Apparatus and a method for providing information to a user

• US 20040121823A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pichler, Bruno, Noesgaard, Mads Osterby
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A screen saver for a wireless terminal, such as a mobile telephone, calendar or the like. The screen saver derives information from the applications of the terminal and shows calendar items, to-do-items, mails/SMS'"'"'es/MMS'"'"'es, and other items to the user during the idle state of the terminal. The user may define which information is shown or not shown. New applications added may subscribe to the screen saver and there through show information on the screen saver.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal comprising:

a display for providing information, such as data or video, to a user,

one or more central processing unit(s) for executing a number of applications,

a memory for holding information stored therein by the applications, wherein one or more of the central processing units being able to execute, during an idle state, an idle state display handling application for;

deriving information from the memory, the information having been stored by each of a plurality of the applications, and

providing the derived information on the display.

2. A wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the applications comprise applications relating to receiving information from the user.

3. A wireless terminal according to claim 2, wherein the idle state is a state wherein no information has been received from the user in a predetermined period of time.

4. A wireless terminal according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the providing means are adapted to provide information stored by each of the plurality of applications in a subsequent manner.

5. A wireless terminal according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the plurality of applications is adapted to provide information for the deriving means, the information relating to the information to be derived from the application by the deriving means.

6. A wireless terminal according to claim 5, wherein the idle display handling application is adapted to request the information for the deriving means.

7. A wireless terminal according to claim 5, wherein the at least one application is further adapted to inform the deriving means that no information is to be derived from the application.

8. A wireless terminal according to claim 5, wherein the at least one application is adapted to provide, as the information, information relating to a position in the memory of the information to be derived.

9. A wireless terminal according to claim 5, wherein the at least one application is adapted to provide, as part of the information relating to the information, instructions to the one or more processing units as to how to provide the pertaining information.

10. A wireless terminal according to claim 9, wherein the at least one application is adapted to provide instructions to the fact that the at least one central processing unit must keep providing the pertaining information until a predetermined action has taken place.

11. A wireless terminal according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the instructions relate to a priority of the information.

12. A wireless terminal according to any of the preceding claims, the wireless terminal further comprising means for providing, on the providing means, predetermined information, as derived information, in one predetermined manner during the idle state and the predetermined information in another manner during a state other than the idle state.

13. A method for providing information to a user on a wireless terminal comprising a display for providing information, such as data or video, to a user, the method comprising the steps of:

executing, on one or more central processing unit(s), a number of applications,

a plurality of the applications storing information in a memory, and

one or more of the central processing units executing, during an idle state, an idle state display handling application;

deriving information from the memory, the information having been stored by the plurality of applications, and

providing the derived information on the display.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the executing of the plurality of the applications comprises performing applications relating to receiving information from the user.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the idle state is a state wherein no information has been received from the user in a predetermined period of time.

16. A method according to any of claims 13-15, wherein the providing step comprises providing information stored by each of the plurality of applications in a subsequent manner.

17. A method according to any of claims 13-16, wherein the performing of at least one of the plurality of applications comprises providing information for the deriving step, the information relating to the information to be derived from the application by the deriving step.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the idle state handling application requests the information for the deriving step from one or more of the plurality of applications.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of providing the information relating to the information to be derived comprises providing information relating to a position in the memory of the information to be derived.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of providing the information relating to the information to be derived comprises providing instructions to the one or more processing units as to how to provide the pertaining information.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the step of providing the instructions comprises deriving instructions making the at least one central processing unit keep providing the pertaining information until a predetermined action has taken place.

23. A method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the step of providing the instructions comprises providing information relating to a priority of the information.

24. A method according to any of claims 13-22, the method further comprising the user identifying which information from one or more of the applications is to be provided during the idle state.

25. A method according to any of claims 13-22, the method further comprising providing, on the providing means, predetermined information, as derived information, in one predetermined manner during the idle state and the predetermined information in another manner during a state other than the idle state.

26. A method according to any of claim 23, the method further comprising the user identifying which information from one or more of the applications is to be provided during the idle state.

27. A method according to any of claim 23, the method further comprising providing, on the providing means, predetermined information, as derived information, in one predetermined manner during the idle state and the predetermined information in another manner during a state other than the idle state.

28. A method according to any of claim 24, the method further comprising providing, on the providing means, predetermined information, as derived information, in one predetermined manner during the idle state and the predetermined information in another manner during a state other than the idle state.

19. A method according to claim 19, wherein the performing of at least one application comprises informing the deriving step that no information is to be derived from the application.