Advanced user interface operations in a dual-mode wireless device

• US 20050020286A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mousseau, Gary P., Lazaridis, Mihal
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method are provided for mobile stations for enhancing the ease of use of a mobile station. Through the system and method, a user may more easily view the phone number of a caller identification card. The user may be alerted when the user tries to send messages while out of GPRS coverage, or the mobile station may recognize extension numbers in address book user interface applications to assist with a dialling operation.

Claims

1. A method for use with a mobile station that can communicate with communication networks of varying text messaging capabilities, said method comprising the steps of

facilitating the creation of a text message by the station'"'"'s user,

determining text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is operating;

and

if the determined text messaging capability is insufficient to send the user'"'"'s text message, then allowing the user'"'"'s text message to be sent from the station when the station is within a communication network whose text messaging capability is sufficient to handle the user'"'"'s text message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determination of sufficiency of a network'"'"'s text messaging capability is based upon the size of the user'"'"'s text message,

wherein if the determined text messaging capability is determined to be insufficient to send the user'"'"'s text message, then performing the following steps:

providing data indicative of the network'"'"'s text messaging capability to the mobile station'"'"'s user; and

allowing the mobile station'"'"'s user to send a text message that is compatible with the text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is presently operating.

3. The method according to one of the previous claims, wherein the user'"'"'s text message is an electronic mail (e-mail) message.

4. The method according to one of the previous claims, wherein communication networks have coverage types.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the coverage types comprise Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) with General Packet Radio-Service (GPRS).

6. The method according to one of the claims 4 or 5, wherein the coverage types comprise Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network without General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).

7. The method according to one of the claims 4 to 6, wherein the coverage types comprise Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) with Short Messaging Service (SMS).

8. The method according to one of the claims 4 to 7, wherein the station is operating within Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network without General Packet Radio Service (GPRS),

wherein the text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is operating is determined insufficient to send the user'"'"'s text message,

wherein the station sends the user'"'"'s text message when the station is within Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network.

9. The method according to one of the claims 4 to 7, wherein the user'"'"'s text message is an electronic mail (e-mail) message,

wherein the station is operating within Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network without General Packet Radio Service (GPRS),

wherein the GSM network has Short Messaging Service (SMS),

wherein SMS provides less text messaging capability than GPRS,

wherein the text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is operating is determined insufficient to send the user'"'"'s text message,

wherein the user'"'"'s text message is allowed to be sent from the station when the station is within Global System for Mobile Communications (OSM) with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network or the user'"'"'s text message is allowed to be sent using SMS.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of.

after the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address is specified by the station'"'"'s user, notifying the user that the user'"'"'s text message cannot be sent on the current network.

11. The method according to one of the claims 9 or 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the recipient is in an address book stored on the station; and

if the recipient is not found in the address book, then allowing a recipient to be selected from the address book in order to select a recipient that has a OSM phone number and a SMS address.

12. The method of claim 11 her comprising the step of:

contacting the recipient using the OSM phone number of the recipient and initiating an SMS connection in order to send the user'"'"'s text message.

13. The method according to one of the claims 9 to 12, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the recipient is in an address book stored on the station; and

if the recipient is not found in the address book, then notifying the user that the user'"'"'s text message will be saved and sent when the station enters a network that supports GPRS.

14. A mobile station that can communicate with communication networks of varying text messaging capabilities, comprising:

a station interface that facilitates creation of a text message through interaction with the station'"'"'s user;

a processor configurable to provide a determination of text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is operating; and

a storage device that has storage capacity to store the user'"'"'s text message, wherein the user'"'"'s text message is sent from the station when the station is within a communication network whose text messaging capability is sufficient to handle the user'"'"'s text message.

15. An apparatus for use with a mobile station that can communicate with communication networks of varying text messaging capabilities,

wherein the user'"'"'s text message is an electronic mail (e-mail) message,

wherein the station is operating within Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network without General Packet Radio Service (GPRS),

wherein the GSM network has Short Messaging Service (SMS),

wherein SMS provides less textual messaging capability than GPRS, said apparatus comprising:

means for facilitating the creation of a text message by the station'"'"'s user;

means for determining text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is operating; and

means for allowing the user'"'"'s text message to be sent from the station when the station is within the GSM with GPRS network.

16. A method for use with a mobile station that can communicate with one or more communication networks that can handle text messaging, said method comprising the steps of:

facilitating the creation of a text message by the station'"'"'s user;

determining text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is operating by determining the network connection state; and

if the determined text messaging capability is insufficient to send the user'"'"'s text message because of the determined network connection state, then allowing the user'"'"'s text message to be sent from the station when the network connection state changes to a second state that provides a text messaging capability sufficient to handle the user'"'"'s text message.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the determined connection state is a first state, wherein the first state comprises a connection to a network and comprises an internet protocol (IP) address but not a network registration confirmation.

18. The method according to one of the claims 16 or 17, wherein the second state comprises the station having received the network registration confirmation.

19. The method according to one of the claims 16 to 18, wherein the network is a network having General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) capability.

20. The method according to one of the claims 16 to 19, wherein the station is a dual-mode mobile station that is capable of both voice and data communications

21. A method of displaying network capabilities within a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

detecting that a mobile station has voice-only or voice and data support on a base station within a network;

providing a visual indicator to the station'"'"'s user when voice-only or voice and data support is present within the network;

detecting via the base station, when the network is capable of supporting greater data communications, and

providing a visual indicator to the user of the dual-mode mobile device when greater data exchanges are available through the mobile station.

22. The method of claim 21 where the wireless network is a GSM wireless network with optional GPRS data overlay support.

23. The method according to one of the claims 21 or 22, where the mobile station is a dual-mode PDA handheld device capable of exchanging large data messages and supporting HJML data exchanges with Internet web sites.

24. The method according to one of the claims 21 to 23, wherein the station is a dual-mode mobile station that is capable of both voice and data communications.

25. The method according to one of the claims 21 to 24, wherein the station has access to capabilities of multiple networks, said method further comprising the step of:

automatically determining which network to use to perform a communication operation based upon cost effectiveness consideration.

26. A method for displaying capability of a current network connection on a mobile station that is capable of roaming between networks of varying capability, comprising the steps of,

accessing a network using network access methods available through the mobile station;

determining the text messaging capabilities available to the station'"'"'s user based on the network access method used to connect the mobile station to the wireless network; and

displaying on a main screen of the mobile station a representation of the determined text messaging capability to the station'"'"'s user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the network is accessed using network access methods built into the mobile station.

28. The method according to one of the claims 26 or 27, wherein the representation of the determined text messaging capability is a network capability indicator, wherein the network capability indicator indicates the text messaging capability of a single network.

29. The method according to one of the claims 26 to 28, wherein the representation of the determined text messaging capability is a network capability indicator, wherein the network capability indicator indicates the text messaging capability of at least two networks to which the mobile station currently has access.

30. A mobile station which interacts with a user and communicates over a wireless network, comprising:

a processor having a data pathway to a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, wherein the SIM card is associated with a preselected phone number, wherein the processor is configurable to allow the phone number associated with the card to be displayed on the mobile station'"'"'s main screen to a user;

a station interface that facilitates creation of a text message through interaction with the station'"'"'s user, wherein the processor is configurable to provide a determination of text messaging capability of the communication network within which the mobile station is operating;

a storage device that includes storage capacity to store the user'"'"'s text message, wherein the user'"'"'s text message is sent from the station when the station is within a communication network whose text messaging capability is sufficient to handle the user'"'"'s text message,

wherein the storage device includes an address book application containing recipients'"'"' main phone numbers and extensions,

wherein a user of the mobile station uses the address book application to request that a recipient be contacted; and

a dialling subsystem having a data pathway to the address book application in order to have access to the main phone number and extension of the recipient requested by the user to be contacted;

wherein the dialling subsystem uses the requested recipient'"'"'s main phone number and extension from the address book to dial the recipient.