Patent ID: 7800596

Claim:
A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device of a type comprising a case, an input apparatus, and a processor apparatus, the input apparatus and the processor apparatus being disposed on the case, the input apparatus comprising a vibrational sensor, the processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory having stored therein at least a first routine that is executable on the processor, the method comprising: sensing, as a vibrational result of a contact by a user with a surface of the case, a series of vibrational pulses having a temporal distribution; comparing a representation of at least a portion of the temporal distribution with at least one of a first reference temporal distribution and a second reference temporal distribution, the first reference temporal distribution comprising a first series of vibrational pulses and the second reference temporal distribution comprising a second series of vibrational pulses which is the inverse of the first series of vibrational pulses; and interpreting the contact as an input to the processor.