Granted Patent B2

US 8,229,508 · App. 11/988,016 · Granted Jul 24, 2012

Abstract

Claims (27)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a housing enclosing the display and defining an exterior surface region adjacent to the display, the exterior surface region having a plurality of surface zones indicated thereon, the surface zones being capable of being written on by a user to save a written marking thereon;

a memory; and

user input apparatus;

wherein

a first mode in the device performs a function in respect of a subject entity;

the display displays an indicator associated with at least one of the zones at a time proximate to performing the function in respect of the subject entity; and

in response to operation of the user input apparatus to indicate one of the zones the device stores the entity in the memory in association with that zone; the device having

a second mode in which in response to selection of a zone by means of the user input apparatus the device performs a function in respect of an entity stored in association with the selected zone.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface region surrounds the display.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface region comprises a cover releasably attachable to the remainder of the device.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover is in the form of a sheet.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 3 , comprising a plurality of covers capable of being located adjacent to the display.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the device is capable of identifying which of the covers is externally visible adjacent to the display and the zones the subject of the first and second modes are those of that cover.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is physically reconfigurable and has a first configuration in which the exterior surface region is covered and a second configuration in which it is exposed.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the first mode the device performs a function in respect of a subject entity that has been input to the device independently of the user input means of the device.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the first mode the said function is receiving a communication and the entity is the identity of the originator of the communication.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the entity is a phone number.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the second mode the said function is originating a communication to the entity.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a housing enclosing a display means and defining an exterior surface region adjacent to the display means, the exterior surface region having a plurality of surface zones indicated thereon, the surface zones being capable of saving a written marking thereon;

memory means; and

user input means;

wherein

a first mode in the device performs a function in respect of a subject entity, wherein the display displays an indicator associated with at least one of the zones at a time proximate to performing the function in respect of the subject entity, and in response to operation of the user input means to indicate one of the zones the device stores the entity in the memory means in association with that zone; and the device being configured to have

a second mode in which in response to selection of a zone by means of the user input means the device performs a function in respect of an entity stored in association with the selected zone.

Assignments (9)