Method and system for graphically delimiting text message content for a mobile radio terminal

1. A method of displaying written text during the preparation of a text message to be transmitted by a mobile radio terminal, comprising:

displaying written text entered by a user;

displaying a graphical text message break between characters of the written text that are associated with a first text message payload that has a predetermined maximum length measured in number of characters and characters of the written text that are associated with a second text message payload that has a predetermined maximum length measured in number of characters, the first and second text messages used to transmit the written text as a multipart text message; and

controlling a space between the graphical text message break and characters associated with the payload of the first text message such that there is a proportional correspondence between a number of characters remaining in the payload of the first text message and an end of the first text message as represented by the graphical text message break.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical text message break is a borderline extending across a display of the mobile radio terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein characters displayed after the graphical text message break are shown in relative proportion to the graphical text message break to provide a visual indication as to how much text is present in the second text message.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a text message count, the text message count indicating the number of text messages that will be used by the mobile radio terminal to transmit the written text in text message format.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a number of available characters before a capacity of a last one of the text messages is reached.

6. A mobile radio terminal, comprising:

a display;

a radio circuit for communicating with a communications network; and

a controller that executes logic to display written text during the preparation of a text message to be transmitted by a mobile radio terminal, the logic including logic to:

display written text entered by a user on the display;

display a graphical text message break between characters of the written text that are associated with a first text message payload that has a predetermined maximum length measured in number of characters and characters of the written text that are associated with a second text message payload that has a predetermined maximum length measured in number of characters, the first and second text messages used to transmit the written text as a multipart text message; and

control a space between the graphical text message break and characters associated with the payload of the first text message such that there is a proportional correspondence between a number of characters remaining in the payload of the first text message and an end of the first text message as represented by the graphical text message break.

7. The mobile radio terminal of claim 6 , wherein the graphical text message break is a borderline extending across a display of the mobile radio terminal.

8. The mobile radio terminal of claim 6 , wherein characters displayed after the graphical text message break are shown in relative proportion to the graphical text message break to provide a visual indication as to how much text is present in the second text message.

9. The mobile radio terminal of claim 6 , wherein the logic includes logic to display a text message count, the text message count indicating the number of text messages that will be used by the mobile radio terminal to transmit the written text in text message format.

10. The mobile radio terminal of claim 6 , wherein the logic includes logic to display a number of available characters before a capacity of a last one of the text messages is reached.