Method and apparatus for displaying a rotating meter icon on a portable intelligent communications device
First Claim
1. A computer system, comprising:
- (a) a memory circuit for storage of data;
(b) a display which acts as a graphical user interface; and
(c) a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit and said display and the appearance of information upon said display, wherein a meter area in said display is provided to depict one of a plurality of meter symbols representative of a particular informative meter therein for a predetermined time period, whereby the meter symbol displayed in said meter area is automatically rotated between said plurality of meter symbols.
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Abstract
A portable intelligent communications device is provided which includes a cellular telephone and a computer-controlled touch screen display. The touch screen display is a high-resolution graphics display which acts as a graphical user interface. The touch screen display is provided with an area that displays various informative meter icons that sequentially switches from one icon to the next. This is very desirable since the touch screen display is rather small in size, and there may not be enough space to simultaneously show the user all the information required by various meters. Standard meters include: battery power, signal strength, print status, status of messages, and the like. The switching or “rotating” meters are controlled by a user selectable timetable, and one of the meters can take a higher priority in situations where the value displayed by the meter has changed state. In addition, the area around the rotating meter could be flashed with new information when something out of the ordinary occurs, such as a “New Mail” alert.
247 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A computer system, comprising:
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(a) a memory circuit for storage of data;
(b) a display which acts as a graphical user interface; and
(c) a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit and said display and the appearance of information upon said display, wherein a meter area in said display is provided to depict one of a plurality of meter symbols representative of a particular informative meter therein for a predetermined time period, whereby the meter symbol displayed in said meter area is automatically rotated between said plurality of meter symbols. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
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7. A communications terminal, comprising:
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(a) a telephony circuit;
(b) a memory circuit for storage of data;
(c) a display which acts as a graphical user interface; and
(d) a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said telephony circuit, said memory circuit, and said display, said processing circuit further controlling the appearance of information upon said display, wherein a meter area in said display is provided to depict one of a plurality of meter symbols representative of a particular informative meter therein for a predetermined time period, whereby the meter symbol displayed in said meter area is automatically rotated between said plurality of meter symbols. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. In a computer system having a memory circuit, a processing circuit, and a display, a method of providing a graphical user interface, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) displaying, under the control of said processing circuit, one of a plurality of meter symbols representative of a particular informative meter within a meter area provided in said display for a predetermined time period; and
(b) automatically rotating between said plurality of meter symbols displayed in said meter area. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
(a) displaying within a second meter area provided at a different location on said display, under the control of said processing circuit, a second plurality of meter symbols representative of a particular informative meter; and
(b) automatically rotating between said second plurality of meter symbols displayed in said second meter area.
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19. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of displaying a second meter area provided at a different location on said display, under the control of said processing circuit, wherein said second meter area has a designated informative meter depicted therein at substantially all times.
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20. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of providing a cellular telephone that is in communication with said processing circuit, wherein data received by said cellular telephone is displayed on said display.
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21. In a computer system having a memory circuit, a processing circuit, and a display, a method of providing a graphical user interface, said method comprising the step of:
- configuring, under the control of said processing circuit, a meter area that, after being activated, displays one of a plurality of meter symbols representative of a particular informative meter therein for a predetermined time period, wherein the meter symbol displayed in said meter area is automatically rotated between said plurality of meter symbols.
- View Dependent Claims (22)
Specification