Control of an alert mechanism by communication of an event-associated command

Claim 2

1 . A method comprising: associating a command with an event at a first device; communicating the command to a second device when the event occurs; causing an action at the second device depending on the command, the action comprising at least one of: disabling an alert mechanism of the second device; enabling the alert mechanism of the second device; and modifying a setting of the alert mechanism of the second device; and if the alert mechanism of the second device is enabled, activating the alert mechanism of the second device in response to an alert being required.

Claim 3

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein activating the alert mechanism of the second device in response to the alert being required further comprises activating the alert mechanism in response to: a specific internal event, detected by the second device; a signal requesting the alert, sent from a third device to the second device; and the signal requesting the alert, sent from the first device to the second device.

Claim 4

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein: the event is a scheduled event on a stored schedule that is accessible by the first device; and associating the command with the event further comprises associating the command with the scheduled event.

Claim 5

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein determining when the event has occurred further comprises: determining a clock time from a clock; accessing the stored schedule; and determining from the stored schedule whether the scheduled event is associated with the clock time.

Claim 6

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein associating the command with the event further comprises constructing the command depending on one or more of the clock time and the scheduled event.

Claim 7

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein causing the action at the second device further comprises sending a signal requesting the alert to the second device.

Claim 8

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein: the first device is a personal digital assistant; the second device is a cellular telephone; the alert mechanism of the second device comprises a ringer of the cellular telephone; disabling the alert mechanism of the second device comprises muting the ringer of the cellular telephone; and communicating the command comprises transmitting the command from the personal digital assistant to the cellular telephone, over a wireless network.

Claim 9

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein communicating with the second device further comprises broadcasting a message comprising the command by the first device.

Claim 10

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein communicating with the second device further comprises: sending a polling message from the second device to the first device; receiving the polling message at the first device; and in response to the polling message, receiving a message comprising the command from the first device.

Claim 11

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein communicating with the second device further comprises: Sending a request message from the second device to the first device in response to an alert being required; and Receiving a message comprising the command from the first device at the second device in response to the request message.

Claim 12

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the setting of the alert mechanism comprises setting the intensity of the alert mechanism of the second device to a specific intensity level including a level corresponding to an imperceptible intensity.

Claim 13

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the alert mechanism includes an audible alert, the intensity level of the audible alert is the volume of the audible alert, and the level corresponding to an imperceptible intensity level is a mute level.

Claim 14

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the alert mechanism includes an illuminating alert, the intensity level of the illuminating alert is the brightness of the illuminating alert, and the level corresponding to an imperceptible intensity level is darkness.

Claim 15

14 . The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the setting of the alert mechanism comprises selecting one or more of a plurality of alternative modes of the alert mechanism of the second device.

Claim 16

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein selecting one or more of the plurality of alternative modes further comprises selecting one or more of: an audible alert mode; a tactile vibration alert mode; and an illuminating alert mode.

Claim 17

16 . An apparatus comprising: a first device to associate a command with an event and to transmit a message comprising the command; a second device to receive the message and to perform an action depending on the command; and an alert mechanism of the second device with one or more of a capability to be enabled in response to the command; a capability to be disabled in response to the command; and a setting, modifiable in response to the command, wherein the alert mechanism, if the alert mechanism is enabled, is capable of being activated in response to an alert being required.

Claim 18

16 . An apparatus comprising: a first device to associate a command with an event and to transmit a message comprising the command; a second device to receive the message and to perform an action depending on the command; and an alert mechanism of the second device with one or more of a capability to be enabled in response to the command; a capability to be disabled in response to the command; and a setting, modifiable in response to the command, wherein the alert mechanism, if the alert mechanism is enabled, is capable of being activated in response to an alert being required.

Claim 19

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the alert mechanism of the second device may be activated, if the alert mechanism is enabled, in response to one or more of: a specific event detected by the second device; a signal requesting activation of the alert mechanism, sent from a third device; and the signal requesting activation of the alert mechanism, sent from the first device.

Claim 20

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising: a storage component accessible by the first device, to store a schedule, wherein the event further comprises a scheduled event stored in the schedule; and a clock to provide a clock time to one or more of the first device and the second device.

Claim 21

19 . The alert mechanism of claim 16 wherein the setting comprises an adjustable intensity level that may be set to one of many specific levels including an imperceptible level;

Claim 22

20 . The alert mechanism of claim 19 wherein the alert mechanism comprises an audible alert, the intensity level of the alert mechanism is the volume of the audible alert, and the level corresponding to an imperceptible intensity level is a mute level.

Claim 23

21 . The alert mechanism of claim 19 wherein the alert mechanism comprises an illuminating alert, the intensity level of the alert mechanism is the brightness of the illuminating alert, and the level corresponding to an imperceptible intensity level is darkness.

Claim 24

22 . The alert mechanism of claim 16 wherein the setting comprises a selection of one or more of a plurality of alternative modes of the alert mechanism.

Claim 25

23 . The alert mechanism of claim 22 wherein the selection of one or more of the plurality of alternative modes further comprises the selection of one or more of: an audible alert mode; a tactile alert mode; and an illuminating alert mode.

Claim 26

24 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first device and the second device are physically integrated into a single unit.

Claim 27

25 . The apparatus of claim 18 wherein: the first device is a personal digital assistant; the second device is a cellular telephone; the alert mechanism is a ringer of the cellular telephone.

Claim 28

26 . A machine accessible medium on which is stored data that when accessed by a machine causes it to perform the method of claim 1 .

Claim 29

27 . A machine accessible medium on which is stored data that when accessed by a machine causes it to perform the method of claim 5 .

Claim 30

28 . A machine accessible medium on which is stored data that when accessed by a machine causes it to perform the method of claim 7.