Abstract: A portable communication device (10) having a customizable skin and theme on a display (30) of the communication device can include a transceiver (38 and 44), a display coupled to the transceiver, a memory (32 or 14) having stored therein at least two skin and theme types (24) and at least one encapsulated data entry associated with each of the skin and theme types, and a processor (12) coupled to the transceiver and the display. The processor can be programmed to dynamically update the display in the communication device based upon a selection of at least one among the skin and theme types and based upon at least one encapsulated data entry associated with a selected skin and theme type.

Abstract: A data structure (338) for use in providing a user interface appearance comprises idle screen data (350) corresponding to a first screen appearance and main menu screen data (352) corresponding to a second screen appearance, wherein the idle screen data and the main menu screen data are compiled versions of a text markup language. A method (FIG. 4) for generating the data structure comprises specifying a skin element set (400) and a theme element set (402) and associating each of the displayable items of the theme set with a display location (404) to create a theme description, and compiling to create a binary theme file (406) for customizing a user interface. A communication device (200) uses the data structure for displaying a user interface presentation.

Abstract: A portable communication device (10) having a customizable skin and theme on a display (30) of the communication device can include a transceiver (38 and 44), a display coupled to the transceiver, a memory (32 or 14) having stored therein at least two skin and theme types (24) and at least one encapsulated data entry associated with each of the skin and theme types, and a processor (12) coupled to the transceiver and the display. The processor can be programmed to dynamically update the display in the communication device based upon a selection of at least one among the skin and theme types and based upon at least one encapsulated data entry associated with a selected skin and theme type.

Abstract: Communication resources are allocated within a radio communication system in anticipation of expected resource requirements using predictions based on information supplied by a subscriber unit. In one embodiment, the system uses the subscriber unit's location history to predict a future location (510, 520, 530). In another embodiment, the system uses radio capability information, along with environment information for the subscriber unit, to predict loading conditions for potential hand-over sites (610, 620, 630), and assigns the subscriber unit to one of the potential hand-over sites based on the predicted loading conditions (640).