Patent ID: 8254565

Claim:
A handheld computing device structured to include a telephone component, comprising: a display screen; a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys distributed along at least three rows of keys, wherein a subset of the plurality of keys provides a primary character value and a secondary value; wherein the first of the three rows of keys includes successive primary values “Q”, “W”, “E”, “R”, “T”, and “Y”, and wherein the subset includes secondary values “1” through “9” so that the subset is arranged in a touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement, the keys in the telephone keypad arrangement having a common visual characteristic distinct from the keys not in the telephone keypad arrangement, the secondary values “1”, “2”, and “3” being in the first of the three rows of keys, the secondary values “4”, “5”, and “6” being in a second of the three rows of keys, and the secondary values “7”, “8”, and “9” being in a third of the three rows of keys, each secondary value associated with a key including a primary value; and wherein the keyboard also comprises an option key configured to set the keyboard in one of a plurality of states, a first state corresponding to a single use of a secondary value in the touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement, a second state corresponding to consecutive use of any secondary values in the touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement, and a third state corresponding to use of only primary values in the touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement; and wherein in response to execution of the telephone component, the keyboard is set to the second state for use of the secondary values of the keys in the telephone keypad arrangement.