Handheld electronic device including simplified enabling and disabling of short-range wireless communications element, and associated method

• US 7,783,256 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Barake, Omar G. J., Schifman, David I., Bocking, Andrew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong; Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US10/941,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 455/66.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide a simplified mechanism for enabling and disabling a short-range wireless communications element used to create a connection to a short-range wireless network, such as a Bluetooth™ network. The method, implemented by the handheld electronic device, includes enabling the short-range wireless communications element, pairing the handheld electronic device with a second electronic device using the short-range wireless communications element, and providing a first icon on the handheld electronic device after pairing the handheld electronic device with the second electronic device. Thereafter, the method includes disabling the short-range wireless communications element and providing a second icon on the handheld electronic device whenever the first icon is activated, and enabling the short-range wireless communications element and providing the first icon on the handheld electronic device whenever the second icon is activated.

Claims

1. A method of enabling and disabling a short-range wireless communications element of a handheld electronic device, comprising:

enabling said short-range wireless communications element;

pairing said handheld electronic device with a second electronic device using said short-range wireless communications element;

providing a first icon on said handheld electronic device after pairing said handheld electronic device with said second electronic device; and

thereafter;

(i) disabling said short-range wireless communications element and replacing said first icon with a second icon on said handheld electronic device whenever said first icon is selected, and (ii) enabling said short-range wireless communications element and replacing said second icon with said first icon on said handheld electronic device whenever said second icon is selected;

wherein said short-range wireless communications element includes a transmitter/receiver element, wherein enabling said short-range wireless communications element comprises turning said transmitter/receiver element on and disabling said short-range wireless communications element comprises turning said transmitter/receiver element off.

2. The method according to claim 1, said short-range wireless communications element being a communications element capable of communicating at a frequency of 2.4 Gigahertz.

3. The method according to claim 2, said first icon including the word “

off” and

said second icon including the word “

on”

.

4. The method according to claim 1, said handheld electronic device having a battery, wherein when enabled, said short-range wireless communications element consumes power from said battery, and when disabled, said short-range wireless communications element does not consume power from said battery.

5. The method according to claim 1, said handheld electronic device having a display, said first and second icons, when provided, being displayed on said display.

6. The method according to claim 1, said first and second icons, when displayed, being displayed on a home screen of said handheld electronic device.

7. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a short-range wireless communications element;

a processor; and

a memory, said memory storing one or more routines executable by said processor, said one or more routines being adapted to;

enable said short-range wireless communications element and pair said handheld electronic device with a second electronic device using said short-range wireless communications element;

provide a first icon on said display after said handheld electronic device has been paired with a second electronic device; and

thereafter;

(i) disable said short-range wireless communications element and replace said first icon with a second icon on said display whenever said first icon is selected, and (ii) enable said short-range wireless communications element and replace said second icon with said first icon on said display whenever said second icon is selected;

wherein said short-range wireless communications element includes a transmitter/receiver element, wherein enabling said short-range wireless communications element comprises turning said transmitter/receiver element on and disabling said short-range wireless communications element comprises turning said transmitter/receiver element off.

8. The handheld electronic device according to claim 7, said short-range wireless communications element being a communications element capable of communicating at a frequency of 2.4 Gigahertz.

9. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, said first icon including the word “

off” and

said second icon including the word “

on”

.

10. The handheld electronic device according to 7, wherein when enabled, said short-range wireless communications element consumes power, and when disabled, said short-range communications element does not consume power.

11. The handheld electronic device according to claim 7, said first and second icons, when displayed, being displayed on a home screen of said handheld electronic device.