Abstract: Data entry apparatus comprising a display screen device, a touch pad mounted over the display screen device, and an application processor coupled to the touch pad and to the display screen device. The application processor has an application program processing module and a touch pad controller module. The application program processing module displays on the display screen a predefined data entry screen having a prearranged set of functional components and sends to the touch pad controller module a hot spot command defining a plurality of touch pad hot spots corresponding in area and location to the set of functional components. The touch pad controller module senses a touch event on the touch pad corresponding to one of the touch pad hot spots and sends to the application processor a touch event message identifying the touch pad hot spot corresponding to the touch event.

Abstract: A method for operating a combination touch pad and display screen device as a PINpad for entering a A plurality of numerical keypad layouts for the display screen are defined. Each keypad layout has a unique arrangement of decimal number locations differing from one layout to all others. For each PIN entry event a random one of the numerical keypad layouts is selected and displayed on the display screen.