Method and apparatus for informing a user of message status in a communication device

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises the step of: locating information associated with the first message within the signal, the information indicating that presentation of the first message is to result in transmission of the acknowledgment by the communication device.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein: the first type of message includes messages that result in transmission of acknowledgments by the communication device in response to presentation thereof that indicate that the first messages have been presented to the user; a second type of message includes messages that do not result in transmission of acknowledgments by the communication device in response to presentation thereof that indicate that the second messages have been presented to the user; and the determining step comprises the step of: determining whether the first message is of the first type or of the second type based upon information associated with the first message in the signal.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, wherein the presenting step comprises the step of: displaying message status information including icons representative of the messages received by the communication device, wherein a first acknowledgment icon represents the first message, wherein the first acknowledgment icon is distinct from other icons representative of messages of the second type, and wherein presentation of the icons does not require presentation of the messages themselves.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of: presenting the first message; and transmitting, in response to presenting the first message, the acknowledgment indicating that the first message has been presented to the user.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5, further comprising, substantially coincident with the step of presenting the first message, the step of: displaying a second acknowledgment icon along with the first message.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of: receiving a second message; determining that the second message is of the second type; and presenting the second message without displaying an acknowledgment icon along with the second message and without transmitting an acknowledgment from the communication device in response to presentation of the second message indicating that the second message has been presented to the user.

Claim 9

A communication device for receiving a signal in which messages are included, the communication device comprising: a decoder for recovering a received message from the signal; a message status element for determining whether the received message is of a first type or a second type of message, wherein transmission of an acknowledgment by the communication device occurs in response to presentation of a message of the first type to the user and without intervention of the user other than that required for presentation of the message of the first type, wherein the acknowledgment indicates that the received message has been presented to the user, and wherein transmission of the acknowledgment by the communication device does not occur in response to presentation of a message of the second type; and a display for visually presenting information to the user of the communication device by which the user is alerted to whether the deceived message is of the first or the second type, wherein presentation of the information precedes presentation of the received message itself.

Claim 10

A communication device for receiving a signal in which messages are included, the communication device comprising: a decoder for recovering a received message from the signal; a message status element for determining whether the received message is of a first type or a second type of message, wherein transmission of an acknowledgment by the communication device occurs in response to presentation of a message of the first type to the user and without intervention of the user other than that required for presentation of the message of the first type, wherein the acknowledgment indicates that the received message has been presented to the user, and wherein transmission of the acknowledgment by the communication device does not occur in response to presentation of a message of the second type; and a display for visually presenting information to the user of the communication device by which the user is alerted to whether the deceived message is of the first or the second type, wherein presentation of the information precedes presentation of the received message itself.

Claim 11

The communication device of claim 8, wherein the information presented to the user comprises message status information that includes icons representative of the messages received by the communication device in the signal but distinct from the messages themselves.

Claim 12

The communication device of claim 9, wherein the message status information includes a first icon for each message of the first type received by the communication device and includes a second icon for each message of the second type received by the communication device.

Claim 13

The communication device of claim 8, further comprising a memory for storing the received message and an indication of whether the received message is of the first or the second type.

Claim 14

The communication device of claim 8, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the acknowledgment in response to the presentation of the received message when the received message is determined to be of the first type by the message status element.

Claim 15

The communication device of claim 12, further comprising a presentation element for providing, when the received message is of the second type, the received message and a predetermined icon to the display, wherein the predetermined icon indicates that the received message is of the second type.

Claim 16

The communication device of claim 12, further comprising a presentation element for providing, when the received message is of the first type, the received message and a predetermined icon to the display, wherein the predetermined icon indicates that the received message is of the first type.

Claim 17

The communication device of claim 14, further comprising a memory for storing the message status element and the presentation element.

Claim 18

A communication system for providing signal communication, the communication system comprising: a message transmission device for receiving a message and information indicating whether presentation of the message is to result in generation of an acknowledgment without user intervention other than that required for presentation of the message, the message transmission device comprising means for transmitting the message and a tag indicative of whether the presentation of the message to the user is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment indicative of the presentation; and a communication device for receiving the message and the tag and for determining from the tag whether the presentation of the message to the user is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment indicative of the presentation of the message, the communication device comprising: a display for presenting, when the tag indicates that presentation of the message is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment, a predetermined icon alerting a user of the communication device that the presentation of the message is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment, wherein the predetermined icon is distinct from the message itself; and a transmission element for generating, when the presentation of the message is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment, the acknowledgment in response to the presentation of the message.

Claim 19

A communication system for providing signal communication, the communication system comprising: a message transmission device for receiving a message and information indicating whether presentation of the message is to result in generation of an acknowledgment without user intervention other than that required for presentation of the message, the message transmission device comprising means for transmitting the message and a tag indicative of whether the presentation of the message to the user is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment indicative of the presentation; and a communication device for receiving the message and the tag and for determining from the tag whether the presentation of the message to the user is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment indicative of the presentation of the message, the communication device comprising: a display for presenting, when the tag indicates that presentation of the message is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment, a predetermined icon alerting a user of the communication device that the presentation of the message is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment, wherein the predetermined icon is distinct from the message itself; and a transmission element for generating, when the presentation of the message is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment, the acknowledgment in response to the presentation of the message.

Claim 20

The communication system of claim 16, wherein the display presents the predetermined icon prior to the presentation of the message, wherein the predetermined icon is distinct from other icons presented on the display.

Claim 21

The communication system of claim 16, wherein the display presents the predetermined icon substantially coincident with the presentation of the message, wherein the predetermined icon is distinct from other icons presented on the display.

Claim 22

The communication system of claim 16, wherein the communication device is a portable transceiver.

Claim 23

The communication system of claim 16, wherein the tag is of a first value when the presentation of the message is to result in the generation of the acknowledgment, and wherein the tag is of a second value when the presentation of the message is not to result in the generation of the acknowledgment.