METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPATIALLY INDICATING NOTIFICATIONS

• US 20120311493A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sohn, Timothy Youngjin
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for spatially indicating notifications to a user via display regions that are arranged (e.g., perimeterally) about the display of an apparatus. The apparatus may include a processor and a memory including computer program code which provide for the presentation, in a first display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a first application and provide for the presentation, in a second display region, of a non-pictorial indication of a notification associated with a second application. The first and second display regions may, for example, be arranged along the edges of a polygonal display. As such, a user may be able to quickly discern which application is responsible for a particular notification, and the user'"'"'s view of an underlying application provided on the display may not be obscured or diminished as a result of the issuance of the notification.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

provide for presentation, in a first display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a first application; and

provide for presentation, in a second display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a second application,

wherein the first application is different from the second application,

wherein the indications are non-pictorial and have substantially the same appearance, and

wherein the first display region is disposed in a different location from the second display region with respect to a display of the apparatus, such that a user can visually identify the application associated with the indicated notification based on the display region in which the indication is presented, only.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second display regions are perimeterally arranged about the display.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first display region extends along a first edge of the display and the second display region extends along a second edge of the display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide for presentation of an indication of a lack of notifications in a respective one of the first and second display regions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each indication of the lack of notifications comprises a straight line.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each indication of the notification comprises a pulse line.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide for presentation, in a third display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a third application and to provide for presentation, in a fourth display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a fourth application.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first display region extends along a first edge of the display, wherein the second display region extends along a second edge of the display, wherein the third display region extends along a third edge of the display, and wherein the fourth display region extends along a fourth edge of the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive a user input via the user'"'"'s interaction with a respective one of the indications and to provide for presentation of the corresponding notification in response to the input received.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive a user input via the user'"'"'s interaction with a respective one of the indications and to provide for presentation of the corresponding application upon the display in response to the input received.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the notification indicated in the first display region is associated with one of a first group of applications and the notification indicated in the second display region is associated with one of a second group of applications.

12. A method comprising:

providing for presentation, via a processor, of an indication of a notification associated with a first application, the indication being presented in a first display region; and

providing for presentation, in a second display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a second application,

wherein the first application is different from the second application,

wherein the indications are non-pictorial and have substantially the same appearance, and

wherein the first display region is disposed in a different location from the second display region with respect to a display of the apparatus, such that a user can visually identify the application associated with the indicated notification based on the display region in which the indication is presented, only.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first display region extends along a first edge of the display and the second display region extends along a second edge of the display.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing for presentation of an indication of a lack of notifications in a respective one of the first and second display regions.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing for presentation, in a third display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a third application and providing for presentation, in a fourth display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a fourth application.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a user input via the user'"'"'s interaction with a respective one of the indications and providing for presentation of the corresponding notification in response to the input received.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a user input via the user'"'"'s interaction with a respective one of the indications and providing for presentation of the corresponding application upon the display in response to the input received.

18. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:

providing for presentation, in a first display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a first application; and

providing for presentation, in a second display region, of an indication of a notification associated with a second application,

wherein the first application is different from the second application,

wherein the indications are non-pictorial and have substantially the same appearance, and

wherein the first display region is disposed in a different location from the second display region with respect to a display of the apparatus, such that a user can visually identify the application associated with the indicated notification based on the display region in which the indication is presented, only.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising program code instructions for providing for presentation of an indication of a lack of notifications in a respective one of the first and second display regions.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising program code instructions for receiving a user input via the user'"'"'s interaction with a respective one of the indications and providing for presentation of the corresponding notification in response to the input received.