17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a communications device having a display and a trackpad with an outer surface, a light source, and an optical sensor array provided below the outer surface for receiving light emitted from the light source, the optical sensor array including a plurality of sub-sections, the computer-readable medium including computer instructions stored thereon such that, when executed, cause the communications device to: transmit a first signal to cause the light source of the trackpad to emit light, the light source having a different wavelength than a light source of the display; detect, at the optical sensor array, the emitted light of the trackpad reflected from an object positioned on or above the outer surface of the trackpad; detect translational movements of the object over selected ones of the plurality of sub-sections during a predetermined time sequence, the detected translational movements indicating a rotational input when the selected ones of the plurality of sub-sections include substantially opposite translational movements; associate the detected translational movements with character strokes stored in a first database; correlate the character strokes to a plurality of characters stored in a second database; determine a selected character from one of the plurality of characters via a selection received from the trackpad; and render the selected character on the display.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a communications device having a display and a trackpad with an outer surface, a light source, and an optical sensor array provided below the outer surface for receiving light emitted from the light source, the optical sensor array including a plurality of sub-sections, the computer-readable medium including computer instructions stored thereon such that, when executed, cause the communications device to: transmit a first signal to cause the light source of the trackpad to emit light, the light source having a different wavelength than a light source of the display; detect, at the optical sensor array, the emitted light of the trackpad reflected from an object positioned on or above the outer surface of the trackpad; detect translational movements of the object over selected ones of the plurality of sub-sections during a predetermined time sequence, the detected translational movements indicating a rotational input when the selected ones of the plurality of sub-sections include substantially opposite translational movements; associate the detected translational movements with character strokes stored in a first database; correlate the character strokes to a plurality of characters stored in a second database; determine a selected character from one of the plurality of characters via a selection received from the trackpad; and render the selected character on the display. 21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein the trackpad is an optical trackpad.