Research in Motion Corporation

Blackberry Corporation

Steven R. Green

Alexander I. Bersenev

Roman Peter Rak

Michael Lorne Purdy

Jason Tyler Griffin

Todd Andrew Wood

Cortez M Corley

Marco Sixtus Ferrari

Archer Chi Kwong Wun

Kwok Ching Leung

Alina Claudia Oprea

Anders Fahrendorff

Norman Miner Ladouceur

Frank Mathew Tyneski

Joseph Michael Hofer

Steven Henry Fyke

Di Tao

Ingve Holmung

Min Zhu

Paul Robert Chyc

Alison Phillips

Steven H Fyke

Archer Wun

David Patrick Townsend

Albert Murray Pegg

Velimir Pletikosa

John Jong-Suk Lee

Vahid Moosavi

Alexander Kornilovsky

Teodor Dabov

Jana Regenwetter

Dustin Jonathan Smith

John A Holmes

Paul Masser

Mihal Lazaridis

Shannon Tyler Moore

Chao Chen

Brian Dennis Paschke

Timothy Herbert Kyowski

William E Fenton

Jodie Elizabeth Fletcher

Younghwan Kim

Aaron Michael Szymanski

Sergei Streltsov

Steven Russell Green

Lesli Ann Mie Agcaoili

Alexander Bersenev

Jamaal Peele

Wei He

Corrine Anne Raherimanjato

Kwok Chris Leung

Alexander I Bersenev

Steven R Green

Norman Ladoucer

A keyboard can be comprised of a plurality of alphabetic keys that are disposed in an evenly-spaced grid pattern with respect to one another. In any event, these keys have keycaps configured to comport with touch typing as with a keyboard having a plurality of alphabetic keys that are disposed in an offset pattern (such as the classic QWERTY offset-pattern typewriter-styled keyboard). By one approach, these keycaps can have keycaps having bilaterally-nonsymmetrical tactile features that at least substantially match standard touch-typing finger positions. By one approach these tactile features can comprise an indentation. If desired, these keycaps can share a same form factor. In such a case, some of the keycaps for the alphabetic keys can be disposed on the keyboard at a 180 degree rotation as compared to others of the alphabetic character keycaps.

Method and apparatus pertaining to a touch typing-friendly grid-patterned keyboard

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.

Outwardly decreasing height keys for a handheld electronic device keyboard

A keyboard includes a housing, a frame surrounding the housing, and a plurality of keys arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows. The keyboard is movable between a closed configuration and an expanded configuration, and the keys are accessible in both the closed and expanded configurations.

Expandable keyboard

A keypad is described herein in which the keypad can have a keypad sheet and a keymat layer molded onto the back side of the keypad sheet. The keypad sheet can include a plurality of keys formed on a front side of the keypad sheet and a plurality of actuators formed on a back side of the keypad sheet and protruding from the back side of the keypad sheet. Slits are cut around at least some of the keys to provide the keys with flexibility. The slits do not pierce the keymat layer.

Keypads for mobile devices and method of manufacturing the same

A key activation system for use in an electronic device is provided. The system comprises an activation mechanism associated with a key in the system, a first feedback system and a second feedback system. The activation mechanism is associated with the key activation system and provides a first feedback sense when the activation mechanism has triggered the first activation condition. The second feedback system provides a second feedback sense indicating when the key triggers the second activation condition. In the system, the second feedback system operates independently from the activation mechanism and the first activation condition is triggered before the second activation condition when the activation mechanism is initially engaged. An activation mechanism may be centrally located for a set of keys.

Key system for an electronic device

A friction device, keypad assembly and portable electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, there is provided a keypad assembly for a portable electronic device, comprising: a keypad having a number of keys each having an actuator post attached to a back side thereof; a circuit board; a light guide located between the keypad and the circuit board, the light guide defining a number of holes which provide paths for respective actuator posts to travel through to contact respective electrical switches on the circuit board; and at least one friction device located in one of the holes of the light guide, the friction device providing a physical barrier limiting movement of the actuator post in a direction normal to a direction of actuation, the friction device applying friction to at least one side of the actuator post and resisting movement of the actuator post in the direction of actuation.

Keypad assembly for a portable electronic device

A handheld communication device having a reconfigurable keyfield and a display screen upon which characters are displayed. A plurality of actuable input keys makeup the keyfield, and each has at least one character associated therewith and an engageable top surface for actuation. A microprocessor is configured to receive data indicative of an actuated input key and to output data indicative of an associated character determined to correspond to the indicated input key. At least one of the plurality of actuable input keys is mounted to the handheld communication device by an adjustable interconnection configurable between at least first and second operating orientations. In the first operating orientation, the engageable top surface of the at least one input key faces a first direction and in the second operating orientation the engageable top surface of the at least one input key faces a second direction.

Reconfigurable keyfield on a communication device

A clamshell handheld wireless communication device having a hinging interconnector between the two housings, one in which the display screen is located and the other upon which the keyboard is located. The hinging interconnector is positioned between the two housings and navigation tool is located on the hinging interconnector.

Hinging interconnector for a clamshell handheld electronic communication device

Handheld electronic device

A handheld electronic device includes a housing having a surface; a first input component having input members disposed external to the surface; a second touch sensitive input component disposed about the input members, the touch sensitive input component being separate and distinct from the input members and the first input component and being structured to provide one of: a contact point with respect to the surface responsive to actuation of a first number of the input members, and a number of responses responsive to actuation of a second number of the input members. A processor cooperates with the first input component and the touch sensitive input component to determine if a plurality of the input members are actuated contemporaneously and to output a representation of a single one of the input members based upon one of: the contact point, and the number of responses.

Method and handheld electronic device including first input component and second touch sensitive input component

A clam-shell style handheld electronic device having a dual-hinged interconnector between a display housing and a keyboard housing. The dual-hinged interconnector can be configured to act as a handle when the device is being held during text entry and to act as a stand when the open device is placed on a substantially flat surface.

Handheld electronic device with extended dual-hinged interconnector

Electronic device battery door

Growing community of inventors

Waterloo, Canada

Roman Peter Rak