Patent ID: 7065386

Claim:
A method for processing an overloaded key on a mobile device, said method comprising: receiving a key press of the overloaded key to be processed from a buffer; determining whether the function of the overloaded key has switched; clearing any additional overloaded key presses of the overloaded key from the buffer when said determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has switched; setting a pause period for the overloaded key when said determining determines that the function of the overloaded key has switched, thereby causing subsequent presses of the overloaded key to be ignored during the pause period; receiving a subsequent press of the overloaded key; determining whether the subsequent press of the overloaded key occurred during the pause period; and processing the subsequent press of the overloaded key when said determining determines that the subsequent press of the overloaded key did not occur during the pause period.