Method and apparatus for visual silent alarm indicator
First Claim
1. A handheld computer comprising:
- a processor;
a memory in communication with said processor;
a display device in communication with said processor; and
at least one light-emitting device, separate from said display device, that emits visible light as a visual indicator of an occurrence of a designated event;
wherein said processor is programmed to selectively activate said visual indicator in response to an occurrence of a designated event to provide said visual indicator to a user of said handheld computer;
wherein said processor is programmed to monitor for occurrence of two or more different types of designated events wherein at least one of said types of designated events is taken from the following group;
an appointment recorded in a scheduling application of said handheld computer, receipt of an email, a battery powering said handheld computer has been depleted to a threshold level, an event in a game played using said handheld computer, and an input error on said handheld computer;
wherein said processor varies said visual indicator based on the type of the event for which occurrence is being signaled by that visual indicator, such that a different visual indicator is associated with each type of event for which said processor is programmed to monitor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A handheld computer includes a processor; a memory in communication with the processor; and at least one light-emitting device that emits visible light as a visual indicator of an occurrence of a designated event. The processor is programmed to selectively activate the visual indicator in response to an occurrence of a designated event to provide the visual indicator to a user of the handheld computer. The processor is programmed to monitor for occurrence of two or more different types of designated events. The processor varies the visual indicator based on the type of the event for which occurrence is being signaled by that visual indicator, such that a different visual indicator is associated with each type of event for which the processor is programmed to monitor.
24 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A handheld computer comprising:
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a processor; a memory in communication with said processor; a display device in communication with said processor; and at least one light-emitting device, separate from said display device, that emits visible light as a visual indicator of an occurrence of a designated event; wherein said processor is programmed to selectively activate said visual indicator in response to an occurrence of a designated event to provide said visual indicator to a user of said handheld computer; wherein said processor is programmed to monitor for occurrence of two or more different types of designated events wherein at least one of said types of designated events is taken from the following group;
an appointment recorded in a scheduling application of said handheld computer, receipt of an email, a battery powering said handheld computer has been depleted to a threshold level, an event in a game played using said handheld computer, and an input error on said handheld computer;wherein said processor varies said visual indicator based on the type of the event for which occurrence is being signaled by that visual indicator, such that a different visual indicator is associated with each type of event for which said processor is programmed to monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of providing a visual indicator with a handheld computer, said visual indicator comprising at least one light-emitting device that is separate from a display device for written data of said handheld computer, said method comprising:
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selectively activating, by a processor of said handheld computer, said at least one light-emitting device on said handheld computer that emits visible light as a visual indication to a user of said handheld computer of an occurrence of a designated event; wherein said handheld computer is programmed to monitor for the occurrence of two or more different types of designated events, said method further comprises varying said visual indicator based on the type of the event for which occurrence is being signaled by that visual indicator, such that a different visual indicator is associated with each type of event for which said handheld computer is programmed to monitor, wherein said light-emitting device selectively produces light of different colors, each color corresponding to a different type of event the occurrence of which said visual indicator signals. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification