Abstract: A user interface device and an input element include at least one input button that protrudes to be deformed when being pressed and then elastically restored when not being pressed, a sensing unit to sense whether the at least one input button has been pressed, and a display panel disposed underneath the at least one input button and including an input sign display area overlapping with the at least one input button.

Abstract: A character input method and an electronic device. According to the character input method, if a plurality of characters are input together by a user substantially simultaneously, the electronic device may recognize that the user desires to input a character other than the plurality of characters. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of keys required to input characters, so an electronic device requiring character keys can be greatly reduced in size.

Abstract: A method of inputting a user command includes displaying a navigation window including letter key symbols corresponding to keys on a manipulator. If a first user command as to a specific key on the manipulator is input, a specific letter key symbol on the navigation window corresponding to the specific key is activated, and if a second user command as to the specific key is input, the letter corresponding to the activated specific letter key symbol is input. Accordingly, even if the manipulator is separated from the display on which a result of the manipulator is displayed, the user can input a user command by looking at the display only.

Abstract: An input method and apparatus for a device having a graphical user interface (GUI)-based display unit includes allocating at least one region for a plurality of input units disposed on the device, defining input types different from each other for the allocated region, and controlling menu displayed on the display unit according to a signal input in the allocated region based on the defined input types. According to the method and apparatus, the use method and layout of a physically fixed input apparatus can be flexibly changed, thereby increasing the use scope of input types. Also, by integrating navigation inputs, character inputs, and button inputs, efficiency of using the area of a mobile device increases.