Abstract: The invention includes a time-triggered data object that is formulated at a host computer and transmitted to a PDA such as a personal electronic information manager that has data reception capabilities. The data object includes a specification of an action to be performed as well as a specification of an initiation time for initiating the specified action. The action can consist of a simple reminder or alarm, or can specify the execution of an application program on the PDA. When a data object is received by the PDA, its action and initiation time are stored in a local database. The PDA monitors the time and the database, and initiates the specified action at the specified time.

Abstract: Small application programs called “applets” are defined by pseudo-code (p-code) instructions. Each applet is divided into software components that are executed by a processor, operating as a state machine. The applets are originally written in a high level programming language and then converted into the p-code, for downloading into a non-volatile read/write memory of a portable combination pager and personal information manager (PIM) device that includes the processor. In this device only 1-2 Kbytes of static random access memory (RAM) are available to load the p-code of applets for execution by the processor. The software components include variables and event handlers that respond to events such as key presses of buttons disposed on a control panel of the device.

Abstract: A user interface for a combination pager and personal information management (PIM) data device provides considerable versatility in accessing the data and in controlling how the data are displayed to the user. The user interface includes a display screen having only a few rows oil which lines of data are displayed, and four control buttons, including an Up button, a Down button, an Action button, and a Back button. Since the device maintains data in a hierarchical directory structure and starts at the highest (root) level, the Action button is used to move to a lower level in the directory hierarchy, while the Back button is used to move back up to a higher level. In addition, the Action button is employed to initiate a selected function. If a line (or entry) of a list is above the top line displayed on the screen, an upwardly pointing arrowhead is displayed to the user adjacent the top line.

Abstract: A software application is modified in a defined manner to prevent it being executable by a processor until the modified software application is decoded. Preferably, a sum of all of the bytes comprising a header of the software application (sufficiently small in size to be referred to as an "applet") is determined. In this embodiment, applet includes pseudo-code (p-code). Only the least most significant byte of the sum is used as a variable for modifying the p-code of the applet. Preferably, the variable is added to each byte of the p-code, except that only the first byte of a multi-byte p-code is thus modified. Alternatively, a different logical operator can be employed such as a subtract, AND, XOR, etc. for modifying the p-code. The modified program is then transferred to a portable pager that is also capable of maintaining personal information and executing small software applications.

Abstract: Alternative notification methods for a portable wireless receiver that is able to receive paging objects (i.e., data objects) in addition to conventional alphanumeric page messages. When a paging object is received, the user may be notified of the receipt of the paging object using a visual alert or an audible alert. The user can selectively determine whether the sender of the page object will be allowed to determine the type of audible and/or visual notification provided the user. Various parameters associated with each type of directory in which page objects are stored and with the page objects indicate the preferences of the user and the sender for notifying the user of the receipt of the page object. The invention is also applicable to other types of portable wireless data receivers, such as a cell phone.

Abstract: A relatively large set of image data (e.g. 640.times.480) is mapped onto a relative smaller physical display device (e.g. 320.times.240) by one of a variety of techniques, usually characterized by display of a subset of the data at full resolution (i.e. 1:1). In some embodiments, the entire physical display is dedicated to display of the subset of data at 1:1 resolution; data beyond this subset is not displayed. In other embodiments, only a portion of the physical display is dedicated to 1:1 resolution, with the remainder of the physical display being used to represent some fraction of the remaining data at a lower resolution. In one embodiment, the resolution decreases with distance from the 1:1 resolution area, resulting in a fisheye lens-like geometrical distortion. A variety of other alternatives are possible. Data displayed in these lower resolution portions of the display device are geometrically compressed or distorted, but provide useful context information for the user.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method of serially transferring a sequence of data bits between a computer and a portable information device such as the Timex Data Link.TM. watch, using the CRT of the computer as a transmission medium. The computer is programmed to display sequential display frames on a frame-scanning graphics display device and to illuminate line segments within the display frames to represent individual data bits. Each line segment has a continuous length on the display device which produces an optical pulse of a corresponding duration. Each data bit is encoded as a different line segment length to produce an optical pulse for each data bit having a duration which is dependent on the value of the data bit. For example, a pulse representing a binary value of 0 has a duration which is relatively longer than that of a pulse representing a binary 1. A receiving device monitors the optical signal created by the CRT and detects rising signal edges.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for navigating through an application program on a computer coupled to a computer-controlled display screen. The user can control the cursor position on the computer-controlled display using simple controls. The invention may use a hand-held controller with a four direction control button and a function select button. The computer accepts the direction input information and moves the cursor or focus according to one of three different navigation functions. The first two navigation functions are selected by the application program, and may change from one navigation to another in different portions of the program or under user control. With the first navigation function, the direction buttons on the controller shift the focus from one hot spot to another hot spot in the selected direction using predefined criteria. With the second navigation function, the focus is shifted from a present position on the computer-controlled display to the adjacent position in the selected direction.