a touchpad having a plurality of distinct zones , wherein movement of a user &# 39 ; s finger on the surface of the touchpad between zones , the act of lifting a finger off of the touchpad surface , the act of placing a finger on the touchpad surface , and the movement of a specific pattern of a finger within a single zone are all actions that will generate characters that are transmitted from the touchpad to a receiving device . a small number of movements of a finger across the touchpad are thus capable of generating a large number of characters for use in a password or code , and thereby take advantage of the security benefits that can be achieved , but without having to memorize the exact password , but only a few movements of a finger or stylus .