Electronic device with reconfigurable keypad

摘要

A reconfigurable keypad for enhancing user experience of an electronic device. The keypad includes a keypad display implemented as any type of display devices that can display different configurations of characters, symbols or images. The keypad display is placed adjacent an application display module. Both the keypad display and the application display module are covered with a common protective film, giving an appearance of a continuous top surface. The keypad also has a mechanism for providing tactile feedback to the user indicating whether the keypad was properly pressed.

主权项

1. A mobile computing device comprising:
a first display having a first top flat surface and having a first power consumption; a keypad display module separate from the first display, the keypad display module comprising a second display, the second display having a second top flat surface and a second power consumption which is less than the first power consumption, and a touch sensor adjacent to the second display for sensing user inputs on the second display; one or more processors coupled to the first display and the keypad display module, the one or more processors to:
operate a plurality of applications, each of the plurality of applications corresponding to a keypad interface;receive a selection to operate one of the plurality of applications from a user; andbased on the selected application on the mobile computing device, (i) provide content on the first display corresponding to the operated application, (ii) select a keypad interface corresponding to the operated application from a plurality of keypad interfaces stored in a library of keypad interfaces, the library including at least one of a set of preconfigured keypad interfaces and at least one of a set of keypad interfaces previously configured and stored by the user, and (iii) render the selected keypad interface on the second display.