Method and system for coordinating input and output between a communications client and its host device

• US 20060036677A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Varanda, Marcelo, Jain, Gaurav, Heuvel, David Vanden, Stout, Craig A., Emery, Jeffery
• Application Number:
  US11/189,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036677A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45537 Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE I/O emulation G06F13/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A system and method for integrating a client with a host device where a client application has access to a user interface of the host device, the system having: a host independent engine adapted to provide an execution environment for the client application; a host native application adapted to provide access to a user interface on the host device; and a platform abstraction layer adapted to isolate the host independent engine and the host native application, the platform abstraction layer being configured to adapt host independent engine device calls to the host native application and adapt host native application calls to the host independent engine.

Claims

1. A system for integrating a client with a host device where a client application has access to a user interface of the host device, said system comprising:

a. a host independent engine adapted to provide an execution environment for the client application;

b. a host native application adapted to provide access to a user interface on the host device; and

c. a platform abstraction layer adapted to isolate said host independent engine and said host native application, said platform abstraction layer being configured to adapt host independent engine device calls to the host native application and adapt host native application calls to the host independent engine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said platform abstraction layer is configured to translate host independent engine device calls to the host native application and translate host native application calls to the host independent engine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said host independent engine device calls include user interface update events.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said host native application calls include user interface actions.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said host includes a native system for inputting symbols to a client from a host symbol table, the system further comprising:

a. a client symbol table in said platform abstraction layer conforming to the host symbol table.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said platform abstraction layer is adapted to map said host symbol table to said client symbol table.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said system further comprises a client grid displaying symbols from said client symbol table.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said platform abstraction layer is further adapted to add indicia of at least one keyboard key to said client grid, said platform abstraction layer further being adapted to provide said client grid with said added indicia to said host native application for display on the user interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said system is adapted to move a cursor to a corresponding symbol when a user actuates said at least one keyboard key.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said indicia are configured in accordance with a keyboard on said host device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said indicia configuration is a keyboard layout selected from the group consisting of a QWERTY keyboard layout, a DVORAK keyboard layout and a QWERTZ keyboard layout.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the host device is a wireless data device.

13. A system for inputting symbols to a client from a host, the host having a native system for inputting symbols from a host symbol table by navigating a host cursor to move between adjacent symbols displayed within a host grid, and to change host symbol pages, the host further having a keyboard, said system comprising:

a. a client symbol table conforming to the host symbol table;

b. a client grid displaying symbols from said client symbol table;

c. a cursor to move between adjacent symbols displayed within the client grid;

wherein the client grid further displays the indicia of at least one keyboard key such that when a user actuates one of said at least one keyboard key, the cursor jumps to the corresponding symbol.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said indicia are configured in accordance with a keyboard on said host device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said indicia configuration is a keyboard layout selected from the group consisting of a QWERTY keyboard layout, a DVORAK keyboard layout and a QWERTZ keyboard layout.

16. A method for integrating a client with a host device where a client application has access to a user interface of the host device, said method comprising the steps of:

a. executing the client applications on a host independent engine;

b. providing a user interface on the host device through a host native application; and

c. isolating said host independent engine from said host native application using a platform abstraction layer by adapting in said platform abstraction layer host independent engine device calls to the host native application and adapting in the platform abstraction layer host native application calls to the host independent engine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the adapting host independent engine device calls to the host native application step and the adapting host native application calls to the host independent engine step include translating host independent engine device calls to the host native application and host native application calls to the host independent engine.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said host independent engine device calls include user interface update events.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said host native application calls include user interface actions.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

mapping a host symbol table to a client symbol table in said platform abstraction layer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said further comprises the step of displaying symbols from said client symbol table on a client grid.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of adding indicia of at least one keyboard key to said client grid, and providing said client grid with said added indicia to said host native application for display on the user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of moving a cursor to a corresponding symbol when a user actuates said at least one keyboard key.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of configuring said indicia according to a keyboard layout, wherein keyboard layout is selected from the group consisting of a QWERTY keyboard layout, a DVORAK keyboard layout and a QWERTZ keyboard layout.

25. The method of any of claim 16, wherein the host device is a wireless data device.