Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, a main dielectric substrate carried by the housing, circuitry carried by the main dielectric substrate, and a ground plane conductor on the main dielectric substrate. The mobile wireless communications device may further include an-L-shaped dielectric extension comprising a vertical portion extending outwardly from the main dielectric substrate and an overhang portion extending outwardly from the vertical portion and above an adjacent portion of the main dielectric layer. A main loop antenna conductor comprising at least one conductive trace may be relatively positioned on the overhang portion of the L-shaped dielectric extension so as not to overlap the ground plane conductor.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system, method, and user interface for searching for messages with attachments on mobile devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a messaging application is programmed such that, in operation, a user is presented with a search screen in which the user may define search parameters for a search. A search parameter associated with an option to search for messages of a specified type is provided, and more specifically, an option to search for messages (e.g. electronic mail messages) having one or more attachments is made available to the user.

Abstract: A mobile device provides its location information to contacts of a user of the mobile device. A contact has a particular precision level assigned thereto from a set of two or more precision levels. The assignment of precision levels to contacts is according to one or more criteria. The mobile device ensures that any location information of the mobile device provided to the contact is not more precise than the precision level currently assigned to the contact.

Abstract: A method of facilitating the initiation of an outgoing phone call on a handheld electronic device including receiving a request to initiate the outgoing phone call and determining whether additional user action is required in order to initiate the outgoing phone call. If it is determined that additional user action is required, the method further includes: (i) displaying a prompt on the handheld electronic device that indicates that the additional user action must be taken in order to initiate the outgoing phone call, and (ii) providing an alert, such as an audible signal, that is separate from the prompt. Also, a handheld electronic device including a display, a processor, and a memory in electronic communication with the processor. The memory stores one or more routines executable by the processor for implementing the described method.

Abstract: A fixture for radio frequency (“RF”) testing of an assembled wireless device, the wireless device having a removable casing concealing one or more RF spring connectors, the fixture comprising: a retainer for receiving the wireless device with the removable casing removed; a coaxial connector mounted through the retainer, the coaxial connector having a center contact and a shield contact, the coaxial cable with external test equipment; a circuit board mounted on an inner side of the retainer and having one or more pads each for receiving one of the center and shield contacts; and, one or more probes mounted on ones of the pads for contacting ones of the RF spring connectors to distribute the RF test signals.

Abstract: The wireless communication device includes a wireless communication transceiver to generate an oscillator control signal and an activation signal, a positioning-system receiver (e.g. a GPS receiver) to process received positioning signals, and a shared oscillator (e.g. a temperature compensated and voltage controlled crystal oscillator TCVCXO) responsive to the oscillator control signal and to generate a reference frequency signal for the wireless communication transceiver and the positioning-system receiver. The positioning-system receiver may control processing of the received positioning signals based upon the activation signal to reduce a noise contribution (e.g. phase noise) due to frequency control of the shared oscillator based upon the oscillator control signal. The activation signal may indicate that the oscillator control signal is being varied to provide frequency control or adjustment of the shared oscillator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for data encoding such as 3 to 4 encoding (base64, uuencode etc.) is provided. Bytes of data to be encoded having negative values are made positive while preserving the information to be encoded. The positive values may be manipulated by addition (e.g. to a common store) and bit shifting to efficiently obtain encoded data such as by indexing an encoding alphabet.

Abstract: A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs is disclosed. In order to operate within the limited space available on a hand-held electronic device, the present invention optimizes the placement and shape of the keys, preferably using keys that are oval or oblong in shape, and that are placed at angles designed to facilitate thumb-typing. The angles at which keys on either side of the keyboard are placed is complimentary.

Abstract: A wireless communications device obtains sets of map data for rendering portions of a map on a display of the device. The map data includes label data for rendering labels on the map for identifying map features. Once the map data is obtained, the wireless device generates a list of all the labels to be rendered on the map, and for each duplicated label in the list, determines whether the map features associated with the duplicated labels connect on the map. If the labels connect, the device then generates a reconstructed map feature and renders a single instance of the label for the map feature. Accordingly, a map feature, such as a path, can be rendered with a single label even if the map data for the map feature, including its associated labels, was transmitted over-the-air as discrete sets of data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing IM conversations is provided. In response to idle time and, preferably, read message status, particular current conversations are removed from a list of current conversations. The removed conversations may be moved to an archive which may be automatically maintained in response to size constraints. An archive interface is facilitated to review conversations, save all or portions thereof, delete, etc. The archived conversations are preferably associated with the contact for the conversation to show a history of conversations.

Abstract: A low memory manager configured to cause part of the memory allocated to a specialized application to be held in reserve so that it can be used to support the specialized application during an occurrence of low memory, thus providing time for data backup or remedial steps to be carried out before the affected application crashes.

Abstract: A unified messaging system, method and user interface is provided for a handheld mobile communication device.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector has a housing which is supportable within an aperture of a printed circuit board. The electrical connector also has one or more electrical contacts that are disposed on the housing with at least some of the contacts each having a connectable portion extending from the housing in a direction generally parallel with a first axis. The electrical connector also has a number of opposed projections extending from the housing in a direction generally parallel with a second axis. The first axis is generally perpendicular to the second axis. The one or more contacts include a deflectable biasing portion which extends outwardly from the housing and which is structured to be electrically connected with the device.

Abstract: Apparatus, and an associated method, by which to facilitate selection of a WLAN through which a mobile node communicates. Selection takes into account the geographic positioning of the mobile node. The mobile node ascertains its geographic positioning by monitoring cellular-positioning signals. And, availability of WLANs through which to communicate is ascertained by detecting signals broadcast by the WLANs.

Abstract: A multiple-band antenna having first and second operating frequency bands is provided. The antenna includes a first patch structure associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, a second patch structure electrically coupled to the first patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band, a first slot structure disposed between a first portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, and a second slot structure disposed between a second portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band. A mounting structure for the multiple-band antenna is also provided. The mounting structure includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to and overlapping the first surface.

Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided.

Abstract: A battery charger may include a charger connector to be coupled to a corresponding device connector of a portable device including a rechargeable battery. The battery charger may also include a charging circuit connected to the charger connector, and a controller connected to the charger connector and the charging circuit. The controller may be for causing a portable device connected to the charger connector to identify its corresponding portable device type and its corresponding rechargeable battery type from among a plurality of different portable device types and different battery types, and for causing the charging circuit to charge the rechargeable battery based thereon.

Abstract: Systems and methods of controlling a charging status indicator in a charging system for a device having a rechargeable power supply are provided. The charging system determines whether a device connected thereto supports remote control of the charging status indicator, and controls the charging status indicator as directed by the device where the device supports remote control of the charging status indicator.

Abstract: A mobile communication device having a user interface for invoking a command displays a reduced set of commands accessed by actuating an input device on the mobile communication device, the reduced set of commands comprises a set of context-sensitive commands derived from a full-function set of commands associated with an application. The input device may be a dedicated input device, such as a trackball, for accessing the set of context-sensitive commands.