Data transfer rate display selection

• US RE43,585 E1
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Crystal Mountain Communications, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Calton Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Garrett, Tara A., Harnden, Erin
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/188,052
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/569.1, 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/419
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72522 With means for supporting locally a plurality of applications to increase the functionality for selecting a function in a menu H04M1/2477
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72563 with means for adapting by the user the functionality or the communication capability of the terminal under specific circumstances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72583 for operating the terminal by selecting telephonic functions from a plurality of displayed items, e.g. menus, icons interaction techniques for Graphical User Interfaces per se G06F3/048

Abstract

A device for displaying data transfer rates on a display. The device includes a system for displaying the transfer rates in an alphanumeric mode or an alternative graphics mode; and a system for switching between displaying the transfer rates in the alphanumeric mode and the graphics mode.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device adapted to communicate by a wireless connection, the device comprising:

a display; and

a user interface adapted to allow a user to select a data transfer rate display mode, between an alphanumeric mode or an alternative graphics mode, for displaying a data transfer rate on the display.

2. A portable electronic device as in claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a soft key.

3. A portable electronic device as in claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a scroll key.

4. A portable electronic device as in claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a menu screen displayed on the display to allow a user to select between the alphanumeric mode and the alternative graphics mode.

5. A portable electronic device as in claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a menu screen displayed on the display to allow a user to select an OFF setting for not displaying the data transfer rate on the display.

6. A portable electronic device as in claim 1 wherein the device comprises a hand-held mobile telephone.

7. A portable electronic device as in claim 1 wherein the device comprises a receiver and the data transfer rate is the rate of information received by the receiver.

8. A portable electronic device as in claim 1 wherein the device comprises a transmitter and the data transfer rate is the rate of information transmitted by the transmitter.

9. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations to display a data transfer rate on a display, the operations comprising:

determining a data transfer rate display mode comprising determining a data transfer rate display mode selected by a user from a plurality of data transfer rate display modes; and

displaying the data transfer rate on the display based upon the determined data transfer rate display mode.

10. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display;

a communications section comprising a receiver and/or a transmitter; and

a controller coupled to the display and the communications section, wherein the controller comprises a system for displaying a data transfer rate of the communications section on the display comprising;

a system for displaying the transfer rate in an alphanumeric mode or an alternative graphics mode; and

a system for switching between displaying the transfer rate in the alphanumeric mode and the graphics mode.

11. A portable electronic device as in claim 10 wherein the device comprises a mobile telephone.

12. A portable electronic device as in claim 10 wherein the device comprises a hand-held, mobile electronic device.

13. A device comprising:

a display; and

a control unit configured to selectively display data transfer information in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode, the data transfer information is indicated by alphanumeric characters, and wherein in the second mode, the data transfer information is indicated by darkening at least one graphic image.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein an amount of the darkening indicates a percentage of the data transfer.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the selection of the first mode and the second mode is preset.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein the data transfer information is a data transfer rate.

17. The device of claim 13 wherein the device is a cellular telephone.

18. The device of claim 13 wherein data being transferred includes a short message service (SMS).

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the transfer of the SMS is indicated by the second mode.

20. A method comprising:

selectively displaying, by a portable electronic device, data transfer information in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode, the data transfer information is indicated by alphanumeric characters, and wherein in the second mode, the data transfer information is indicated by darkening at least one graphic image.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein an amount of the darkening indicates a percentage of the data transfer.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the selection of the first mode and the second mode is preset.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the data transfer information is a data transfer rate.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the device is a cellular telephone.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein data being transferred includes a short message service (SMS).

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the transfer of the SMS is indicated by the second mode.