Method and apparatus for providing minimal status display

• US 20060030295A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Brown, Michael S., Little, Herbert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for a user of a mobile wireless communications device to have the option of viewing security status messages in a large or small format depending upon the user'"'"'s preferences, form factor of the mobile communications device, or the like. In accordance with an exemplary aspect of the invention, a user may opt to display status icons on one row of a display and include an abbreviated text associated with each icon that is displayed when a particular icon is highlighted by the user. If no icon is highlighted by the user, the most important status text (determined based on predetermined criteria) is displayed. The user has the option of switching to a large status display to view additional information relating to the status icons.

Claims

1. An electronic communications device comprising:

a receiver for receiving electronic messages;

a processor capable of processing said electronic messages; and

program logic operable to generate a status display having a first display size including status icons and associated text, wherein said program logic is further operable to generate a small status display having a second display size smaller than the first display size, said small status display including said status icons rearranged to reduce an amount of display area used to display said status icons, and said associated text abbreviated to reduce an amount of display area used to display said associated text.

2. The electronic communications device of claim 1, wherein the displayed abbreviated text corresponds to a status icon highlighted by a user.

3. The electronic communications device of claim 1, wherein the displayed abbreviated text corresponds to a most important status message, a priority of importance of said abbreviated text being based on predetermined criteria.

4. The electronic communications device of claim 1, wherein said status icons and associated abbreviated text are displayed on a single row of the display.

5. The electronic communications device of claim 1, wherein said program logic is operable to switch between a small status display of said second display size and a large status display of said first display size based on inputs from a user.

6. The electronic communications device of claim 5, wherein said large status display provides more detailed information to the user than the small status display.

7. The electronic communications device of claim 1, wherein said electronic communications device is a mobile wireless communications device.

8. The electronic communications device of claim 1, wherein said program logic is resident on said electronic communications device.

9. A wireless communications device comprising:

a processor capable of processing electronic messages received by the wireless communications device; and

program logic operable to generate a status display including status icons and associated text corresponding to respective status icons in a first display area, said program logic being further operable to generate a small status display in a second display area, said second display area being smaller than said first display area, said small status display providing a user of said wireless communications device with information regarding status of various electronic message conditions, wherein said small status display is generated by rearranging said status icons to reduce an amount of display area used to display said status icons, and said associated text is abbreviated to reduce an amount of display area used to display said associated text.

10. The wireless communications device of claim 9, wherein the displayed abbreviated text corresponds to a status icon highlighted by a user.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 9, wherein the displayed abbreviated text corresponds to a most important status message, a priority of importance of said abbreviated text being based on predetermined criteria.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 9, wherein said status icons and associated abbreviated text are displayed on a single row of the display.

13. The wireless communications device of claim 9, wherein said program logic is operable to switch between a small status display and a large status display based on inputs from a user.

14. The electronic communications device of claim 13, wherein said large status display provides more detailed information to the user than the small status display.

15. A wireless communications device comprising:

means for receiving electronic messages;

means for processing said electronic messages; and

means operable to generate a status display including status icons and associated text corresponding to respective status icons in a first display area, wherein said program logic is further operable to generate a small status display in a second display area smaller than said first display area, said small status display being generated by rearranging said status icons and said associated text is abbreviated.

16. A method of displaying status on a wireless communications device comprising:

receiving an electronic message on said wireless communications device;

processing the received message for display on said wireless communications device;

generating a status display that includes status icons and text associated with respective status icons in a first display area;

generating a small status display in a second display area smaller than said first display area by rearranging said status icons;

generating an abbreviated text associated with each status icon; and

displaying said rearranged status icons and selected abbreviated text in said second display area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the displayed abbreviated text corresponds to a status icon highlighted by a user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the displayed abbreviated text corresponds to a most important status message, a priority of importance of said abbreviated text being based on predetermined criteria.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said status icons and associated abbreviated text are displayed on a single row of the display.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising switching, based on user inputs, between the status display and the small status display.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the text of the status display provides more detailed information than the abbreviated text associated with the small status display.