Abstract:
A handheld computer includes a processor; a memory in communication with the processor; and at least one light-emitting device that emits visible light as a visual indicator of an occurrence of a designated event. The processor is programmed to selectively activate the visual indicator in response to an occurrence of a designated event to provide the visual indicator to a user of the handheld computer. The processor is programmed to monitor for occurrence of two or more different types of designated events. The processor varies the visual indicator based on the type of the event for which occurrence is being signaled by that visual indicator, such that a different visual indicator is associated with each type of event for which the processor is programmed to monitor.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/702,657, now allowed, which in turn is a Continuation of co-pending, commonly-owned patent application Ser. No. 11/544,280, filed on Oct. 6, 2006, by Cortopassi et al., which in turn is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/950,282, filed on Sep. 23, 2004, by Cortopassi et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,706, which in turn is a Continuation of co-pending, commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/607,894, filed on Jun. 30, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,568, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of portable computer systems such as personal digital assistants or palmtops. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a silent visual indicator (e.g., an alarm) for portable computer systems. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    As the components required to build a computer system have reduced in size, new categories of computer systems have emerged. One of the more recent categories of computer systems is the portable or “palmtop” computer system, or personal digital assistant (PDA). A palmtop computer system is a computer that is small enough to be held in the hand of a user and is thus “palm-sized.” As a result, palmtops are readily carried about in a briefcase or purse, and some palmtops are compact enough to fit into a person&#39;s pocket. By virtue of their size, palmtop computer systems are also lightweight and so are exceptionally portable and convenient. 
         [0006]    Because of the portability and convenience of palmtops, it is becoming increasingly desirable to increase the range of applications and functions for which they can be used. It is advantageous to expand the capabilities of a palmtop so that it can provide many of the same, if not the same, services provided by a personal computer (e.g., a desktop or laptop computer system), particularly with regard to access to the World Wide Web as well as the ability to communicate with other palmtops and personal computers. As such, information currently available via the Internet over personal computers, such as on-line access to news and financial information, can also be provided via a palmtop. In addition, a palmtop can be used for electronic mail (“e-mail”) and multi-player gaming, and features such as voice recognition can also be added. 
         [0007]    Palmtop computers are also used very frequently as personal calendars, containing a user&#39;s schedule of meetings, appointments, and other items of significance such as birthdays and anniversaries. The user can open (e.g., display) the calendar to check for upcoming events. In addition, palmtops are generally equipped with an alarm that provides an audible indication to a user of an imminent appointment. 
         [0008]    The audible alarm currently used in palmtops is problematic because it is not appropriate for all situations and cannot be used by the hearing impaired. In an environment that is supposed to be quiet (such as a theater), the audible signal can be disruptive and impolite. In an environment where there are many palmtop users (such as a business meeting), there are many occasions when multiple palmtops will sound their alarms at about the same time. In these situations, the sound of multiple alarms is exceptionally disruptive. In addition, it is not easy to trace an audible alarm to its source, and so there will also be some initial confusion while people try to determine whether it is their palmtop that is creating the alarm, further disrupting the meeting. 
         [0009]    Furthermore, because of their disruptive nature, audible alarms cannot always be used to signal events other than appointments, etc. That is, there may be a number of conditions associated with the different functions and applications mentioned above for which a user may wish to receive an alert, but with an audible alarm the signals may be virtually continuous, especially in an environment where multiple palmtops are present. Thus, instead of being subjected to too much noise, or subjecting others nearby to the noise, a user may elect to not receive an audible alarm when he or she would really rather have one. 
         [0010]    On the other hand, an audible signal can also be problematic in a noisy environment. It may not be possible to hear an audible alarm over the surrounding noise, in this case rendering the alarm useless. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus and/or method that can be used in a portable computer system and that adds or maintains the functionality of an audible alarm, but addresses the shortcomings of an audible alarm. Also, what is needed is an apparatus and/or method that satisfies the above need and increases the number of conditions or events for which an alarm can be used, in particular for a portable computer system environment where the number of applications and functions are increasing. The present invention provides these advantages and others not specifically mentioned above but described in the sections to follow. 
         [0012]    An apparatus and method thereof are described, in which a portable computer system or personal digital assistant is adapted to generate a visual signal in response to the occurrence of a programmed event. In one embodiment, the portable computer system uses a light emitting diode to visually signal an alarm at a specified time. When enabled, the visual signal is generated in lieu of an audible signal, thus providing to the user a silent alarm that does not disturb other people in proximity. 
         [0013]    The visual signal can be varied in order to indicate the type of event or condition associated with the alarm. In one implementation, the visual signal blinks at a particular rate depending on the type of event. In another implementation, the visual signal blinks a prescribed number of times or according to a particular pattern depending on the type of event. In yet another implementation, the visual signal uses different colors depending on the type of event. The visual signal can thus be used to signal a wide variety of different events, and in particular can do so in an unobtrusive manner. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the visual signal is disposed such that it is visible when the portable computer system is viewed either from the front or on edge. In another embodiment, one of the buttons of the portable computer system is made translucent or transparent, and the visual indicator is situated beneath the button. When activated, the visual signal can be seen through the button; therefore, the button performs its normal function and also serves to provide the visual signal. For example, in one implementation, the on/off button is located on the top edge of the front surface and so it can be seen when the portable computer system is viewed from the front or on edge. The on/off button can be made translucent and the visual indicator installed underneath it, and thus the button can perform both its normal function as well as the visual indicator function. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1A  is a block diagram of an exemplary network environment including a portable computer system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1B  is a block diagram of a portable computer system connected to other computer systems and the Internet via a cradle device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1C  is a perspective view of the cradle device for connecting the portable computer system to other systems via a communication interface in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2A  is a top side perspective view of a portable computer system with a visual indicator in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2B  is a bottom side perspective view of the portable computer system of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a portable computer system with a visual indicator in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the components of a portable computer system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a portable computer system with a visual indicator in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of the steps in a process for providing a visual indication in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    In the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details or with equivalents thereof. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention. 
         [0025]    Notation and Nomenclature 
         [0026]    Some portions of the detailed descriptions, which follow, are presented in terms of procedures, steps, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits that can be performed on computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. A procedure, computer executed step, logic block, process, etc., is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. 
         [0027]    It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present invention, discussions utilizing terms such as “causing” or “generating” or “varying” or “receiving” or “enabling” or “disabling” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system (e.g., process  600  of  FIG. 6 ), or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system&#39;s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. 
         [0028]    Exemplary Portable Computer System Network Environment 
         [0029]      FIG. 1A  is a block diagram of an exemplary network environment  50  including a portable computer system  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Portable computer system  100  is also known as a palmtop or palm-sized computer system or as a personal digital assistant (PDA). In one embodiment, portable computer system  100  has the ability to transmit and receive data and information over a wireless communication interface (e.g., a radio interface). In one embodiment, the wireless communication interface is integrated into portable computer system  100 ; in another embodiment, the wireless communication interface is accomplished with a wireless modem attachment (not shown). 
         [0030]    In the present embodiment, base station  32  is both a transmitter and receiver base station, which can be implemented by coupling it into an existing public telephone network  34 . Implemented in this manner, base station  32  enables portable computer system  100  to communicate with a proxy server computer system  36 , which is coupled by wire to the existing public telephone network  34 . Furthermore, proxy server computer system  36  is coupled to the Internet  52 , thereby enabling portable computer system  100  to communicate with the Internet  52 . 
         [0031]    Coupled with Internet  52  are multiple servers exemplified by server  30 . Residing on server  30  is a Web site  40 . When communicating with a Web site over Internet  52 , protocols such as CTP (Compact Transport Protocol) and CML (Compact Markup Language) can be used by portable computer system  100  in the present embodiment. 
         [0032]    It should be appreciated that within the present embodiment, one of the functions of proxy server  36  is to perform operations over the Internet  52  on behalf of portable computer system  100 . For example, proxy server  36  has a particular Internet address and acts as a proxy device for portable computer system  100  over the Internet  52 . 
         [0033]    It should be further appreciated that other embodiments of a communications network, planned or envisioned, may be utilized in accordance with the present invention. For example, a wireless connection may be made from portable computer system  100  directly to the Internet  52 . 
         [0034]    The data and information which are communicated between base station  32  and portable computer system  100  are the same type of information and data that can conventionally be transferred and received over a public telephone wire network system. However, a wireless communication interface is utilized to communicate data and information between portable computer system  100  and base station  32 . It should be appreciated that one embodiment of a wireless communication system in accordance with the present invention is the Mobitex wireless communication system. 
         [0035]      FIG. 1B  illustrates another embodiment of a system  51  that can be used in conjunction with various embodiments of the present invention. System  51  comprises a host computer system  56  which can either be a desktop unit as shown, or, alternatively, can be a laptop system  58 . Optionally, one or more host computer systems can be used within system  51 . Host computer systems  58  and  56  are shown connected to a communication bus  54 , which in one embodiment can be a serial communication bus, but could be of any of a number of well known designs, e.g., a parallel bus, Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN), etc. Bus  54  can provide communication with the Internet  52  using a number of well-known protocols. Coupled with Internet  52  are multiple servers exemplified by server  30 . Residing on server  30  is a Web site  40 . 
         [0036]    Importantly, bus  54  is also coupled to a cradle  60  for receiving and initiating communication with portable computer system  100  of the present invention. Cradle  60  provides an electrical and mechanical communication interface between bus  54  (and anything coupled to bus  54 ) and the computer system  100  for two-way communications. It is appreciated that, in accordance with the present invention, portable computer system  100  may instead be coupled to host computer systems  56  and  58  via a wireless (radio) connection. Computer system  100  also contains a wireless infrared communication mechanism  64  for sending and receiving information from other devices (e.g., “beaming”). 
         [0037]    With reference to both  FIGS. 1A and 1B , it is appreciated that portable computer system  100  can be used in a network environment combining elements of networks  50  and  51 . That is, portable computer system  100  can include both a wireless infrared communication mechanism and a signal (e.g., radio) receiver/transmitter device. 
         [0038]      FIG. 1C  is a perspective illustration of one embodiment of the cradle  60  for receiving the portable computer system  100 . Cradle  60  contains a mechanical and electrical interface  260  for interfacing with communication interface  108  ( FIG. 2B  below) of computer system  100  when system  100  is slid into the cradle  60  in an upright position. Once inserted, button  270  can be pressed to initiate two-way communication (e.g., a communication session) between computer system  100  and other computer systems coupled to serial communication  265 . 
         [0039]    Apparatus for Visual Silent Alarm Indicator 
         [0040]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective illustration of the top face  100   a  of the housing of one embodiment of the portable computer system  100  of the present invention. The top face  100   a  contains a display screen  105  surrounded by a bezel or cover. A removable stylus  80  is also shown. The display screen  105  is a touch screen able to register contact between the screen and the tip of the stylus  80 . The stylus  80  can be of any material to make contact with the screen  105 . The top face  100   a  also contains one or more dedicated and/or programmable buttons  75  for selecting information and causing the computer system to implement functions. The on/off button  95  is also shown. 
         [0041]      FIG. 2A  also illustrates a handwriting recognition pad or “digitizer” containing two regions  106   a  and  106   b.  Region  106   a  is for the drawing of alphabetic characters therein (and not for numeric characters) for automatic recognition, and region  106   b  is for the drawing of numeric characters therein (and not for alphabetic characters) for automatic recognition. The stylus  80  is used for stroking a character within one of the regions  106   a  and  106   b.  The stroke information is then fed to an internal processor for automatic character recognition. Once characters are recognized, they are typically displayed on the screen  105  for verification and/or modification. 
         [0042]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a visual indicator  92  is situated on the top face  100   a  of portable computer system  100 . Visual indicator  92  comprises a light emitting diode (LED) or some other type of illuminating or visible element. In another embodiment, visual indicator  92  is located within the housing of portable computer system  100 , and an optical pipe (or similar type of device) is used to convey the visible signal from visual indicator  92  to a position where the signal is visible to a user. 
         [0043]    Visual indicator  92  illuminates or blinks to provide a visual signal or visual alarm to a user. It is appreciated that visual indicator  92  may be situated in a position other than that shown (see  FIG. 3  below, for example). It is further appreciated that, in another embodiment, visual indicator  92  may be incorporated into display device  105 , such that display device  105  flashes, blinks or otherwise provides a visual alert to a user. 
         [0044]    The visual signal can be used to alert a user to an upcoming meeting or appointment, or to alert the user that it is a particular time of day. A visual signal can also be used to alert a user of a particular condition associated with the functions and applications of portable computer system  100  (a “programmed event”). For example, a user may program portable computer system  100  to provide a visual signal as part of a single-player or multi-player game, when an e-mail is received, when battery power is low, when an input error is made, when information is beamed successfully (or not) from one portable device to another, etc. Additional information is provided in conjunction with  FIG. 6  below. 
         [0045]    With reference still to  FIG. 2A , in one embodiment, visual indicator  92  can vary the visual signal in order to indicate different types of conditions or programmed events. For example, the visual signal can blink at a particular rate, blink a prescribed number of times, blink according to a particular pattern (e.g., a combination of longer and shorter blinks), or use different colors to signify the occurrence of different types of events or conditions. It is appreciated that the visual signal can be varied in other ways in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0046]    Thus, the present invention can be used to signal a large number of different events or conditions associated with the various applications and functions performed by portable computer system  100 , depending on user preferences. In particular, the present invention accomplishes these alert functions in an unobtrusive manner. 
         [0047]    In one embodiment, portable computer system  100  also incorporates an audible indicator (not shown) that provides an audible indication or alarm to a user. In this embodiment, visual indicator  92  provides a visual signal in lieu of an audible signal, although it is appreciated that any combination of a visual and audible signal can also be used in accordance with the present invention. It is further appreciated that visual indicator  92  may be enabled or disabled depending on the user&#39;s preferences. 
         [0048]    Because a visual signal can be used instead of an audible signal, the present invention addresses the shortcomings of an audible signal. Namely, the visual signal generated by visual indicator  92  is not disruptive to others nearby, and it can be used by the hearing impaired. Furthermore, the visual signal makes it easier to identify which device is generating the alarm, and it is suitable for a noisy environment where an audible signal may not be heard. 
         [0049]      FIG. 2B  illustrates the bottom side  100   b  of the housing of one embodiment of the portable computer system that can be used in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. An extendible antenna  85  is shown, and also a battery storage compartment door  90  is shown. A communication interface  180  is also shown. In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication interface  180  is a serial communication port, but could also alternatively be of any of a number of well-known communication standards and protocols, e.g., parallel, SCSI (small computer system interface), Firewire (IEEE 1394), Ethernet, etc. 
         [0050]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a portable computer system  100  with a visual indicator  92  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, visual indicator  92  is situated along the top edge of the top face  100   a,  and as such can be seen by the user whether the user views portable computer system  100  from the front face or on edge. Thus, for example, should a user choose to wear portable computer system  100  attached to a belt, or should the user choose to put portable computer system  100  into his or her pocket, visual indicator  92  would still be visible and thus able to alert a user of a programmed event. 
         [0051]    In one embodiment, on/off button  95  is transparent or translucent, and visual indicator  92  is situated beneath on/off button  95  or within the button itself. Thus, a visual signal can be seen through on/off button  95 . In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 3 , on/off button  95  is situated along the top edge of the top face  100   a,  and as such the visual signal can be seen by the user whether the user views portable computer system  100  from the front face or on edge, as described above. Accordingly, on/off button  95  performs its normal function and also serves the additional function of emitting a visual signal generated by visual indicator  92 . Such a design is advantageous because it efficiently utilizes the limited space available given the compactness of portable computer system  100 . It is appreciated that, in other embodiments, other buttons or elements for performing a function or for causing a function to be performed, such as programmable buttons  75 , can be made transparent or translucent and combined with visual indicator  92  in a similar manner. 
         [0052]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the portable computer system  100  in accordance with one implementation. Computer system  100  has a housing comprised of a back cover  245  and a front cover  210 , which has an outline of region  106  and holes  75   a  for receiving buttons  75   b.  A flat panel display  105  (both liquid crystal display and touch screen) fits into front cover  210 . Any of a number of display technologies can be used, e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD), field emission display (FED), plasma, etc., for the flat panel display  105 . A battery  215  provides electrical power. A contrast adjustment (potentiometer)  220  is also shown, as well as an on/off button  95 . A flex circuit  230  is shown along with a printed circuit (PC) board  225  containing electronics and logic (e.g., memory, communication bus, processor, etc.) for implementing computer system functionality. The digitizer pad is also included in PC board  225 . A midframe  235  is shown along with stylus  80 . Position-adjustable antenna  85  is shown. 
         [0053]    Infrared communication mechanism  64  (e.g., an infrared emitter and detector device) is for sending and receiving information from other similarly equipped devices (see  FIG. 1B ). A signal (e.g., radio) receiver/transmitter device  108  is also shown. The receiver/transmitter device  108  is coupled to the antenna  85  and also coupled to communicate with the PC board  225 . In one implementation the Mobitex wireless communication system is used to provide two-way communication between computer system  100  and other networked computers and/or the Internet via a proxy server (see  FIG. 1A ). 
         [0054]    Visual indicator  92  is for providing a visual signal to a user, as described above in conjunction with  FIG. 2A . In one embodiment of the present invention, a port pin on a microprocessor drives a transistor which allows visual indicator  92  to blink on or off. It is appreciated that other mechanisms and devices can be used to provide and control a visual signal in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0055]      FIG. 5  illustrates circuitry of computer system  100 , some of which can be implemented on PC board  225  ( FIG. 4 ). Computer system  100  includes an address/data bus  110  for communicating information, a central processor  101  coupled with the bus for processing information and instructions, a volatile memory  102  (e.g., random access memory, RAM) coupled with the bus  110  for storing information and instructions for the central processor  101  and a non-volatile memory  103  (e.g., read only memory, ROM) coupled with the bus  110  for storing static information and instructions for the processor  101 . Computer system  100  also includes an optional data storage device  104  (e.g., memory stick) coupled with the bus  110  for storing information and instructions. Device  104  can be removable. As described above, computer system  100  also contains a display device  105  coupled to the bus  110  for displaying information to the computer user. PC board  225  can contain the processor  101 , the bus  110 , the ROM  103  and the RAM  102 . 
         [0056]    With reference still to  FIG. 5 , computer system  100  also includes a signal transmitter/receiver device  108 , which is coupled to bus  110  for providing a physical communication link between computer system  100 , and a network environment (e.g., network environments  50  and  51  of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , respectively). As such, signal transmitter/receiver device  108  enables central processor unit  101  to communicate wirelessly with other electronic systems coupled to the network. It should be appreciated that within the present embodiment, signal transmitter/receiver device  108  is coupled to antenna  85  ( FIG. 4 ) and provides the functionality to transmit and receive information over a wireless communication interface. It should be further appreciated that the present embodiment of signal transmitter/receiver device  108  is well suited to be implemented in a wide variety of ways. For example, signal transmitter/receiver device  108  could be implemented as a modem. 
         [0057]    In one embodiment, computer system  100  includes a communication circuit  109  coupled to bus  110 . Communication circuit  109  includes an optional digital signal processor (DSP)  120  for processing data to be transmitted or data that are received via signal transmitter/receiver device  108 . Alternatively, processor  101  can perform some or all of the functions performed by DSP  120 . 
         [0058]    Also included in computer system  100  of  FIG. 5  is an optional alphanumeric input device  106  that in one implementation is a handwriting recognition pad (“digitizer”) having regions  106   a  and  106   b  ( FIG. 2 ), for instance. Alphanumeric input device  106  can communicate information and command selections to processor  101 . Computer system  100  also includes an optional cursor control or directing device (on-screen cursor control  107 ) coupled to bus  110  for communicating user input information and command selections to processor  101 . In one implementation, on-screen cursor control device  107  is a touch screen device incorporated with display device  105 . On-screen cursor control device  107  is capable of registering a position on display device  105  where the stylus makes contact. The display device  105  utilized with computer system  100  may be a liquid crystal display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a field emission display device (also called a flat panel CRT) or other display device suitable for generating graphic images and alphanumeric characters recognizable to the user. In the preferred embodiment, display device  105  is a flat panel display. 
         [0059]    In the present embodiment of the present invention, visual indicator  92  is also coupled to processor  101  and to memory (e.g., RAM  102  or ROM  103 ) via bus  110 . As described previously, visual indicator  92  functions to provide a visual signal or alarm to a user. Portable computer system  100  can be programmed to actuate visual indicator  92  at one or more times of day specified by a user. Visual indicator  92  can also be programmed to alert a user of one or more specified conditions or events associated with the various applications and functions performed by portable computer system  100 . 
         [0060]    In one embodiment, also coupled to bus  110  is audio indicator  94  for providing an audible signal or alarm to a user. In accordance with the present invention, visual indicator  92  may be used in combination with or in lieu of audio indicator  94 . It is appreciated that visual indicator  92  and/or audio indicator  94  may be enabled or disabled depending on the user&#39;s preferences. 
         [0061]    Method for Visual Silent Alarm Indicator 
         [0062]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of the steps in a process  600  for providing a visual indication in a portable computer system  100  ( FIG. 5 ) in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, process  600  is implemented using visual indicator  92  in combination with processor  101  and RAM  102  or ROM  103  of  FIG. 5 . Various types of dialog boxes and graphical user interfaces can be used by portable computer system  100  to receive the user input described below. 
         [0063]    In step  610  of  FIG. 6 , depending on the user&#39;s preferences, the audible alarm (e.g., audio indicator  94  of  FIG. 5 ) is disabled and visual indicator  92  is enabled. It is appreciated that, in accordance with the present invention, the visual signal can be used in lieu of the audible alarm, or that a combination of an audible alarm and a visual signal can be used. 
         [0064]    In accordance with the present invention, a separate alarm can be set for any number of individual events or conditions, and each alarm can be signaled either visually or audibly or both. In one embodiment, the user makes a selection with regard to a visual and/or audible alarm when programming into portable computer system  100  the events or conditions for which he or she wishes to be alerted (see step  620 ). 
         [0065]    In step  620  of  FIG. 6 , portable computer system  100  is programmed with (e.g., receives) information regarding the particular events or conditions that will be signaled to the user. For example, a user selects the calendar function of portable computer system  100  and, in a known fashion, enters information with regard to an upcoming meeting. At this time, the user can also enable or disable the alarm function for this particular meeting. If enabled, the user can specify whether the alarm should be an audible alarm or a visual alarm or both. 
         [0066]    In a similar manner, a user can identify other events or conditions for which an alert is to be provided, and can specify whether the alert should be visual and/or audible. For example, a user may program portable computer system  100  to provide a visual signal as part of a single-player or multi-player game, when an e-mail is received, when battery power is low, when an input error is made, when information is beamed successfully (or not) from one portable device to another, etc. In addition, the user may specify certain types of visual signals depending on the type of event or condition. For example, the user may specify that visual indicator  92  should signal an upcoming meeting with a series of blinks according to one pattern, the arrival of an e-mail according to another pattern, and an input error by one relatively long signal. 
         [0067]    At step  630  of  FIG. 6 , if an event or condition programmed by a user does not occur, then portable computer system  100  functions in its normal manner (step  635 ). When a programmed event does occur (step  640 ), a visual signal can be generated in accordance with the present invention to alert the user that the event has occurred. For example, for the case where the user wishes to be alerted to an upcoming meeting, the user can program portable computer system  100  to provide an alert a few minutes before the meeting. At the designated time, visual indicator  92  is directed to generate a visual signal. In particular, a specific type of visual signal can be used to indicate that the alert is for an upcoming meeting, as described above. 
         [0068]    In summary, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for generating a visual signal for a portable computer system  100  ( FIG. 5 ) that can be used instead of or in combination with an audible signal. As such, the present invention provides an apparatus and method that maintains the functionality of an audible alarm, but addresses the shortcomings of an audible alarm. Namely, the visual signal generated by visual indicator  92  ( FIG. 5 ) is not disruptive to others nearby, and it can be used by the hearing impaired. Furthermore, the visual signal makes it easier to identify which device is generating the alarm, and it is suitable for a noisy environment where an audible signal may not be heard. 
         [0069]    The present invention also provides an apparatus and method that can provide alarms for any number of different conditions or events associated with the applications and functions performed by a portable computer system. Importantly, the present invention accomplishes these alert functions in an unobtrusive manner. 
         [0070]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention, method and apparatus for visual silent alarm indicator, is thus described. While the present invention has been described in particular embodiments, it should be appreciated that the present invention should not be construed as limited by such embodiments, but rather construed according to the below claims.