Providing notifications of wireless data consumption in a wireless communication device

Abstract

A wireless communication device communicates with a data network in response to data access operations generated by a plurality of applications operating within the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device displays a plurality of framed icons based on icons individually associated with each of the applications and monitors the applications to determine a data throughput for the data access operations on a per-application basis. The wireless communication device processes the data throughput to select frame colors on a per-application basis, and directs the wireless communication device to display the framed icons with the selected frame colors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wireless communication device to provide visual notifications of wireless data consumption, the wireless communication device comprising:
 a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a data network in response to data access operations generated by applications operating within the wireless communication device;   a display system configured to display framed icons individually associated with the applications; and   a processing system configured to monitor the applications to determine data throughput for the data access operations on a per-application basis, process the data throughput to select frame colors on a per-application basis, and direct the display system to display the framed icons with the selected frame colors.   
     
     
         2 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1  wherein the display system is not currently displaying one of the icons and the processing system is configured to process the data throughput to frame the one of the icons and direct the display system to display the framed one of the icons in a user configurable desktop area of the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         3 . The wireless communication device of  claim 2  wherein the processing system is configured to direct the display system to remove the framed one of the icons from the user configurable desktop area of the wireless communication device after a period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The wireless communication device of  claim 2  wherein the processing system is configured to direct the display system to remove the framed one of the icons from the user configurable desktop area of the wireless communication device in response to receiving an indication from a user interface within the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1  wherein the processing system is configured to determine the data throughput for the data access operations on a per-application basis during each of a plurality of successive time intervals. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless communication device of  claim 5  wherein the processing system is configured to determine a running average data throughput for the data access operations on a per-application basis during each of the plurality of successive time intervals. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1  wherein the processing system is configured to select a green frame color if the data throughput is less than a threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1  wherein the processing system is configured to select a yellow frame color if the data throughput is greater than a first threshold but less than a second threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1  wherein the processing system is configured to select a red frame color if the data throughput is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless communication device of  claim 9  wherein the threshold is determined on a per-application basis based on a type of application. 
     
     
         11 . A computer apparatus to facilitate visual notifications of wireless data consumption by a wireless communication device, the computer apparatus comprising:
 processing instructions that direct the wireless communication device, when executed by the wireless communication device, to monitor applications operating within the wireless communication device to determine data throughput for data access operations generated by the applications on a per-application basis, process the data throughput to select frame colors on a per-application basis, and drive a display of framed icons with the selected frame colors, wherein the framed icons are individually associated with the applications; and   a non-transitory computer readable medium storing processing instructions.   
     
     
         12 . The computer apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the wireless communication device is not currently displaying one of the icons and the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to process the data throughput to frame the one of the icons and display the framed one of the icons in a user configurable desktop area of the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         13 . The computer apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to remove the framed one of the icons from the user configurable desktop area of the wireless communication device after a period of time. 
     
     
         14 . The computer apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to remove the framed one of the icons from the user configurable desktop area of the wireless communication device in response to receiving an indication from a user interface within the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The computer apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to determine the data throughput for the data access operations on a per-application basis during each of a plurality of successive time intervals. 
     
     
         16 . The computer apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to determine a running average data throughput for the data access operations on a per-application basis during each of the plurality of successive time intervals. 
     
     
         17 . The computer apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to select a green frame color if the data throughput is less than a threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The computer apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to select a yellow frame color if the data throughput is greater than a first threshold but less than a second threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The computer apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the processing instructions further direct the wireless communication device to select a red frame color if the data throughput is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The computer apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the threshold is determined on a per-application basis based on a type of application.