Interactive display with tactile feedback

Abstract

An electronic device including a housing having a first surface and a second surface, and an interactive display having a keyboard-enabled mode and a keyboard-disabled mode. The interactive display includes a first image display device disposed at the first surface that displays image data, and a physical keypad disposed at the second surface that provides tactile feedback to a user only when the interactive display is in the keyboard-enabled mode, the physical keypad being substantially smooth when the interactive display is in the keyboard-disabled mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable device comprising:
 an interactive display that comprises:
 a front surface at which is disposed an image display device, the image display device configured to display a plurality of imaged keys and other types of image data; 
 a back surface; 
 a sensor that detects user interaction with the back surface,
 wherein the interactive display has a first mode in which the image display device displays the plurality of imaged keys; and 
 wherein the interactive display has a second mode in which the image display device displays other types of image data based on user interaction detected by the sensor. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the image display device comprises a liquid crystal display. 
     
     
         3 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the image display device comprises a digital light processor display. 
     
     
         4 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the image display device comprises a plasma display. 
     
     
         5 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the image display device comprises a light emitting diode display. 
     
     
         6 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the portable device is a cell phone. 
     
     
         7 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the portable device is a hand-held device. 
     
     
         8 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a thermal sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor.