EVENTS NOTIFICATION AND FUNCTIONS SELECTION MECHANISMS IN A WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20090143062A1
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Skinner, Craig S., King, Lisa, Brown, John Richard, Chahel, Mindy
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A panel has been provided to a wireless device that turns off all RF capability of the wireless device (including, but not limited to notifications, wireless web clipping, instant messaging, email sending/receiving, phone calls, etc.). The panel is brought up on a screen of the wireless device by pressing a programmed hard button for more than 1 second. Once the RF capability has been turned off, if the user attempts to access a program or other device that requires the RF capabilities, a notification is displayed that identifies the RF capabilities as being disabled and prompts the user whether to continue. If the user continues, the RF device is automatically enabled, otherwise the RF device remains disabled.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a radio unit configured to communicate with a network;

a processing unit for executing computer program instructions, the processing unit coupled to the radio unit;

a memory device coupled to the processing unit, the memory device having executable computer program instructions tangibly embodied thereon, the executable computer program instructions comprising instructions for;

receiving an event through the radio unit;

determining a notification mechanism associated with the event;

determining whether the notification mechanism is scheduled to be off;

issuing no notification for the event responsive to the notification mechanism being scheduled off; and

issuing a notification of the event responsive to the notification mechanism being scheduled on and an occurrence of a scheduled notification time for the notification mechanism.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display screen;

wherein the instructions for issuing the notification of the event comprises instructions for generating a graphical user interface on the display screen having information about the event.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the communication mechanism comprises one of an email, a voice mail service, and a telephone call.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the notification of the event comprises at least one of a notification alarm, a buzzer, and a notification message.

5. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a radio unit configured to communicate with a network;

a processing unit for executing computer program instructions, the processing unit coupled to the radio unit;

a memory device coupled to the processing unit, the memory device having executable computer program instructions tangibly embodied thereon, the executable computer program instructions comprising instructions for;

providing a plurality of functions utilizing the radio unit to communicate with the network;

providing a selection mechanism for a user to selectively enable or disable each of the plurality of functions; and

responsive to one of the plurality of functions being disabled, prohibiting the one of the plurality of functions from accessing the radio unit without affecting other functions of the plurality of functions utilizing the radio unit.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 5, further comprises:

a display screen;

wherein the instructions for providing a selection mechanism comprises instructions for generating a graphical user interface on the display screen listing at least one of the plurality of functions.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of functions comprise at least one of an email, a voice mail service, and a telephone call.

8. A method for notifying a user of an event, comprising:

receiving the event through a radio unit of a mobile computing device;

determining a notification mechanism associated with the event;

determining whether the notification mechanism is scheduled to be off;

issuing no notification for the event responsive to the notification mechanism being scheduled off; and

issuing a notification of the event responsive to the notification mechanism being scheduled on and an occurrence of a scheduled notification time for the notification mechanism.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a graphical user interface on a display screen of the mobile computing device, the graphical user interface having information about the event.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication mechanism comprises at least one of an email, a voice mail service, and a telephone call.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification of the event comprises at least one of a notification alarm, a buzzer, and a notification message.