Patent · US Expired

Keyboard equivalent pad overlay encasement for a handheld electronic device

US6636203B1 · kind B1 · utility

160Cited by
12References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 17, 2001
Grant dateOct 21, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 22, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2250/22
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of enabling a portable electronic device with a transparent, flexible, removable, pushbutton overlay that lays over at least a portion of the graphic touch-screen display on the portable electronic device. The pushbuttons in the overlay are designed to transmit finger pressure to the pressure-sensitive touch-screen display and also to provide a natural feeling tactile feedback to the user. At the same time, being transparent, the overlay allows the user to view the contents of the Graphical User Interface that are presented directly beneath the buttons and allow the user to respond to those contents. The buttons are, in some embodiments, enabled as magnifying lenses in order to better present the GUI contents.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.