Patent ID: 8130200

Claim:
A user interface device for use in controlling at least one external device, the user interface device having at least (i) a positional change operation mode, and (ii) a keyboard operation mode, the user interface device comprising: (a) a main body portion including: (i) a top surface including at least one button that is active only in the positional change operation mode, the at least one button triggering an action in the at least one external device when pressed, and (ii) a bottom surface including: (A) a displacement sensor that detects positional change of the user interface device only during the positional change operation mode, the positional change being used for navigation on a display screen of the at least one external device, and (B) a thumb keyboard having a plurality of keys that generate keyboard signals for sending to the at least one external device only when the user interface device is in the keyboard operation mode, the plurality of keys allowing for entry of at least alphabetic characters, wherein in the keyboard operation mode, the alphabetic characters of the keys when viewed upright are perpendicular to the orientation of the device when used in the positional change operation mode, so that when changing between the positional change operation mode and the keyboard operation mode, the user interface device must be turned over and rotated 90 degrees; (b) an orientation sensor that detects the orientation state of the user interface device; (c) a surface sensor that detects whether the bottom surface of the user interface device is touching an external surface; (d) a processor including processor logic that receives input signals from at least the orientation sensor and the surface sensor, and uses the input signals to determine whether to place the user interface device in either the positional change operation mode or the keyboard operation mode; and (e) a switch configured to place the user interface device in either the positional change operation mode or the keyboard operation mode.