Patent ID: 8289277
Filing Date: 2012-10-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A handheld electronic device comprising: a housing including a surface; a first input component comprising a plurality of input members disposed external to the surface of said housing; a second touch sensitive input component disposed about the input members of said first input component, said second touch sensitive input component being separate and distinct from said input members and said first input component and being structured to provide a contact point with respect to the surface of said housing responsive to actuation of a number of said input members; and a processor cooperating with said first input component and said second touch sensitive input component to determine if a plurality of said input members are actuated contemporaneously and to output a representation of a single one of said input members based upon said contact point; wherein said processor comprises a memory including a table having, for each of said input members, a representation of a corresponding one of said input members, at least one character associated with the corresponding one of said input members, a first coordinate of the corresponding one of said input members with respect to the surface of said housing, and a second coordinate of the corresponding one of said input members with respect to the surface of said housing; wherein said second touch sensitive input component is further structured to provide said contact point by sensing a third coordinate and a fourth coordinate corresponding to said contact point with respect to the surface of said housing; and wherein said processor is structured to output as said representation of the single one of said input members the at least one character associated with the closest pair of the first and second coordinates to the third and fourth coordinates.