Abstract: A mobile electronic communication device includes a processor unit, a transceiver, a keypad and a light unit. Each key of the keypad is associated with a contact of a contact list. The light unit can perform light functions to notify a user of the reception and/or status of messages received via the transceiver. The light functions include providing an indication of the age of a received message that was sent by a contact in the contacts list. The age of the message is indicated by a modulation of the illuminating light. In one embodiment, the age of a message is indicated as one of a set of predetermined age ranges, with each age range being represented by a unique color.

Abstract: A wireless mobile phone is provided with one or more buttons and complementary logic to facilitate entry of encoded representations of a variable length encoding scheme of alphanumeric data. As a result, a user may use the provided facilities to engage in non-verbal communication for sensitive subject matters in the middle of a call. In one embodiment, the encoded representations are Morse codes. In another embodiment, the encoded representations are custom designed. In one embodiment, the complementary logic further facilitates echoing on a display, alphanumeric data corresponding to any entered encoded representations. Additionally, each of the code entry buttons includes one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the LEDs are lit to visually echo the encoded representations of the variable length encoding scheme of letters, numbers or punctuations entered through a standard input keypad.