Method of associating groups of classified source addresses with vibration patterns

An apparatus for conveying a tactile alert on a portable device, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive an incoming communication from a source address;
• a processor complex having a processor and program memory configured to execute alert processing tasks;
• an alert processing component configured to have one or more alert processing tasks for classifying the incoming communication from the source address and to determine a unique vibration pattern for the classified incoming communication based on whether:
• the classified incoming communication is associated with one of a plurality of contact groups;
• the source address of the classified incoming communication is associated with an elevated response source address, and if so, associating the incoming communication with an elevated response vibration pattern as the unique vibration pattern;
• a time period between communications received from the same source address is sufficiently small to generate a time urgency indication, and if so, determining the unique vibration pattern based on the time urgency indication;
• and
• determining whether the number of communications from the same source address is sufficiently large to generate a repetition urgency indication, and if so, determining the unique vibration pattern based on the repetition urgency indication;
• and
• a vibration unit configured to vibrate the portable device according to the unique vibration pattern to convey the tactile alert.

A computer readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

• program code for determining a group identification (ID) for a communication received from a classified source address or time alert;
• program code for associating the group ID with a unique vibration pattern;
• program code for determining whether the classified source address is an elevated response source address, and if so, associating the elevated response source address with an elevated response vibration pattern as the unique vibration pattern;
• program code for determining whether the time period between communications received from the same source address is sufficiently small to generate a time urgency indication, and if so, determining the unique vibration pattern based on the time urgency indication;
• program code for determining whether the number of communications from the same source address is sufficiently large to generate a repetition urgency indication, and if so, determining the unique vibration pattern based on the repetition urgency indication;
• and
• program code for vibrating the portable device according to the unique vibration pattern to convey the tactile alert.

A portable device, comprising:

• means for determining a group identification (ID) for a communication received from a classified source address or time alert;
• means for associating the group ID with a unique vibration pattern;
• means for determining whether the classified source address is an elevated response source address, and if so, associating the elevated response source address with an elevated response vibration pattern as the unique vibration pattern;
• means for determining whether the time period between communications received from the same source address is sufficiently small to generate a time urgency indication, and if so, determining the unique vibration pattern based on the time urgency indication;
• means for determining whether the number of communications from the same source address is sufficiently large to generate a repetition urgency indication, and if so, determining the unique vibration pattern based on the repetition urgency indication;
• and
• means for vibrating the portable device according to the unique vibration pattern to convey the tactile alert.