherein the one of the key sets has a third linguistic element assigned thereto.
16. The keypad of claim 11 wherein the support of one of the key sets provides a space between the first key and the second key of the key set, the one of the key sets and another of the key sets being disposed adjacent one another, the one of the key sets and the another of the key sets having a pitch space therebetween, the space being smaller than the pitch space.
17. The keypad of claim 11 wherein the button apparatus further comprises a number of actuators, at least some of the key sets each having associated therewith an associated actuator that extends away from the key set in a direction generally toward the contact apparatus and which is engageable with an associated one of the primary conductors to move the associated one of the primary conductors between the first and second positions.
18. The keypad of claim 17 wherein the button apparatus further comprises a flexible mount disposed generally between the contact apparatus and at least some of the key sets, and wherein at least some of the associated actuators are each one of:
a protrusion formed on the flexible mount, and
a protrusion formed on one of the key sets and extending through an opening formed in the flexible mount.
19. The keypad of claim 17 wherein at least some of the associated actuators are each disposed generally adjacent the support of one of the key sets.
20. The keypad of claim 11 wherein the one of the secondary conductors is disposed generally between the first key and the contact apparatus, and wherein the another of the secondary conductors is disposed generally between the second key and the contact apparatus.