ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD PROVIDING IMPROVED INDICATION THAT AN ALARM CLOCK IS IN AN ON CONDITION

• US 20090279392A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Stephen, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Vander Veen, Raymond Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,218,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/72
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/021 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/026 acting at a number of different times
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/00 Visual time or date indication means

Abstract

An improved electronic device and method provide an improved clock feature having an alarm clock function that advantageously provides an indication to a user that the alarm is set, i.e., is in an ON condition, by outputting the alarm time itself.

Claims

1. A method of indicating a condition of an alarm clock function of an electronic device that comprises an I/O apparatus, the method comprising:

outputting a current time on a display of the I/O apparatus with use of a first visual object; and

providing a visual indication that the alarm clock function is in an “

ON”

condition by outputting on the display with use of a second visual object additional to the first visual object an alarm time of the alarm clock function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting from the I/O apparatus an input that is one or more of;

a switching of the alarm clock function to the “

ON”

condition from a different condition, or

an inputting of a new time as the alarm time; and

responsive to the detecting, initiating the outputting of the second visual object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the alarm time is within a predetermined period of time from the current time and, responsive thereto, initiating the outputting of the second visual object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual object is greater in size than the second visual object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual object has a size in one dimension that is at least about one-half as long as a physical length of the display in the one dimension.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory;

an I/O apparatus structured to provide input to the processor apparatus and to receive output signals from the processor apparatus;

the memory having stored therein a number of instructions which, when executed on the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising;

outputting a current time on a display of the I/O apparatus with use of a first visual object; and

providing a visual indication that the alarm clock function is in an “

ON”

condition by outputting on the display with use of a second visual object additional to the first visual object an alarm time of the alarm clock function.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting from the I/O apparatus an input that is one or more of;

a switching of the alarm clock function to the “

ON”

condition from a different condition, or

an inputting of a new time as the alarm time; and

responsive to the detecting, initiating the outputting of the second visual object.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the alarm time is within a predetermined period of time from the current time and, responsive thereto, initiating the outputting of the second visual object.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first visual object is greater in size than the second visual object.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first visual object has a size in one dimension that is at least about one-half as long as a physical length of the display in the one dimension.