Pseudo-interactive input processing in wireless environments

• US 20040090465A1
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Robertson, Ian M., Tapuska, David F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0018 based on latency requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An electronic communications device including a user input device for inputting characters; and buffering and communications systems for storing in a buffer characters input by the user input device, and transmitting the content of the buffer over a communications link when there is a pause in input by the user input device for a predetermined time duration. The content of the buffer may also be transmitted over the communications link when the amount of stored characters in the buffer reaches a predetermined size, or when a designated submit key is detected.

Claims

1. An electronic communications device including a user input device for inputting characters;

and buffering and communications systems for storing in a buffer characters input by the user input device, and transmitting the content of the buffer over a communications link when there is a pause in input by the user input device for a predetermined time duration.

2. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the content of the buffer is cleared each time the content of the buffer is transmitted.

3. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the content of the buffer is also transmitted over the communications link when the amount of stored characters in the buffer reaches a predetermined size.

4. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the content of the buffer is also transmitted over the communications link when a predetermined submit input is received from the user input device.

5. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the content of the buffer is also transmitted over the communications link when the amount of stored characters in the buffer reaches a predetermined size and the content of the buffer is also transmitted over the communications link when a predetermined input is made by the user input device.

6. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time is approximately one second.

7. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the communications link includes a wireless link.

8. The communications device of claim 1 wherein the user input device includes a keyboard.

9. A method for transmitting information over a communications link from a communications device having a user input device, comprising:

(a) storing characters input by the user input device in a buffer;

(b) determining if a threshold time has passed since a last character was input by the user input device and if so;

(i) transmitting the stored characters over the communications link and (ii) clearing the buffer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the threshold time is approximately one second.

11. The method of claim 9 including a step of determining if a threshold number of characters have been stored in the buffer and if so:

(i) transmitting the stored characters over the communications link and (ii) clearing the buffer.

12. The method of claim 9 including a step of determining if a predetermined send command has been input by the user input device and if so:

(i) transmitting the stored characters over the communications link and (ii) clearing the buffer.

13. The method of claim 9 including a step of determining if either a threshold number of characters have been stored in the buffer or a predetermined send command has been input by the user input device, and if so:

(i) transmitting the stored characters over the communications link and (ii) clearing the buffer.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the user input device includes an alphanumeric keyboard.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the communications link includes a high latency wireless channel.

16. A computer program product including a computer readable medium carrying program code means for transmitting information over a communications link from a communications device having a user input device, the program code means including means for:

(a) storing characters input by the user input device; and

(b) determining if a threshold time has passed since a last character was input by the user input device and if so transmitting the stored characters over the communications link.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the program code means includes means for determining if a threshold number of characters have been stored and if so transmitting the stored characters over the communications link.

18. The product of claim 16, wherein the program code means includes means for determining if a predetermined send command has been input by the user input device and if so transmitting the stored characters over the communications link.

19. The product of claim 16, wherein the program code means includes means for determining if either a threshold number of characters have been stored in the buffer or a predetermined send command has been input by the user input device, and if so transmitting the stored characters over the communications link.

20. The product of claim 17 wherein the computer readable medium is selected from a group consisting of a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash storage medium, a semiconductor based storage medium, an RF communications signal, and an optical communications signal.