Patent ID: 8390570

Claim:
An input device within a mobile device for providing directional input in the mobile device in response to an inclination of the mobile device, the input device comprising: a primary contact positionally fixed in the mobile device; a plurality of directional contacts positionally fixed in the mobile device and operatively connected to the primary contact, each one of the plurality of directional contacts corresponding to a direction; a circuit closing element, the circuit closing element being in electrical contact with the primary contact, the circuit closing element being movable in response to inclination of the mobile device in the direction of at least one of the plurality of directional contacts, between a neutral position in which the primary contact and the at least one of the plurality of directional contacts form an open circuit, and an active position in which the primary contact and the at least one of the plurality of directional contacts form at least one closed circuit; and a direction interpreter, operatively connected to the primary and directional contacts; wherein when more than one closed circuit is formed, the direction interpreter generates a directional input corresponding to an average of each of the directions associated with each of the directional contacts in each of the closed circuits.