Patent ID: 7190351

Claim:
A portable information or data device that allows a user to input data in the form of text or other information as a series of characters, text, numbers, punctuation, or other symbols, comprising: a touch sensitive screen for entry and display of the data; a plurality of control buttons within a region of the touch sensitive screen, and accessible by the touch of the screen, wherein each of said control buttons is associated with a single datum and with a set of secondary data entry buttons; a plurality of secondary data entry buttons, that replace some or all of the plurality of control buttons on the touch sensitive screen when one of the control buttons is selected, wherein each secondary data entry button represents a single datum; and, wherein the user can first select a control button, followed by selection of any of the secondary data entry buttons associated with that control button, to enter the represented datum into the portable information or data device and wherein said control buttons and said secondary data entry buttons represent all the letters of the alphabet and fewer than all such letters being displayable on said touch sensitive screen at any one time.