Message settings selection

• US 20040139163A1
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Brown, Michael S., Brown, Michael K., Little, Herbert A., Scian, Anthony F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A system and method of selecting messaging settings on a messaging client are provided. A data store configured to operate in conjunction with the messaging client stores records comprising messaging settings or characteristics for previously received and/or sent messages. The messaging client is configured to send outgoing messages, each of the messages having message characteristics, to determine whether a record for an addressed recipient of an outgoing message exists in the data store, and to select messaging settings to control the message characteristics of the outgoing message based on the record where a record exists.

Claims

1. A method of selecting messaging settings on a messaging client, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a recipient of an outgoing message; and

(b) retrieving a messaging setting from a data store based upon the determined recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of (c) transmitting the outgoing message based at least in part upon the retrieved messaging setting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved messaging setting comprises a message format characteristic or a message security characteristic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the retrieved messaging setting comprises an indication for encryption or an indication for digital signing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of messaging settings is retrieved during the retrieving step.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of messaging settings is a message format characteristic or a message security characteristic.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of displaying the retrieved messaging setting in a messaging settings portion of an outgoing message compose screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the messaging settings portion for the outgoing message includes a field that is modified by a user to indicate a change in message setting for a first message, wherein the modified field for the outgoing message does not modify message settings of a subsequently composed outgoing message.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the step of providing a message composition interface that includes a message header portion, wherein the message header portion includes a TO field and a SUBJECT field, wherein the message header portion displays the messaging settings portion.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising the step of (c) displaying the received messaging setting in the messaging settings portion of the provided message composition interface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the provided message composition interface includes a text field for allowing a user to enter a message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging client executes on a desktop computer, a notebook computer, or a mobile computing device.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of storing messaging settings of the outgoing message in the data store.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the storing step comprises the step of storing the messaging settings in association with one or more recipients of the outgoing message for use in determining which messaging setting is to be used for an outgoing message.

15. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of (c) repeating steps (a) through (b) for a plurality of recipients.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising the step (d) resolving conflicts among retrieved message settings.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of resolving conflicts comprises the step of selecting one or more message settings from the retrieved message settings based upon security of each retrieved message setting, time used of each retrieved message setting, frequency of use of each retrieved message setting, priority of recipient with whom retrieved message setting is associated or combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of resolving conflicts comprises the step of prompting an author of the outgoing message for a selection among the retrieved message settings.

19. One or more computer readable media storing instructions that upon execution by a computer cause the computer to allow selection of messaging settings within a messaging client by performing the steps of claim 1.

20. A system for selecting messaging settings on a messaging client, the system comprising:

(a) a user output device capable of displaying data communicated by a system processor in a manner perceivable by an end user;

(b) a data store capable of storing one or more messaging settings associated with one or more message recipients; and

(c) the system processor, wherein the system processor comprises one or more processing elements, wherein the system processor is in communication with the user output device the data store and wherein the one or more processing elements are programmed or adapted at least to;

(i) determine a recipient of an outgoing message; and

(ii) retrieve a messaging setting from a data store based upon the determined recipient.

21. The system of claim 20, and further comprising a user input device adapted to receive data from an end user and communicate the entered data to the system processor.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the user output device and the user input device are an integrated unit.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the integrated unit is a touch sensitive screen.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the user input device is a tactile entry device, an auditory entry device, or combinations thereof

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the user input device is a touch sensitive pad, a touch sensitive screen, a keyboard, a mouse or combinations thereof.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more processing elements of the system processor are further programmed or adapted at least to receive a messaging setting via the user input device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more processing elements of the system processor are further programmed or adapted at least to aggregate the received messaging setting with the retrieved message setting.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the one or more processing elements of the system processor are further programmed or adapted at least to resolve conflicts among the aggregated messaging settings.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the one or more processing elements of the system processor are further programmed or adapted at least to store the aggregated messaging settings in the data store in association with the determined recipient upon submission of the outgoing message for transmission to the determined recipient.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the user output device is a visual display, a speaker, a tactile display or combinations thereof.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the user output device comprises a liquid crystal display.

32. The system of claim 20, and further comprising (d) a wireless transceiver in communication with the system processor and wherein the one or more processing elements of the system processor are further programmed or adapted at least to transmit an outgoing messaged via the wireless transceiver based at least in part upon the received messaging setting.

33. A system for selecting messaging settings on a messaging client, the system comprising:

(a) storing means for storing one or more messaging settings in association with one or more end users;

(b) input means for receive data from an end user;

(c) output means for rendering data in a manner perceivable by an end user;

(d) processing means for;

(i) determining a recipient of an outgoing message; and

(ii) retrieving a messaging setting from the storing means based upon the determined recipient;

(iii) providing a message composition interface for composing the outgoing message via the output means, wherein the interface comprises a message portion and a messaging settings portion;

(iv) receiving from the messaging settings portions a messaging setting associated with the outgoing message being composed in the provided message composition interface, the received messaging setting entered by an end user via the input means;

(v) aggregating the received messaging setting with the retrieved message setting; and

(vi) storing the aggregated messaging settings in the storing means in association with the determined recipient upon submission of the outgoing message for transmission to the determined recipient.