Patent ID: 7274954

Claim:
A handheld communication device comprising: a lower part; a hinge coupled to said lower part; a flip coupled to said lower part by said hinge, wherein said flip can be rotated about said hinge from a first position in which said flip overlies said lower part to a second position in which said flip extends upward away from said lower part, said flip comprising one or more buttons; a sensor adapted to detect whether said flip is in said first position; a controller electrically coupled to said one or more buttons, and to said sensor; wherein said controller is configured to read an output of said sensor, and process input from said one or more buttons in a manner that depends on the output of said sensor; and wherein said one or more buttons comprise a pair of buttons including a first button, and a second button that is located above said first button when said handheld communication device is held upright, and said flip is in said first position; and said controller is configured to interpret a first actuation signal from said first button as a “DOWN” command, and a second actuation signal from said second button as an “UP” command, when said output of said sensor indicates that said flip is in said first position; and said controller is configured to interpret said first actuation signal from said first button as the “UP” command, and said second actuation signal from said second button as the “DOWN” command, when said output of said sensor indicates that said flip is not in said first position.