Handheld electronic device and associated method providing time data in a messaging environment

• US 20050066070A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Wormald, Christopher R., Klassen, Gerhard D., Kuhl, Lawrence E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/02 manually operated with input through keyboard and computation using a built-in program, e.g. pocket calculators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which time data regarding certain aspects of a messaging conversation on a handheld electronic device are made available to a user. Such time data is provided, for instance, in situations where an interruption has occurred during a messaging conversation. Time data can also be provided to a user on demand in certain circumstances.

Claims

1. A method of providing an output on at least one of a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device being adapted to be in electronic communication with a second electronic device, the method comprising:

determining that a first messaging communication has occurred at a first time between the first device and the second device;

outputting a first indication that is representative of at least a portion of the first communication;

determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the first time substantially without further communication between the first device and the second device; and

responsive to said determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed, outputting a first time stamp representative of the first time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a first time stamp disposed adjacent the first indication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a second messaging communication has occurred at a second time between the first device and the second device, and outputting a second time stamp representative of the second time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a first time stamp disposed adjacent the first indication, and outputting as the second time stamp a second time stamp disposed adjacent the second indication, one of the first time stamp and the second time stamp being disposed substantially between the first indication and the second indication, one of the first indication and the second indication being disposed substantially between the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a first time stamp disposed adjacent the first indication, and outputting as the second time stamp a second time stamp disposed adjacent the second indication, the first time stamp and the second time stamp being disposed substantially between the first indication and the second indication.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising outputting as the first indication a first linguistic output, outputting as the second indication a second linguistic output, outputting as the first time stamp a first time stamp disposed adjacent one of the beginning and the ending of the first linguistic output, and outputting as the second time stamp a second time stamp disposed adjacent the one of the beginning and the ending of the second linguistic output.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising outputting as the first indication a first linguistic output, outputting as the second indication a second linguistic output, outputting as the first time stamp a first time stamp disposed adjacent one of the beginning and the ending of the first linguistic output, and outputting as the second time stamp a second time stamp disposed adjacent the other of the beginning and the ending of the second linguistic output.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a time of day representative of the first time, detecting a change in date and, responsive to said detecting a change in date, outputting as the first time stamp a time of day and a date representative of the first time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a relative time stamp representative of an elapsed time.

10. A method of providing an output on at least one of a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device being adapted to be in electronic communication with a second electronic device, the method comprising:

determining that a first messaging communication has occurred at a first time between the first device and the second device;

outputting a first indication that is representative of at least a portion of the first communication;

detecting a predetermined input; and

responsive to said detecting a predetermined input, outputting a first time stamp representative of the first time.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting as the predetermined input a predetermined input to the first electronic device, and outputting as the first indication a first indication on the second electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting as the predetermined input a movement of a cursor to a location one of adjacent and overlapping the first indication.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a first time stamp disposed adjacent the first indication.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting another input and, responsive to said detecting another input, removing the first time stamp.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting an expiration of a predetermined duration of time and, responsive to said detecting an expiration of a predetermined duration of time, removing the first time stamp.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a time of day representative of the first time, detecting a change in date and, responsive to said detecting a change in date, outputting as the first time stamp a time of day and a date representative of the first time.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising outputting as the first time stamp a relative time stamp representative of an elapsed time.

18. A method of providing an output on at least one of a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device being adapted to be in electronic communication with a second electronic device, the method comprising:

determining that a first messaging communication has occurred at a first time between the first device and the second device;

outputting a first indication that is representative of at least a portion of the first communication;

determining that a first period of time has elapsed since the first time substantially without further communication between the first device and the second device; and

responsive to said determining that a first period of time has elapsed, outputting a first time stamp representative of the first period of time.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining that a second period of time has elapsed since the first time substantially without further communication between the first device and the second device, the second period of time being of a greater magnitude than the first period of time;

and

responsive to said determining that a second period of time has elapsed, outputting a second time stamp representative of the second period of time.

20. A handheld electronic device adapted to be in electronic communication with another electronic device, the handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor apparatus including a processor and a memory;

an input apparatus; and

an output apparatus;

the processor apparatus being adapted to receive input from the input apparatus and to provide output to the output apparatus;

the processor apparatus being adapted to determine that a first messaging communication has occurred at a first time between the handheld electronic device and the another electronic device;

the output apparatus being adapted to output a first indication that is representative of at least a portion of the first communication;

the processor apparatus being adapted to determine that a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the first time substantially without further communication between the handheld electronic device and the another electronic device; and

responsive to a determination that a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the output apparatus being adapted to output a first time stamp representative of the first time.