Handheld electronic device and associated method for indicating delivery status of a message

• US 10,261,654 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Wormald, Christopher R., Phipps, Darcy R., Dunk, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casillas, Roland J
• Application Number:
  US14/159,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 715753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which enhanced information regarding an “availability” of a user of a handheld electronic device is provided to another electronic device in a messaging environment. Such availability data provides step-wise indications of the relative availabilities of one or more users of electronic devices in a messaging environment. The step-wise indications can, for instance, range from an availability level of “currently active” to several levels of nonavailability. The device and method can be incorporated into an existing messaging environment.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising wireless device processor executable instructions, which when executed by a wireless device processor effects a messaging service client, the messaging service client being configured to selectively transmit messages to a plurality of associated messaging clients via a messaging service and receive messages from the plurality of associated messaging clients via the messaging service, the instructions comprising instructions for:

displaying, on a user interface display of the messaging service client, a first icon indicative of a delivery status upon receiving, via the messaging service, a first data indicative of the delivery status of a message transmitted to at least one of the associated messaging clients;

displaying, on the user interface display while displaying the first icon, a second icon indicative of the delivery status upon receiving, via the message service, a second data indicative of the delivery status of the message transmitted to the at least one associated messaging client, the second data indicative of the delivery status being different from the first data indicative of the delivery status;

automatically receiving, via the messaging service, a third data indicative of a reported activity status of a user of the at least one associated messaging client, the third data corresponding to an availability of the user of the at least one associated messaging client; and

displaying, on the user interface display while displaying the first icon and the second icon, at least one indication that is separate from the first and second icons and indicating the corresponding availability of the user of the at least one associated messaging client,

wherein the at least one indication represents;

that the at least one associated messaging client is idle and

a representation of time since the at least one associated messaging client has sent a message.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first icon includes a check mark.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first icon and the second icon include a check mark and the at least one indication indicates whether the user of the at least one associated messaging client is typing.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one indication corresponds to a user selectable status.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one indication includes the word typing.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for subscribing to the messaging service.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second data is transmitted automatically by the at least one associated messaging client.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a user of the messaging service client and a user of the at least one associated messaging client are subscribers of the messaging service.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first data is transmitted from a server of the messaging service.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for receiving a message from the at least one associated messaging client and transmitting a tenth data indicative of the delivery status of the received message.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the tenth data is transmitted automatically responsive to receiving the message.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

displaying a third icon indicative of a delivery status upon receiving, via the messaging service, a fourth data indicative of the delivery status of a message transmitted to at least one other of the associated messaging clients;

displaying a fourth icon indicative of the delivery status upon receiving, via the message service, a fifth data indicative of the delivery status of the message transmitted to the at least one other associated messaging client, wherein the fifth data indicative of the delivery status is different from the fourth data indicative of the delivery status; and

displaying a second indication separate from the first, second, third and fourth icons and indication upon receiving, via the messaging service, a sixth data indicative of an activity status of a user of the at least one other associated messaging client,

wherein the third and fourth icons and second indication represent a potential for the user of the at least one other associated message client to respond to messages sent through the messaging service.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

displaying a fifth icon indicative of a delivery status upon receiving, via the messaging service, a seventh data indicative of the delivery status of a message transmitted to at least one second other of the associated messaging clients;

displaying a sixth icon indicative of the delivery status upon receiving, via the message service, an eighth data indicative of the delivery status of the message transmitted to the at least one second other associated messaging client, wherein the seventh data indicative of the delivery status is different from the eighth data indicative of the delivery status; and

displaying a third indication separate from the first, second, third fourth, fifth, and sixth icons and indication and second indication upon receiving, via the messaging service, an ninth data indicative of an activity status of a user of the at least one second other associated messaging client,

wherein the fifth and sixth icons and second indication represent a potential for the user of the at least one second other associated message client to respond to messages sent through the messaging service.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising wireless device processor executable instructions, which when executed by a wireless device processor effects a messaging service client, wherein the messaging service client selectively transmits messages to a plurality of associated messaging clients via a messaging service, the instructions comprising instructions for:

displaying, on a user interface display, a first icon indicative of a first delivery status upon receiving, via the messaging service, a first data indicative of the first delivery status of a message transmitted to a first associated messaging client;

displaying, on the user interface display while displaying the first icon, a second icon indicative of a second delivery status upon receiving, via the message service, a second data indicative of the second delivery status of a message transmitted to a second associated messaging client;

automatically receiving, via the messaging service, a third data indicative of a reported activity status of a user of the at least one associated messaging client, the third data corresponding to an availability of the user of the at least one associated messaging client; and

displaying, on the user interface display while displaying the first icon and the second icon, at least one indication that is separate from the first and second icons and indicating the corresponding availability of the user of the at least one associated messaging client,

wherein the at least one indication represents a representation of time since the at least one associated messaging client has sent a message.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first icon is displayed in conjunction with information identifying a user of the first associated messaging client.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first and second icons and indication represent a potential for the first, second, and third users of the first, second, and third associated message clients to respond to messages sent through the messaging service.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising wireless device processor executable instructions, which when executed by a wireless device processor effects a messaging service client, wherein the messaging service client selectively transmits messages to a plurality of associated messaging clients via a messaging service, the instructions comprising instructions for:

displaying, on a user interface display, information identifying a plurality of users corresponding to a plurality of the associated messaging clients, wherein the plurality of users are identified by determining which of the plurality of users are in an existing listing of contacts are subscribers to the messaging service;

displaying, on the user interface display while displaying the information, a first icon indicative of a delivery status upon receiving, via the messaging service, a first data indicative of the delivery status of a message transmitted to at least one of the associated messaging clients;

automatically receiving, via the messaging service, a third data indicative of a reported activity status of a user of the at least one associated messaging client, the third data corresponding to an availability of the user of the at least one associated messaging client; and

displaying, on the user interface display while displaying the information and the first icon, at least one indication that is separate from the first and second icons and indicating the corresponding availability of the user of the at least one associated messaging client,

wherein the at least one indication represents;

that the at least one associated messaging client is idle and

a representation of time since the at least one associated messaging client has sent a message.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions for determining the plurality of users.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of users corresponding to the plurality of the associated messaging clients are determined automatically after the messaging service client is installed on the wireless device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first icon is displayed in conjunction with information identifying the user of at least one of the associated other messaging client.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first icon and indication are displayed on the wireless device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first icon is indicative of the message being delivered to the at least one of the associated messaging clients.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the first icon is indicative of the message being read using the at least one of the associated messaging clients.