Speech-Based Notification On A Handheld Device

1 . A method for generating a notification on a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a triggering event;

determining that a non-speech based notification of the triggering event may not be discernible; and

providing a speech-based notification of the triggering event.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting a triggering event further comprises detecting at least one of an incoming communication and an activated calendar entry.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising converting said incoming communication into an audible speech-based output, and outputting the audible speech-based output as said speech-based notification.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising converting, as said incoming communication, a text-based data set.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said determining that a non-speech based notification of the triggering event may not be discernible further comprises detecting that said handheld electronic device is engaged with at least one of a holster, a cradle, a charging device, and a hands-free device.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein said determining that a non-speech based notification of the triggering event may not be discernible further comprises at least one of detecting that said handheld electronic device has not been moved for a predetermined time and detecting that an input apparatus of said handheld electronic device has not been actuated for a predetermined time.

7 . A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor unit comprising a processor, an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a memory having a routine stored therein, the processor unit being structured to:

detect a triggering event;

determine that a non-speech based notification of the triggering event may not be discernible; and

provide a speech-based notification of the triggering event.

8 . The handheld electronic device of claim 7 wherein said processor unit is further structured to detect as said triggering event at least one of an incoming communication and an activated calendar entry.

9 . The handheld electronic device of claim 8 , wherein said processor unit is further structured to convert said incoming communication into an audible speech-based output, and to output said audible speech-based output as said speech-based notification.

10 . The handheld electronic device of claim 7 wherein said processor unit is further structured to detect that said handheld electronic device is engaged with at least one of a holster, a cradle, a charging device, and an automobile hands-free device.

11 . The handheld electronic device of claim 7 wherein said processor unit is further structured to detect that at least one of:

said handheld electronic device has not been moved for a predetermined time; and

said input apparatus has not been actuated for a predetermined time.