Patent ID: 7825890

Claim:
A method of providing auto-dimming and state transition signal functionality to a telephone system, the telephone system having an illuminated screen, the method comprising: receiving specifications from a user of the telephone system, said specifications comprising: a specification of a first wait state selected from the group consisting of a web page being loaded, a text search being conducted, a system reset being performed, and combinations thereof, a specification that whenever the first wait state is entered into by the telephone system, the illuminated screen of the telephone system is to be dimmed, a specification of an alert indication signal that is to be sent to the user when the telephone system determines that the telephone system has transitioned out of the first wait state, a specification of a second wait state selected from the group consisting of a document loading, non-defined hourglass events, and combinations thereof, a specification that whenever the second wait state is entered into by the telephone system, the illuminated screen of the telephone system is not to be dimmed, and a specification that no alert indication signal is to be sent to the user when the telephone system determines that the telephone system has transitioned out of the second wait state; after said receiving specifications from the user, ascertaining that the telephone system has entered into the first wait state; dimming the illuminated screen of the telephone system in response to said ascertaining that the telephone system has entered into the first wait state; determining that the telephone system has transitioned out of the first wait state; sending the alert indication signal to the user in response to said determining that the telephone system has transitioned out of the first wait state; after said receiving specifications from the user, ascertaining that the telephone system has entered into the second wait state; not dimming the illuminated screen of the telephone system in response to said ascertaining that the telephone system has entered into the second wait state; determining that the telephone system has transitioned out of the second wait state; not sending the alert indication signal to the user in response to said determining that the telephone system has transitioned out of the second wait state.