Patent ID: 8245158

Claim:
A key sensing interface for one of a laptop computer, personal digital assistant, or other electronic device, comprising: a display located on the laptop computer, personal digital assistant, or other electronic device, and wherein the display is viewable to a user of the device, for use in displaying a document having characters in a regular format; a keyboard or keypad, which includes a plurality of discrete keys, and wherein the keyboard or keypad is positioned relative to the display so that it can be operated by the user while at least some of its plurality of discrete keys are all or partially hidden from the user's view; a sensing mechanism, which includes a separate sensor associated with each of the plurality of discrete keys, for determining which of the plurality of discrete keys on the keyboard or keypad the user is currently selecting and is about to enter as characters within the document; a feedback mechanism for communicating feedback to the user, while the user is using the plurality of discrete keys to select and enter characters within the document, by successively denoting, as a succession of interim displayed, ghosted, or other differently formatted characters, a preview of that character indicated by a key or plurality of keys currently selected by the user, including, while the user is selecting from the plurality of discrete keys to enter characters within the document, displaying a preview of the character indicated by the current selection of key or plurality of keys, at a current location in the document as displayed on the display, as an interim displayed, ghosted, or other differently formatted character, and without requiring the user to look at the keyboard; a verification mechanism allowing the user to confirm their key selection; and a key input mechanism recognizing the confirmation as a valid key stroke or input, wherein each of the plurality of discrete keys on the keyboard or keypad includes as the separate sensor a multi-position switch, and wherein the verification mechanism includes, while the user is typing in the document, allowing the user to depress the key or plurality of keys more fully, from a first non-depressed position to a second partially-depressed position wherein the character is previewed as the interim displayed, ghosted, or other differently formatted character at the current location in the document as displayed on the display, and then to a third fully-depressed position, wherein that same interim displayed, ghosted, or other differently formatted character is then entered into the current location in the document in its regular format, as the valid key stroke or input.