Method of processing information using a personal communication assistant

• US 6,385,662 B1
• Filed: 10/03/1997
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Baratt, Manon Ann, Moon, Billy Gayle, Bankler, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Courtenay, III, St. John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US08/943,708
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 709/300, 709/318, 345/346, 345/347, 345/779, 345/864, 379/100.06
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20

Abstract

A method for processing information using a personal digital assistant utilizes a standardized status bar manager (“SBM”) and status bar interfaces. All applications and the operating system'"'"'s launch pad support the status bar which can be uniformly used to both show and interact with status bar messages. The SBM links together all of the status bar areas of all applications (and the operating system launch pad as well) whenever necessary. The present invention routes global status messages corresponding to incoming events to each status bar of every active application. The SBM also routes all messages to the status bar, regardless whether the message requires an action by the user or is for information only. Minimized applications are displayed on and launched from a status bar of an active application without having to first access the operating system launch pad. Finally, the SBM creates an unanswered telephone call list that includes a reason code explaining why the call went unanswered.

Claims

1. A method of operating a personal communications device that is operative to execute a plurality of applications that generate graphical information on a display of the personal communications device, the method comprising:

executing an application to generate an application-specific display field on the display;

concurrent with continuing execution of application to generate the application-specific display field and responsive to detection of a communications event, displaying a status message indicator indicative of the communications event in a status display field of the application-specific display field;

determining whether a user graphically selects the displayed status message indicator within a predetermined time interval; and

responsive to the user failing to graphically select the displayed status message indicator within the predetermined time interval, performing the following actions;

terminating display of the status message indicator in the status display field;

displaying a history icon in the status display field; and

creating a record in a history file, the record corresponding to the communications event and linked to the history icon.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying an event log including information from the record in the history file responsive to a user graphically selecting the displayed history icon.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising executing an event action associated with the communications event responsive to a user graphically selecting an item in the event log.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the communications event comprises a telephone call, wherein the event log comprises a list including information regarding at least one unanswered telephone call, and wherein executing an event action comprises dialing a telephone number associated with the communications event.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising performing the following actions responsive to a user graphically selecting an item in the event log:

executing an event action associated with the communications event;

terminating display of the history icon; and

removing the history file record associated with the communications event from the history file.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a status message indicator in a status display field is preceded by:

detecting a communications event; and

determining which of the plurality of applications is pertinent to the detected communications event.

7. A method according to claim 6:

wherein determining which of the plurality of applications is pertinent to the detected communications event comprises determining that the executing application is pertinent to the detected communications event; and

wherein displaying a status message indicator indicative of the communications event in a status display field of the application-specific display field comprises displaying the status message indicator indicative of the communications event in the status display field responsive to the determination that the executing application is pertinent to the detected communications event.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

terminating execution of the application to terminate generation of the application-specific display field and the status display field;

executing a new application to generate a new application-specific display field including a new status display field; and

concurrent with continuing execution of the new application to generate the new application-specific display field and responsive to determination that the new application is pertinent to the communications event, displaying a history icon linked to the record in the history file associated with the communications event in the new status display field.

9. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

terminating execution of the application to terminate generation of the application-specific display field and the status display field associated therewith;

executing a new application to generate a new application-specific display field including a new status display field; and

concurrent with continuing execution of the new application to generate the new application-specific display field and responsive to determination that the new application is not pertinent to the communications event, foregoing display of a history icon linked to the record in the history file associated with the communications event in the new status display field.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein determining which of the plurality of applications is pertinent to the detected communications event comprises determining whether the communications event is a global event or a local event.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the application-specific display field comprises a display screen including a generally rectilinear display area and an elongate bar-like display area disposed adjacent the generally rectilinear display area, and wherein the status display field in disposed in the elongate bar-like display area.

12. A personal communications device, comprising:

graphical display;

means for executing an application to generate an application-specific display field on the display;

means for displaying a status message indicator indicative of the communications event in a status display field of the application-specific display field concurrent with continuing execution of application to generate the application-specific display field and responsive to detection of a communications event;

means for determining whether a user graphically selects the displayed status message indicator within a predetermined time interval; and

means performing the following actions responsive to the user failing to graphically select the displayed status message indicator within the predetermined time interval;

terminating display of the status message indicator in the status display field;

displaying a history icon in the status display field; and

creating a record in a history file, the record corresponding to the communications event and linked to the history icon.

13. A device according to claim 12, further comprising means for displaying an event log including information from the record in the history file responsive to a user graphically selecting the displayed history icon.

14. A device according to claim 13, further comprising means for executing an event action associated with the communications event responsive to a user graphically selecting an item in the event log.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the communications event comprises a telephone call, wherein the event log comprises a list including information regarding at least one unanswered telephone call, and wherein the means for executing an event action comprises means for dialing a telephone number associated with the communications event.

16. A device according to claim 13, further comprising means for performing the following actions responsive to a user graphically selecting an item in the event log:

executing an event action associated with the communications event;

terminating display of the history icon; and

removing the history file record associated with the communications event from the history file.

17. A device according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for detecting a communications event; and

means for determining which of the plurality of applications is pertinent to the detected communications event.

18. A device according to claim 17:

wherein the means for determining which of the plurality of applications is pertinent to the detected communications event comprises means for determining that the executing application is pertinent to the detected communications event; and

wherein the means for displaying a status message indicator indicative of the communications event in a status display field of the application-specific display field comprises means for displaying the status message indicator indicative of the communications event in the status display field responsive to the determination that the executing application is pertinent to the detected communications event.

19. A device according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for terminating execution of the application to terminate generation of the application-specific display field and the status display field;

means for executing a new application to generate a new application-specific display field including a new status display field; and

means for displaying a history icon linked to the record in the history file associated with the communications event in the new status display field concurrent with continuing execution of the new application to generate the new application-specific display field and responsive to determination that the new application is pertinent to the communications event.

20. A device according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for terminating execution of the application to terminate generation of the application-specific display field and the status display field associated therewith;

means for executing a new application to generate a new application-specific display field including a new status display field; and

means for foregoing display of a history icon linked to the record in the history file associated with the communications event in the new status display field concurrent with continuing execution of the new application to generate the new application-specific display field and responsive to determination that the new application is not pertinent to the communications event.

21. A device according to claim 17, herein the means for determining which of the plurality of applications is pertinent to the detected communications event comprises means for determining whether the communications event is a global event or a local event.

22. A device according to claim 12, wherein the application-specific display field comprises a display screen including a generally rectilinear display area and an elongate bar-like display area disposed adjacent the generally rectilinear display area, and wherein the status display field in disposed in the elongate bar-like display area.