Keypad reorientation

Abstract

An apparatus includes a display and a keypad. The keypad has a plurality of keys, a first subset of which are adapted to define a first arrangement of keys, and a second subset of which are adapted to define a second arrangement of keys. Further, the apparatus includes a light provision arrangement that has at least one light source. A controller coupled to, and adapted to control the operations of, the light provision arrangement, to highlight the first and second subsets of keys during a first and a second mode of operation respectively. The keypad has a first and a second different relative operational disposition to the display, in said first and second modes of operation respectively.

1 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a display;    a keypad having a plurality of keys, a first subset of which are adapted to define a first arrangement of keys, and a second subset of which are adapted to define a second arrangement of keys;    a light provision arrangement including at least one light source; and    a controller coupled to, and adapted to control the operations of, 
 the light provision arrangement, to at least highlight the first and second subsets of keys during a first and a second mode of operation respectively, and  
 the keypad being in a first and a second different relative operational disposition to the display, in said first and second modes of operation respectively.  
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to control the light provision arrangement to highlight the first and second subset of keys by controlling the light arrangement to backlight the first arrangement of keys during the first mode of operation and backlight the second arrangement of keys during the second mode of operation.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the light provision arrangement comprises a first light source optically coupled at least to the first subset of keys and a second light source optically coupled to the second subset of keys, and the controller is further adapted to modify an intensity of light emitting from the first light source in response, at least in part, to the first mode of operation.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the light provision arrangement comprises one light source optically coupled at least to the first subset of keys and the second subset of keys, the light provision arrangement further comprises at least two light valves, a first and a second light valve are disposed between the light source and the first and second subset of keys, respectively, and the controller is further adapted to selectively control the first and second light valves based, at least in part, on the first mode of operation.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a first of the plurality of keys is a member of the first subset of keys and the second subset of keys.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the first key comprises at least two indicia, a first indicia and a second indicia associated with the first and the second subset of keys respectively.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller being adapted to control the light provision arrangement to highlight the first and second subset of keys further comprises illuminating the first indicia during the first mode of operation, and illuminating the second indicia during the second mode of operation.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the light provision arrangement comprises at least a plurality of light sources, a first and a second of the plurality of light sources are optically coupled to the first and second indicia correspondingly, and the controller is further adapted to control the light sources to selectively modify an intensity of light emitting from the light sources based, at least in part, on the first mode of operation.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a selected one of the first arrangement of keys and the second arrangement of keys comprise a numeric keypad layout.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a selected one of the first arrangement of keys and the second arrangement of keys comprise an alphanumeric keypad layout.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a selected one of the first arrangement of keys and the second arrangement of keys comprise an alphabetic keyboard layout.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least two keymaps in a memory, wherein at least some keys of the first subset of keys comprise at least two pluralities of indicia, a first of the plurality of indicia corresponds to a numeric keypad layout, a second of the plurality of indicia corresponds to a first alphabetic keypad layout, and the controller is further adapted to dynamically bind a first keymap to the at least some keys of the first subset of keys, based at least in part on the first mode of operation, to define a set of numeric values and a first set of alphabetic values corresponding to the first and the second plurality of indicia, respectively.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein at least some keys of the second subset of keys comprise at least a first portion of a third plurality of indicia, the third of the plurality of indicia corresponds to a second alphabetic keypad layout different from the first alphabetic keypad layout, and the controller is further adapted to dynamically bind a second keymap to the at least some keys of the second subset of keys, based at least in part on the second mode of operation, to define a second set of alphabetic values corresponding to the third plurality of indicia.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein at least a first key of the at least some of the keys of the first subset of keys comprise a second portion of the third plurality of indicia corresponding to the second alphabetic keypad layout, and the controller is further adapted to dynamically bind the second keymap to the first key based at least in part on the second mode of operation.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the at least some of the first set of alphabetic values corresponding to the first alphabetic keypad layout are assigned an order of input associated with some of the keys at least partially based on their respective first set of alphabetic values.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least some of the second set of alphabetic values corresponding to the second alphabetic keypad layout are assigned an order of input associated with some of the input keys at least partially based on a frequency of use of such alphabetic values.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein, each of the first set of alphabetic values associated with the second plurality of indicia corresponds to a DTMF signal consistent with a DTMF signal corresponding to alphabetically ordered letters of a conventional telephone keypad layout, and the controller is further adapted to selectively generate said DTMF signal.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second alphabetic keypad layout is a modified QWERTY or modified Dvorak keypad layout.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein at least some of the first set of alphabetic values corresponding to the first alphabetic keypad layout are assigned an order of input associated with some of the input keys to provide a reduced set of possible diagrams on a single key.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein each of the second set of alphabetical values comprise a set of letters wherein letters with a higher frequency of use are assigned an order of input associated with some of the input keys before letters with a lower frequency of use.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative operational disposition comprises the display complementing the keypad from beneath the keypad.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative operational disposition comprises the display complementing the keypad from above the keypad.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative operational disposition comprises the display complementing the keypad from a left side of the keypad.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative operational disposition comprises the display complementing the keypad from a right side of the keypad.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a portable electronic device.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a wireless mobile communication device, further comprising a wireless communication interface to facilitate wireless communication with a communication station of a wireless network service provider.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a keyboard for use on a portable electronic device.