State-based control of a terminal user interface containing soft-labeled keys

Abstract

Soft-labeled keys (SLKs) of a wireless terminal or other type of terminal in a communication system are controlled in an efficient manner using a state-based control model. In an illustrative embodiment, a state machine is generated such that each state in the state machine specifies a set of labels for a corresponding set of soft-labeled keys associated with the wireless terminal. At least a portion of the state machine is downloaded from a switch of the system, and processed to generate a display including a given one of the sets of labels. The state machine may be in the form of a state transition table which includes, for each state, (i) a set of labels for the set of soft-labeled keys, (ii) a set of feature identifiers, e.g., system codes, each identifying, for a given one of the labels, a particular feature supported by the switch, and (iii) a next state which is entered when the corresponding soft-labeled key is selected by the user. After a given one of the soft-labeled keys is selected by a user, the corresponding feature identifier is transmitted from the wireless terminal to the switch. The state transition table may also support a local mode in which selecting a particular SLK in a given state causes the terminal to execute a specified local program, after which the terminal returns to the given state. Updating of the display may be controlled locally by the wireless terminal, or by the switch sending an indication of the next state to the wireless terminal.