Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MULTI-LANGUAGE, MULTIPLE-AXIS DISAMBIGUATION HANDHELD DEVICE
BACKGROUND
Field
The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to electronic devices and,
more
particularly, to a method for indicating and selecting a language on a
handheld electronic
0 device.
Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such
handheld
devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs), handheld
computers, two-way
pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Many handheld electronic devices
also feature
5 wireless communication capability, although many such handheld devices
are stand-alone
devices that are functional without communication with other devices.
Handheld electronic devices are used in a variety of language settings and
users can
often find themselves writing text in multiple languages. For example, a user
might reply to
one e-mail message in French and another in English. However, in order to
utilize a handheld
0 electronic device's advance features, such as disambiguation, the user
might have to select the
language that, for example, corresponds to the language of the original
message to which
he/she is replying. Switching among multiple languages can often confuse the
user since the
user might believe that the currently selected language on the handheld
electronic device is one
language, but in reality the operative language is another language.
Therefore, incorrectly
5 believing that the currently selected language is the desired language,
the user might
unwittingly begin to enter input which corresponds to the desired language,
fully expecting the
disambiguation function of the handheld electronic device to correctly
disambiguate any
ambiguous inputs that the user enters. However, since the currently selected
language is the
incorrect language, the handheld electronic device will disambiguate the
ambiguous inputs
0 based on the other language. Assuming that the user realizes that the
currently selected
language on the handheld electronic device is not the desired language prior
to completing the
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data entry, the steps required to rectify the situation (e.g. select the
correct language and correct
any incorrect data) will consume time. It would be desirable to overcome this
shortcoming in
an efficient fashion that makes the device easier to use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A full understanding of the disclosed and claimed concept can be gained from
the
following Description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
in which:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic device in
accordance with
the disclosed and claimed concept;
FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of the improved handheld electronic device of
FIG. 1;
0 FIG. 3 is a depiction of an output that can be displayed on an
output apparatus of the
improved handheld electronic device;
FIG. 4 is a depiction of another output that can be displayed on an output
apparatus of
the improved handheld electronic device;
FIG. 5 is a depiction of another output that can be displayed on an output
apparatus of
5 the improved handheld electronic device;
FIG. 6 depicts an input mode indicator on the display;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic device in
accordance with
another embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept;
FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary menu that can be output on the handheld electronic
device
0 of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 depicts another exemplary menu;
FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary reduced menu;
FIG. 11 is an exemplary output such as could occur during a text entry or text
editing
operation;
5 FIG. 12 is an exemplary output during a text entry operation;
FIG. 13 is an alternative exemplary output during a text entry operation;
FIG. 14 is another exemplary output during a part of text entry operation;
FIG. 15 is an exemplary output during a data entry operation;
FIG. 16 is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic device in
accordance
0 with still another embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept; and
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FIG. 17 is a schematic depiction of the improved handheld electronic device of
FIG. 16.
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification.
DESCRIPTION
The accompanying figures and the description that follows set forth the
disclosed and
claimed concept in its preferred embodiments. It is, however, contemplated
that persons
generally familiar with handheld electronic devices will be able to apply the
novel
characteristics of the structures and methods illustrated and described herein
in other contexts
by modification of certain details. Accordingly, the figures and description
are not to be taken
as restrictive on the scope of the disclosed and claimed concept, but are to
be understood as
0 broad and general teachings.
When referring to the term "language object" and variations thereof, such
designations
shall refer broadly to any type of object that may be constructed, identified,
or otherwise
obtained from one or more linguistic elements, that can be used alone or in
combination to
generate text, and that would include, for example and without limitation,
words, shortcuts,
5 symbols, ideograms, and the like.
When referring to the term "linguistic element" and variations thereof, such
designations shall refer broadly to any element that itself can be a language
object or from
which a language object can be constructed, identified, or otherwise obtained,
and thus would
include, but not be limited to, characters, letters, strokes, symbols,
ideograms, phonemes,
0 morphemes, digits (numbers), and the like.
When referring to the term "letter" and variations thereof, such designations
are meant
to cover all letters of the Latin alphabet regardless of whether the letter is
uppercase (Majuscule
form) or lowercase (Minuscule form).
When referring to the term "reduced" and variations thereof in the context of
a
5 keyboard, a keypad, or other arrangement of input members, such
designations shall refer
broadly to an arrangement in which at least one of the input members has
assigned thereto a
plurality of linguistic elements such as, for example, characters in the set
of Latin letters.
When referring to the term "window" and variations thereof, such designations
by way
of example, and not limitation, shall refer to a visualized layer, tile,
overlay or other similar
0 variant thereof that is output on a display or screen.
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When referring to the phrase "default language" and variations thereof, such
designations shall refer to the primary language of the handheld electronic
device.
For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms "upper", "lower",
"right", "left",
"vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", and derivatives thereof shall
relate to the disclosed and
claimed concept as it is oriented in the figures.
An improved handheld electronic device 2 is indicated generally in FIG. 1 and
is
depicted schematically in FIG. 2. The exemplary handheld electronic device 2
includes a
housing 4 upon which is disposed a processor unit that includes an input
apparatus 6, an output
apparatus 8, a processor 10, and a memory 12. The processor 10 may be, for
instance, and
0 without limitation, a microprocessor (jR) and is responsive to inputs
from the input apparatus 6
and provides output signals to the output apparatus 8. The processor 10 also
interfaces with the
memory 12. The processor 10 and the memory 12 together form a processor
apparatus.
As can be understood from FIG. 1, the input apparatus 6 includes a keypad 14
and a
trackwheel 16. As will be described in greater detail below, the keypad 14 is
in the exemplary
5 form of a reduced QWERTY keyboard including a plurality of keys 18 that
serve as input
members. It is noted, however, that the keypad 14 may be of other
configurations, such as an
AZERTY keyboard, a QWERTZ keyboard, or other keyboard arrangement, whether
presently
known or unknown, and either reduced or not reduced.
The keys 18 are located on a front face 20 of the housing 4, and the
trackwheel 16 is
0 located at a side 22 of the housing 4. In addition to the keys 18, the
trackwheel 16 can serve as
another input member since the trackwheel 16 is capable of being rotated, as
indicated by arrow
24, and depressed generally toward the housing 4, as indicated by arrow 26.
Rotation of the
trackwheel 16 provides certain inputs to the processor 10, while depression of
the trackwheel
16 provides other input to the processor 10.
5 The system architecture of the handheld electronic device 2
advantageously is
organized to be operable independent of the specific layout of the keypad 14.
Accordingly, the
system architecture of the handheld electronic device 2 can be employed in
conjunction with
virtually any keypad layout without requiring any meaningful change in the
system
architecture. It is further noted that certain features set forth herein are
usable on either or both
D of a reduced keyboard and a non-reduced keyboard.
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The memory 12 is depicted schematically in FIG. 2. The memory 12 can be any of
a
variety of types of internal and/or external storage media such as, without
limitation, RAM,
ROM, EPROM(s), EEPROM(s), and the like that provide a storage register for
data storage
such as in the fashion of an internal storage area of a computer, and can be
volatile memory or
nonvolatile memory. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the memory 12 is in electronic
communication with the processor 10.
The memory 12 additionally can include one or more routines depicted generally
with
the numeral 46 for the processing of data and carrying out other functions,
including a user
interface routine 47. When executed by the processor 10, the user interface
routine 47, possibly
0 in combination with another of the routines 46, causes the processor
10 to receive inputs from
the keypad 14, the trackwheel 16 and/or other input devices, and causes the
processor 10 to
present various forms of output on the display 28 and/or other output devices,
as will shortly be
explained. In other words, when sequences of instructions of the user
interface routine 47 are
executed by the processor 10, a user of the handheld electronic device 2 is
provided with a way
5 to interact with the handheld electronic device 2. The routines 46
can be in any of a variety of
forms such as, without limitation, software, firmware, and the like.
Additionally, the memory
12 can also store and make available a variety of data sources 48 such as,
without limitation,
one or more input method languages (i.e. "language" or "languages") 50 having
language
objects associated therewith.
0 The input method languages 50 may also have corresponding linguistic
sources 52 such
as a generic word list or a language rule set. FIG. 2 depicts the memory 12 as
containing three
input method languages 50. The first input method language 54 can be English,
the second
input method language 56 can be French, and the third input method language 58
can be
Spanish. It is noted, however, that despite FIG. 2 depicting only three input
method languages
5 54, 56, 58 being stored within memory 12, the total number of input
method languages 50 that
can be stored in the memory 12 is limited only by the memory's 12 capacity.
Once a user
selects an input method language 50, the selected input method language
becomes the operative
input method language and the preferred data source for the handheld
electronic device 2. The
preferred data source is utilized by the handheld electronic device 2 to
disambiguate any
0
ambiguous inputs that are entered into the handheld electronic device 2. It
is noted, however,
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that an input method language can be a default operative input method
language, thus being
operative without being expressly selected by a user.
Returning to FIG. 1, the output apparatus 8 includes a display 28 upon which
can be
provided an output 30. An exemplary output 30 on the display 28 is depicted in
FIG. I. The
output 30 includes a text component 32 and a window (variant component) 34. As
depicted in
FIG. 1, the window 34 extends substantially horizontally across the display
28. This, however,
is not meant to be limiting since the window 34 can also extend across the
display 28
substantially vertically, as depicted in FIG. 3, or in other fashions.
Preferably, the window 34
is located generally in the vicinity of the text component 32. The window 34
includes a
number of outputs 36 from which the user can select, and a selection box 38
that provides an
indication of what is selectable at any given time, as will be explained. As
depicted in FIG. 1,
the selection box 38 is at a default position 39, thereby indicating that a
default one of the
outputs 36 is currently selectable. As described in United States Patent
Publication No.
2006/0058995 entitled "Handheld Electronic device with Text Disambiguation,"
the outputs 36
are language objects selected from language objects stored in the memory 12
and proposed by
the text disambiguation function as being the most likely disambiguated
interpretation of the
ambiguous input provided by the user.
As can also be seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, a visual indicator 60, indicating a
preferred
data source (e.g., grammatical rules and/or vocabulary of a language), is also
provided in the
window 34. In order to facilitate the entry of text into the handheld
electronic device 2 and to
prevent user confusion regarding the currently selected language on the
handheld electronic
device 2, the visual indicator 60 enables a user to quickly identify what
language is currently
operative. In this particular embodiment, the visual indicator 60 is
positioned substantially
adjacent to a right end 62 of the window 34. It is noted, however, that the
visual indicator 60
can also be positioned substantially adjacent to a left end 64 of the window
34 or in other
positions, such as within the caret 44 or on another part of the display 28.
The visual indicator 60 provides a visual identifier of a choice of a language
to a user of
the handheld electronic device 2. The visual indicator 60 may include one or
more of first and
second linguistic elements 66 and 68 that form an abbreviation specifying a
particular language
as depicted in FIG. 1, an unabbreviated name 65 of a language as depicted in
FIG. 3, or a
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graphical symbol 69 representative of a flag or other symbol associated with a
particular
language as depicted in FIG. 4. The visual indicator 60 may be surrounded by a
box 70 and/or
may be offset from the outputs 36 to prevent a user from mistakenly
identifying the visual
indicator 60 as an output 36. Furthermore, the box 70 may be shaped or colored
differently
from the selection box 38. In the exemplary output depicted in FIG. 1, the
visual indicator 60
includes the letters "F" and "R" which is an abbreviation of "French," along
with a linguistic
symbol 69 providing a representation of the flag of France. Accordingly, as
depicted, the
visual indicator 60 alerts the user that French is the currently selected
language on the handheld
electronic device 2.
0 The selection box 38 is capable of being moved (i.e. shifted) from
the default position
39 to a number of different positions 40 by depressing or actuating a <NEXT>
key 42 or by
rotating the trackwheel 16. The display 28 also includes a caret (cursor) 44
that depicts
generally where the next output will be displayed. As the selection box 38 is
moved through
different ones of the different positions 40, different ones of the outputs 36
become selectable
5 by depressing the trackwheel 16 towards the housing 4, by pressing
one of the keys 18 and/or
by actuating some other form of input device (not shown) disposed on the
housing 4. Upon
reaching the last of the outputs 36, the selection box 38 can be moved beyond
the last of the
outputs 36 and to the visual indicator 60 such that the visual indicator 60
becomes selectable,
and in a manner substantially similar to that by which each of the outputs 36
may become
0 selectable. In this way, the visual indicator 60 may be selected in
lieu of one of the outputs 36.
Furthermore, upon the visual indicator 60 becoming selectable, still further
movement of the
selection box 38 beyond the last of the outputs 36 and beyond the visual
indicator 60 results in
a "wrap-around" of the selection box 38 back to the default position 39, in
some embodiments.
In alternate embodiments, the selection box 38 cannot be moved beyond the
visual indicator 60.
5 Upon the visual indicator 60 both becoming selectable, a user of the
handheld electronic
device 2 may select the visual indicator 60 by actuating the <NEXT> key 42,
depressing the
trackwheel 16 or actuating some other form of input device disposed on the
housing 4.
Selecting the visual indicator 60 allows the user to change the currently
selected language. In
some embodiments, upon selection of the visual indicator 60, the <NEXT> key
42, the
)
trackwheel 16 and/or some other form of input device disposed on the housing
4 may be used
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to change in place the currently selected language by changing whichever of
the linguistic
elements 66 and 68, the unabbreviated name 65 or the graphical symbol 69 is
currently
displayed as part of the visual indicator 60. In other embodiments, upon
selection of the visual
indicator 60, a popup window 90 is presented that lists at least a subset of
the choices of
language 96 that may be selected, as depicted in FIG. 4. The popup window 90
may present
each choice of language 96 as one or both of a pair of linguistic characters
(not unlike the
linguistic characters 66 and 68 within the visual indicator 60) or a graphical
symbol (not unlike
the graphical symbol 69 within the visual indicator 60). Alternatively or
additionally, the
popup window 90 may present each choice of language 96 as an unabbreviated
name (not
0 unlike the unabbreviated name 65 within the visual indicator 60). In
still other embodiments,
upon selection of the visual indicator 60, a language selection output 130 is
presented on the
display 28 in which a language selection menu 190 is displayed, as depicted in
FIG. 5, in place
of the window 34. As in the case of the popup window 90, the language
selection menu 190
may use one or more of a pair of linguistic characters, an unabbreviated name
and/or a
5 graphical symbol to present each choice of language 196.
In some embodiments, as the selection box 38 is moved beyond the last of the
outputs
36 and to the visual indicator 60, some form of tactile and/or audible
feedback may be provided
to a user of the handheld electronic device 2 that coincides with the
selection box 38 being
moved between one of the outputs 36 and the visual indicator 60. Such tactile
and/or audible
0 feedback would alert the user to the fact that he or she has progressed
beyond the selection of
available outputs 36 without the need to view the display 28 at that moment.
In one possible
embodiment where either the trackwheel 16 or a trackball (not shown) is
employed in moving
the selection box 38, a tactile feedback akin to a "bump" and/or a momentary
resistance to
movement may be provided that the user would feel through which ever ones of
his or her
5 fingers are employed in operating the trackwheel 16 or the trackball.
Various trackwheels and
trackballs equipped with a mechanism for causing a translation motion of the
wheel or ball in a
direction against the user's fingertips are commercially available as those
skilled in the art will
readily recognize. Such a trackwheel or trackball could be controlled in a
manner that provides
the user with a sensation that the wheel or ball is being "rolled" over a bump
and/or that the
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wheel or ball is momentarily "stuck" at the moment that the selection box 38
is moved between
one of the outputs 36 and the visual indicator 60.
It should be noted that although much of the preceding discussing has
specified that the
selection box 38 serves as the indication of which item in the window 34 is
selectable, those
skilled in the art will readily recognize that other visual indicators of
which item in the window
34 is selectable may be employed. By way of example, various techniques of
highlighting a
selectable item may be employed, including, but not limited to, altering one
or more colors of
the selectable item, itself, such that the selectable item is made to stand
out in comparison to
one or more non-selectable items, or altering one or more colors of the
background
0 immediately adjacent to a selectable item such that the selectable item
is surrounded with a
distinguishing color.
In some embodiments, as an alternative to presenting an operative language in
a visual
indicator as part of a window of selectable outputs as part of a
disambiguation process, a visual
indicator 260 may be presented as part of an input mode indicator 284
presented on a portion of
5 the display 28. As depicted in FIG. 6, the input mode indicator 284 is
positioned towards a
corner of the display 28 so as to minimize its obstruction of the remainder of
the space
available on the display 28 for whatever use may be desired by a user of the
handheld
electronic device 2. The input mode indicator 284 includes a visual indicator
286 that presents
information regarding other aspects of the current input mode, such whether a
reduced-sized
0 keyboard (e.g., the keypad 14) is currently in a numeric entry mode (as
indicated with "123"), a
lower-case letter entry mode (as indicated with "abc") or an upper-case letter
entry mode (as
variously indicated with an upward arrow, or either of "ABC" or "CAP"). As was
the case with
the earlier-discussed visual indicator 60, the visual indicator 260 may
present the current choice
of language with an abbreviation (e.g., "EN" as depicted), a graphical symbol
(e.g., a flag as
5 depicted), or an unabbreviated name of a language (not shown). In other
words, the input mode
indicator 284 presents one of a selection of possible input modes that combine
a choice of
numeric or text entry, a choice of capitalization, and a choice of language in
each input mode.
FIG. 6 depicts some of the available input modes that may be selected.
The remainder of the space available on the display 28 may be employed by one
or
0 more of the routines 46, including the user interface routine 47, to
enable input of text or
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numbers by the user. Not unlike the earlier-described visual indicator 60, the
input mode
indicator 284 is selectable, though not as part of a list of selectable
outputs generated by a
disambiguation routine. In some embodiments, a trackball or input device (not
shown) that is
disposed on the housing 4 may be used to make the input mode indicator 284
selectable by
moving a focus of the user interface routine 47 away from an application
occupying the
remainder of the space available on the display 28 and towards the input mode
indicator 284.
Upon the input mode indicator 284 being made selectable, and upon the input
mode indicator
284 being selected, a different input mode may be selected. In some
embodiments, the
selection of the input mode indicator 284 results in an input mode selection
menu not unlike the
0 earlier-described language selection menu 190 that occupies at least a
portion of the remainder
of the space available on the display 28. In other embodiments, the selection
of the input mode
indicator 284 results in the presentation of a smaller popup menu not unlike
the earlier-
described popup window 90. In still other embodiments, the selection of the
input mode
indicator 284 allows the user to change in place the input mode indicator 284
(and with it, the
5 associated input mode), perhaps by operating the trackwheel 16 or other
input device, such as a
trackball.
An improved handheld electronic device 1004 in accordance with another
embodiment
of the disclosed and claimed concept is depicted generally in FIG. 7. As a
general matter, the
handheld electronic device 1004 is substantially identical in configuration
and function to the
0 handheld electronic device 2, except that the handheld electronic device
1004 employs a
multiple-axis input device instead of or in addition to the trackwheel 16. In
the depicted
exemplary embodiment, the multiple-axis input device is a track ball 1032 as
will be described
below. It is noted, however, that multiple-axis input devices other than the
track ball 1032 can
be employed without departing from the present concept. For instance, other
appropriate
5 multiple-axis input devices could include mechanical devices such as
joysticks and the like
and/or non-mechanical devices such as touch pads, track pads and the like
and/or other devices
which detect motion or input in other fashions, such as through the use of
optical sensors or
piezoelectric crystals.
The handheld electronic device 1004 includes a housing 1006 upon which is
disposed a
) processor unit that includes an input apparatus 1008, an output apparatus
1012, a processor
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1016, a memory 1020, and a number of routines 1022. All of the operations that
can be
performed on or with the handheld electronic device 2 can be performed on or
with the
handheld electronic device 1004. As such, the features of the handheld
electronic device 2 that
are common with the handheld electronic device 1004, and this would comprise
essentially all
of the features of the handheld electronic device 2, will generally not be
repeated.
The output apparatus 1012 includes a display 1060 that provides visual output.
The
exemplary output in FIG. 7 is a plurality of icons 1062 that are selectable by
the user for the
purpose of, for example, initiating the execution on the processor 1016 of a
routine 1022 that is
represented by an icon 1062.
0 The input apparatus 1008 can be said to comprise a keypad 1024 and
the track ball
1032, all of which serve as input members. The keypad 1024 and the track ball
1032 are
advantageously disposed adjacent one another. The keypad 1024 comprises a
plurality of keys
1028 that are actuatable to provide input to the processor 1016. Many of the
keys 1028 have
assigned thereto a plurality of linguistic elements in the exemplary form of
Latin letters. Other
5 keys 1028 can have assigned thereto functions and/or other characters.
For instance, one of the keys 1028 is an <ESCAPE> key 1031 which, when
actuated,
provides to the processor 1016 an input that undoes the action which resulted
from the
immediately preceding input and/or moves the user to a logically higher
position within the
logical menu tree managed by a graphical user interface (GUI) routine 1022.
The function
0 provided by the <ESCAPE> key 1031 can be used at any logical location
within any portion of
the logical menu tree except, perhaps, at a home screen such as is depicted in
FIG. 7. The
<ESCAPE> key 1031 is advantageously disposed adjacent the track ball 1032
thereby
enabling, for example, an unintended or incorrect input from the track ball
1032 to be quickly
undone, i.e., reversed, by an actuation of the adjacent <ESCAPE> key 1031.
5 Another of the keys 1028 is a <MENU> key 1033 which, when actuated,
provides to
the processor 1016 an input that causes the GUI 1022 to generate and output on
the display
1060 a menu that is appropriate to the user's current logical location within
the logical menu
tree. For instance, FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary menu 1035A that would be
appropriate if the
user's current logical location within the logical menu tree was viewing an
email within an
0 email routine 1022. That is, the menu 1035A provides selectable options
that would be
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appropriate for a user given that the user is, for example, viewing an email
within an email
routine 1022. In a similar fashion, FIG. 9 depicts another exemplary menu
1035B that would
be depicted if the user's current logical location within the logical menu
tree was within a
telephone routine 1022.
The track ball 1032 is disposed on the housing 1006 and is freely rotatable in
all
directions with respect to the housing 1006. A rotation of the track ball 1032
a predetermined
rotational distance with respect to the housing 1006 provides an input to the
processor 1016,
and such inputs can be employed by the routines 1022, for example, as
navigational inputs,
scrolling inputs, selection inputs, and other inputs.
0 For instance, the track ball 1032 is rotatable about a horizontal
axis 1034A to provide
vertical scrolling, navigational, selection, or other inputs. Similarly, the
track ball 1032 is
rotatable about a vertical axis 1034B to provide horizontal scrolling,
navigational, selection, or
other inputs. Since the track ball 1032 is freely rotatable with respect to
the housing 1006, the
track ball 1032 is additionally rotatable about any other axis (not expressly
depicted herein) that
5
lies within the plane of the page of FIG. 7 or that extends out of the plane
of the page of FIG. 7.
The track ball 1032 can be said to be a multiple-axis input device because it
provides
scrolling, navigational, selection, and other inputs in a plurality of
directions or with respect to
a plurality of axes, such as providing inputs in both the vertical and the
horizontal directions. It
is reiterated that the track ball 1032 is merely one of many multiple-axis
input devices that
0 could be employed on the handheld electronic device 1004. As such,
mechanical alternatives
to the track ball 1032, such as a joystick, might have a limited rotation with
respect to the
housing 1006, and non-mechanical alternatives might be immovable with respect
to the
housing 1006, yet all are capable of providing input in a plurality of
directions or along a
plurality of axes.
5 The track ball 1032 additionally is translatable toward the housing
1006, i.e., into the
plane of the page of FIG. 7, to provide additional inputs. The track ball 1032
could be
translated in such a fashion by, for example, a user applying an actuating
force to the track ball
1032 in a direction toward the housing 1006, such as by pressing on the track
ball 1032. The
inputs that are provided to the processor 1016 as a result of a translation of
the track ball 1032
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in the indicated fashion can be employed by the routines 1022, for example, as
selection inputs,
delimiter inputs, or other inputs.
The track ball 1032 is rotatable to provide, for example, navigational inputs
among the
icons 1062. For example, FIG. 7 depicts the travel of an indicator 1066 from
the icon 1062A,
as is indicated in broken lines with the indicator 1066A, to the icon 1062B,
as is indicated in
broken lines with the indicator 1066B, and onward to the icon 1062C, as is
indicated by the
indicator 1066C. It is understood that the indicators 1066A, 1066B, and 1066C
are not
necessarily intended to be simultaneously depicted on the display 1060, but
rather are intended
to together depict a series of situations and to indicate movement of the
indicator 1066 among
0 the icons 1062. The particular location of the indicator 1066 at any
given time indicates to a
user the particular icon 1062, for example, that is the subject of a selection
focus of the
handheld electronic device 1004. Whenever an icon 1062 or other selectable
object is the
subject of the selection focus, a selection input to the processor 1016 will
result in the routine
1022 or other function represented by the icon 1062 or other selectable object
to be executed or
5 initiated.
The movement of the indicator 1066 from the icon 1062A, as indicated with the
indicator 1066A, to the icon 1062B, as is indicated by the indicator 1066B,
was accomplished
by rotating the track ball 1032 about the vertical axis 1034B to provide a
horizontal
navigational input. As mentioned above, a rotation of the track ball 1032 a
predetermined
0 rotational distance results in an input to the processor 1016. In the
present example, the track
ball 1032 would have been rotated about the vertical axis 1034B a rotational
distance equal to
three times the predetermined rotational distance since the icon 1062B is
disposed three icons
1062 to the right the icon 1062A. Such rotation of the track ball 1032 likely
would have been
made in a single motion by the user, but this need not necessarily be the
case.
5 Similarly, the movement of the indicator 1066 from the icon 1062B,
as indicated by the
indicator 1066B, to the icon 1062C, as is indicated by the indicator 1066C,
was accomplished
by the user rotating the track ball 1032 about the horizontal axis 1034A to
provide a vertical
navigational input. In so doing, the track ball 1032 would have been rotated a
rotational
distance equal to two times the predetermined rotational distance since the
icon 1062C is
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disposed two icons 1062 below the icon 1062B. Such rotation of the track ball
1032 likely
would have been made in a single motion by the user, but this need not
necessarily be the case.
It thus can be seen that the track ball 1032 is rotatable in various
directions to provide
various navigational and other inputs to the processor 1016. Rotational inputs
by the track ball
1032 typically are interpreted by whichever routine 1022 is active on the
handheld electronic
device 1004 as inputs that can be employed by such routine 1022. For example,
the GUI 1022
that is active on the handheld electronic device 1004 in FIG. 7 requires
vertical and horizontal
navigational inputs to move the indicator 1066, and thus the selection focus,
among the icons
1062. If a user rotated the track ball 1032 about an axis oblique to the
horizontal axis 1034A
0 and the vertical axis 1034B, the GUI 1022 likely would resolve such an
oblique rotation of the
track ball 1032 into vertical and horizontal components which could then be
interpreted by the
GUI 1022 as vertical and horizontal navigational movements, respectively. In
such a situation,
if one of the resolved vertical and horizontal navigational movements is of a
greater magnitude
than the other, the resolved navigational movement having the greater
magnitude would be
5 employed by the GUI 1022 as a navigational input in that direction to
move the indicator 1066
and the selection focus, and the other resolved navigational movement would be
ignored by the
GUI 1022, for example.
When the indicator 1066 is disposed on the icon 1062C, as is indicated by the
indicator
1066C, the selection focus of the handheld electronic device 1004 is on the
icon 1062C. As
0 such, a translation of the track ball 1032 toward the housing 1006 as
described above would
provide an input to the processor 1016 that would be interpreted by the GUI
1022 as a selection
input with respect to the icon 1062C. In response to such a selection input,
the processor 1016
would, for example, begin to execute a routine 1022 that is represented by the
icon 1062C. It
thus can be understood that the track ball 1032 is rotatable to provide
navigational and other
5 inputs in multiple directions, assuming that the routine 1022 that is
currently active on the
handheld electronic device 1004 can employ such navigational or other inputs
in a plurality of
directions, and can also be translated to provide a selection input or other
input.
Rotational movement inputs from the track ball 1032 could be employed to
navigate
among, for example, the menus 1035A and 1035B. For instance, after an
actuation of the
) <MENU> key 1033 and an outputting by the GUI 1022 of a resultant menu,
the user could
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rotate the track ball 1032 to provide scrolling inputs to successively
highlight the various
selectable options within the menu. Once the desired selectable option is
highlighted, i.e., is
the subject of the selection focus, the user could translate the track ball
1032 toward the
housing 1006 to provide a selection input as to the highlighted selectable
option. In this regard,
it is noted that the <MENU> key 1033 is advantageously disposed adjacent the
track ball 1032.
This enables, for instance, the generation of a menu by an actuation the
<MENU> key 1033,
conveniently followed by a rotation the track ball 1032 to highlight a desired
selectable option,
for instance, followed by a translation of the track ball 1032 toward the
housing 1006 to
provide a selection input to initiate the operation represented by the
highlighted selectable
0 option.
It is further noted that one of the additional inputs that can be provided by
a translation
of the track ball 1032 is an input that causes the GUI 1022 to output a
reduced menu. For
instance, a translation of the track ball 1032 toward the housing 1066 could
result in the
generation and output of a more limited version of a menu than would have been
generated if
5 the <MENU> key 1033 had instead been actuated. Such a reduced menu would
therefore be
appropriate to the user's current logical location within the logical menu
tree and would
provide those selectable options which the user would have a high likelihood
of selecting.
Rotational movements of the track ball 1032 could provide scrolling inputs to
scroll among the
selectable options within the reduced menu 1035C, and translation movements of
the track ball
0 1032 could provide selection inputs to initiate whatever function is
represented by the
selectable option within the reduce menu 1032 that is currently highlighted.
By way of example, if instead of actuating the <MENU> key 1033 to generate the
menu
1035A the user translated the track ball 1032, the GUI 1022 would generate and
output on the
display the reduced menu 1035C that is depicted generally in FIG. 10. The
exemplary reduced
5 menu 1035C provides as selectable options a number of the selectable
options from the menu
1035A that the user would be most likely to select. As such, a user seeking to
perform a
relatively routine function could, instead of actuating the <MENU> key 1033 to
display the full
menu 1035A, translate the track ball 1032 to generate and output the reduced
menu 1035C.
The user could then conveniently rotate the track ball 1032 to provide
scrolling inputs to
D highlight a desired selectable option, and could then translate the track
ball 1032 to provide a
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selection input which would initiate the function represented by the
selectable option in the
reduced menu 1035C that is currently highlighted.
In the present exemplary embodiment, many of the menus that could be generated
as a
result of an actuation of the <MENU> key 1033 could instead be generated and
output in
reduced form as a reduced menu in response to a translation of the track ball
1032 toward the
housing 1006. It is noted, however, that a reduced menu might not be available
for each full
menu that could be generated from an actuation of the <MENU> key 1033.
Depending upon
the user's specific logical location within the logical menu tree, a
translation of the track ball
1032 might be interpreted as a selection input rather than an input seeking a
reduced menu. For
0 instance, a translation of the track ball 1032 on the home screen
depicted in FIG. 7 would result
in a selection input as to whichever of the icons 1062 is the subject of the
input focus. If the
<MENU> key 1033 was actuated on the home screen, the GUI 1022 would output a
menu
appropriate to the home screen, such as a full menu of all of the functions
that are available on
the handheld electronic device 1004, including those that might not be
represented by icons
5 1062 on the home screen.
FIG. 11 depicts a quantity of text that is output on the display 1060, such as
during a
text entry operation or during a text editing operation, for example. The
indicator 1066 is
depicted in FIG. 11 as being initially over the letter "L", as is indicated
with the indicator
1066D, and having been moved horizontally to the letter "I", as is indicated
by the indicator
0 1066E, and thereafter vertically moved to the letter "W", as is indicated
by the indicator 1066F.
In a fashion similar to that in FIG. 7, the cursor 1066 was moved among the
letters "L", "I",
and "W" through the use of horizontal and vertical navigational inputs
resulting from rotations
of the track ball 1032. In the example of FIG. 11, however, each rotation of
the track ball 1032
the predetermined rotational distance would move the indicator 1066 to the
next adjacent letter.
5 As such, in moving the indicator 1066 between the letters "L" and "I,"
the user would have
rotated the track ball 1032 about the vertical axis 1034B a rotational
distance equal to nine
times the predetermined rotational distance, for example, since "I" is
disposed nine letters to
the right of "L".
FIG. 12 depicts an output 1064 on the display 1060 during, for example, a text
entry
D operation that employs the disambiguation routine 1022. The output 1064
can be said to
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comprise a text component 1068 and a variant component 1072. The variant
component 1072
comprises a default portion 1076 and a variant portion 1080. FIG. 12 depicts
the indicator
1066G on the variant 1080 "HAV", such as would result from a rotation of the
track ball 1032
about the horizontal axis 1034A to provide a downward vertical scrolling
input. In this regard,
it is understood that a rotation of the track ball 1032 a distance equal to
the predetermined
rotational distance would have moved the indicator 1066 from a position (not
expressly
depicted herein) disposed on the default portion 1076 to the position disposed
on the first
variant 1080, as is depicted in FIG. 12. Since such a rotation of the track
ball 1032 resulted in
the first variant 1080 "HAV" being highlighted with the indicator 1066G, the
text component
0 1068 likewise includes the text "HAV" immediately preceding a cursor
1084A.
FIG. 13 depict an alternative output 1064A having an alternative variant
component
1072A having a default portion 1076A and a variant portion 1080A. The variant
component
1072A is horizontally arranged, meaning that the default portion 1076A and the
variants 1080A
are disposed horizontally adjacent one another and can be sequentially
selected by the user
5 through the use of horizontal scrolling inputs, such as by the user
rotating the track ball 1032
the predetermined rotational distance about the vertical axis 1034B. This is
to be contrasted
with the variant component 1072 of FIG. 12 wherein the default portion 1076
and the variants
1080 are vertically arranged, and which can be sequentially selected by the
user through the
user of vertical scrolling inputs with the track ball 1032.
0 In this regard, it can be understood that the track ball 1032 can
provide both the vertical
scrolling inputs employed in conjunction with the output 1064 as well as the
horizontal
scrolling inputs employed in conjunction with the output 1064A. For instance,
the
disambiguation routine 1022 potentially could allow the user to customize the
operation thereof
by electing between the vertically arranged variant component 1072 and the
horizontally
5 arranged variant component 1072A. The track ball 1032 can provide
scrolling inputs in the
vertical direction and/or the horizontal direction, as needed, and thus is
operable to provide
appropriate scrolling inputs regardless of whether the user chooses the
variant component 1072
or the variant component 1072A. That is, the track ball 1032 can be rotated
about the
horizontal axis 1034A to provide the vertical scrolling inputs employed in
conjunction with the
0 variant component 1072, and also can be rotated about the vertical axis
1034B to provide the
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horizontal scrolling inputs that are employed in conjunction with the variant
component 1064A.
The track ball 1032 thus could provide appropriate navigational, strolling,
selection, and other
inputs depending upon the needs of the routine 1022 active at any time on the
handheld
electronic device 1004. The track ball 1032 enables such navigational,
strolling, selection, and
other inputs to be intuitively generated by the user through rotations of the
track ball 1032 in
directions appropriate to the active routine 1022, such as might be indicated
on the display
1060. Other examples will be apparent.
It can further be seen from FIG. 13 that the variant component 1072A
additionally
includes a value 1081 that is indicative of the language into which the
disambiguation routine
0 1022 will interpret ambiguous text input. In the example depicted in FIG.
13, the language is
English.
As can be seen in FIG. 14, the value 1081 can be selected by the user to cause
the
displaying of a list 1083 of alternative values 1085. The alternative values
1085 are indicative
of selectable alternative languages into which the disambiguation routine 1022
can interpret
5 ambiguous input. A selection of the value 1081 would have been achieved,
for example, by the
user providing horizontal scrolling inputs with the track ball 1032 to cause
(not expressly
depicted herein) the indicator 1066 to be disposed over the value 1081, and by
thereafter
translating the track ball 1032 toward the housing 1006 to provide a selection
input.
The alternative values 1085 in the list 1083 are vertically arranged with
respect to one
0 another and with respect to the value 1081. As such, a vertical scrolling
input with the track
ball 1032 can result in a vertical movement of the indicator 10661 to a
position on one of the
alternative values 1085 which, in the present example, is the alternative
value 1085 "FR",
which is representative of the French language. The alternative value 1085
"FR" could become
selected by the user in any of a variety of fashions, such as by actuating the
track ball 1032
5 again, by continuing to enter text, or in other fashions. It thus can be
understood from FIG. 13
and FIG. 14 that the track ball 1032 can be rotated to provide horizontal
scrolling inputs and,
when appropriate, to additionally provide vertical scrolling inputs and, when
appropriate, to
additionally provide selection inputs, for example.
FIG. 15 depicts another exemplary output on the display 1060 such as might be
0 employed by a data entry routine 1022. The exemplary output of FIG. 15
comprises a plurality
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of input fields 1087 with corresponding descriptions. A cursor 1084D, when
disposed within
one of the input fields 1087, indicates to the user that an input focus of the
handheld electronic
device 1004 is on that input field 1087. That is, data such as text, numbers,
symbols, and the
like, will be entered into whichever input field 1087 is active, i.e., is the
subject of the input
focus. It is understood that the handheld electronic device 1004 might perform
other operations
or take other actions depending upon which input field 1087 is the subject of
the input focus.
Navigational inputs from the track ball 1032 advantageously enable the cursor
1084D,
and thus the input focus, to be switched, i.e., shifted, among the various
input fields 1087. For
example, the input fields 1087 could include the input fields 1087A, 1087B,
and 1087C. FIG.
0 15 depicts the cursor 1084D as being disposed in the input field 1087C,
indicating that the
input field 1087C is the subject of the input focus of the handheld electronic
device 1004. It is
understood that the cursor 1084D, and thus the input focus, can be shifted
from the input field
1087C to the input field 1087A, which is disposed adjacent and vertically
above the input field
1087C, by providing a vertical scrolling input in the upward direction with
the track ball 1032.
5 That is, the track ball 1032 would be rotated the predetermined
rotational distance about the
horizontal axis 1034. Similarly, the cursor 1084D, and thus the input focus,
can be shifted from
the input field 1087A to the input field 1087B, which is disposed adjacent and
to the right of
the input field 1087A, by providing a horizontal scrolling input to the right
with the track ball
1032. That is, such a horizontal scrolling input could be provided by rotating
the track ball the
0 predetermined rotational distance about the vertical axis 1034B. It thus
can be seen that the
track ball 1032 is rotatable in a plurality of directions about a plurality
axes to provide
navigational, scrolling, and other inputs in a plurality of directions among a
plurality of input
fields 1087. Other types of inputs and/or inputs in other applications will be
apparent.
Since the keypad 1024 and the track ball 1032 are advantageously disposed
adjacent
5 one another, the user can operate the track ball 1032 substantially
without moving the user's
hands away from the keypad 1024 during a text entry operation or other
operation. It thus can
be seen that the track ball 1032 combines the benefits of both the trackwheel
16 and the
<NEXT> key 40. It is noted, however, that other embodiments of the handheld
electronic
device 1004 (not expressly depicted herein) could include both the track ball
1032 and a
0 <NEXT> key such as the <NEXT> key 40 without departing from the present
concept.
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An improved handheld electronic device 2004 in accordance with still another
embodiment of the disclosed and claimed concept is depicted generally in FIG.
16 and FIG. 17.
The handheld electronic device 2004 includes a housing 2006 upon which is
disposed a
processor unit that includes an input apparatus 2008, an output apparatus
2012, a processor
2016, a memory 2020, and a number of routines 2022. All of the operations that
can be
performed on or with the handheld electronic devices 2 and/or 1004 can be
performed on or
with the handheld electronic device 2004. As such, the features of the
handheld electronic
device 2004 that are common with the handheld electronic devices 2 and/or
1004, and this
would comprise essentially all of the features of the handheld electronic
devices 2 and/or 1004,
0 will generally not be repeated.
As a general matter, the handheld electronic device 2004 is substantially
identical in
configuration and function to the handheld electronic device 1004, except that
the handheld
electronic device 2004 includes a touch screen display 2055 that provides a
non-mechanical
multiple-axis input device 2032 instead of the track ball 1032. The multiple-
axis input device
5 2032 can be said to be in the form of a virtual track ball 2032.
As is generally understood, the touch screen display 2055 includes a liquid
crystal layer
between a pair of substrates, with each substrate including an electrode. The
electrodes form a
grid which defines the aperture size of the pixels. When a charge is applied
to the electrodes,
the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer become aligned
generally perpendicular
0 to the two substrates. A display input/output subassembly 2053 of the
output apparatus 2012
controls the location of the charge applied to the electrodes thereby enabling
the formation of
images on the touch screen display 2055.
Additionally, the touch screen display 2055 comprises a sensor assembly 2057
which
comprises an output device 2059 and a plurality of detectors 2061. The
detectors 2061 are
5 shown schematically and are typically too small to be seen by the naked
eye. Each detector
2061 is in electrical communication with the output device 2059 and creates an
output signal
when actuated. The detectors 2061 are disposed in a pattern, discussed below,
and are
structured to detect an external object immediately adjacent to, or touching,
the touch screen
display 2055. The external object is typically a stylus or a user's finger
(not shown). The
D output device 2059 and/or the processor 2016 are structured to receive
the detector signals and
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convert the signals to data representing the location of the external object
relative to the touch
screen display 2055. As such, while the sensor assembly 2057 is physically a
component of the
touch screen display 2055, it is nevertheless considered to be a logical
component of the input
apparatus 2008 since it provides input to the processor apparatus.
The detectors 2061 are typically capacitive detectors, optical detectors,
resistive
detectors, or mechanical detectors such as strain gauge or charged grid,
although other
technologies may be employed without departing from the present concept.
Typically,
capacitive detectors are structured to detect a change in capacitance caused
by the electrical
field of the external object or a change in capacitance caused by the
compression of the
0 capacitive detector. Optical detectors are structured to detect a
reflection of light, e.g., light
created by the touch screen display 2055. Mechanical detectors include a
charged grid with
columns that would be disposed on one side of the touch screen display 2055
and a
corresponding grid without columns would be disposed at another location on
the touch screen
display 2055. In such a configuration, when the touch screen display 2055 is
compressed, i.e.
5 as a result of being touched by the user, the columns at the area of
compression contact the
opposing grid thereby completing a circuit.
Capacitive detectors may be disposed upon either substrate and, although
small, require
space. Thus, and any pixel that is disposed adjacent a detector 2061 will have
a reduced size,
or aperture, to accommodate the adjacent detector 2061.
0 The detectors 2061 are disposed in a pattern, and at least some of
the detectors 2061
preferably are arranged in lines that form a grid. A first portion of the
detectors 2061 are
disposed on a first area 2081 of the touch screen display 2055, and a second
portion of the
detectors 2061 are disposed on a second area 2083 of the touch screen display
2055. As can be
seen from FIG. 16, the first area 2081 essentially is every region of the
touch screen display
5 2005 other than the second area 2083.
The first portion of the detectors 2061 disposed on the first area 2081 of the
touch
screen display 2055 are disposed in a relatively sparse pattern in order to
minimize the visual
interference that is caused by the presence of the detectors 2061 adjacent the
pixels.
Preferably, the spacing of the detectors 2061 on the first area 2081 is
between about 1.0 mm
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and 10.0 mm between the detectors 2061, and more preferably about 3.0 mm
between the
detectors 2061.
The second portion of the detectors 2061 are disposed in a relatively dense
pattern on
the second area 2083 of the touch screen display 2055 and are structured to
support the function
of the virtual track ball 2032. The image quality in the second area 2083 of
the touch screen
display 2055 is adversely affected due to the dense spacing of the detectors
2061 there.
However, the second area 2083 is a relatively small area compared to the
entire touch screen
display 2055. Preferably, the density of the detectors 2061 in the second area
2083 is between
about 0.05 mm and 3.0 mm between the detectors, and more preferably about 0.1
mm between
0 the detectors 2061. Further, because the pixels in the second area 2083
are dedicated for the
virtual track ball 2032, it is acceptable to have a reduced pixel density with
larger pixels. Since
the pixel size would be very large, the aspect ratio would be significantly
higher than that of
pixels that are not disposed adjacent a detector 2061. The pixels in the
second area 2083 likely
would be special function pixels, such as pixels that would both depict the
virtual track ball
5 2032 and that would light up the second area 2083 to highlight the
virtual track ball 2032.
The processor apparatus is structured to create images and define the
boundaries of
selectable portions of the images on the touch screen display 2055. For
example, the processor
apparatus will create the images of selectable icons or other objects on
specific portions of the
touch screen display 2055. The processor apparatus is further structured to
relate specific
0 detectors 2061 to the specific portions of the touch screen display 2055.
Thus, when the
processor apparatus detects the actuation of a specific detector 2061 adjacent
to a specific
image, e.g. a selectable icon, the processor apparatus will initiate the
function or routine related
to that icon, e.g. opening a calendar program.
Similarly, the processor apparatus is structured to employ specific detectors
2061 to
5 support the function of the virtual track ball 2032 in the second area
2083 of the touch screen
display 2055. Thus, actuations of one or more of the detectors 2061 that
support the virtual
track ball 2032 will be interpreted by the processor apparatus as being inputs
from the virtual
track ball 2032. For instance, an actuation of a sequential plurality of
detectors 2061 extending
along a particular direction on the touch screen display 2055 in the second
area 2083 might be
) interpreted as a navigational input, a scrolling input, a selection
input, and/or another input in
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the particular direction. Since the user can freely move a finger, for
instance, in any direction
on the touch screen display 2055, the virtual track ball 2032 is a multiple-
axis input device.
Other inputs, such as a non-moving actuation of one or more detectors 2061 in
the central
region of the virtual track ball 2032 could be interpreted by the processor
apparatus as an
actuation input of the virtual track ball 2032, such as would be generated by
an actuation of the
track ball 1032 of the handheld electronic device 1004 in a direction toward
the housing 1006
thereof. It can be understood that other types of actuations of the detectors
2061 in the second
area 2083 can be interpreted as various other inputs without departing from
the disclosed and
claimed concept.
0 The handheld electronic device 2004 thus comprises a multiple-axis
input device 2032
that is non-mechanical but that still provides the same functional features
and advantages as,
say, the track ball 1032 of the handheld electronic device 1004. It is
understood that the virtual
track ball 2032 is but one example of the many types of multiple-axis input
devices that could
be employed on the handheld electronic device 2004.
5 While specific embodiments of the disclosed and claimed concept have
been described
in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various
modifications and
alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall
teachings of the
disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be
illustrative only
and not limiting as to the scope of the disclosed and claimed concept which is
to be given the
) full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.
23
