Method of searching for personal information management (PIM) information and handheld electronic device employing the same

• US 20060047644A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew D., Hardy, Michael T., Bredin, Robert J.T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953

Abstract

A method of searching for Personal Information Management information of a handheld electronic device includes accepting input of one or more search criteria, such as text search criteria and/or name search criteria; accepting input of a representation of a plurality of different databases or applications of the handheld electronic device including Personal Information Management information to be searched; and conducting a search of the different databases or applications based upon the one or more search criteria and the representation of different databases or applications. The method determines one or more search results from the search and displays those search results.

Claims

1. A method of searching for Personal Information Management information of a handheld electronic device, said method comprising:

accepting input of at least one search criteria;

accepting input of a representation of a plurality of components of said handheld electronic device including Personal Information Management information to be searched;

conducting a search of said components based upon said at least one search criteria and said representation of a plurality of components;

determining at least one search result from said search; and

displaying said at least one search result.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said at least one search criteria a text search criteria or a name search criteria.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said plurality of components at least some of a messages application, a calendar application, an address book application, a memos application and a tasks application.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said at least one search criteria a text search criteria and a name search criteria;

employing as said plurality of components at least a first component including a number of first items having a number of text fields and a number of name fields, and a second component including a number of second items having a number of text fields and a number of name fields;

matching said text search criteria against the text fields of said first and second items; and

matching said name search criteria against the name fields of said first and second items.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as one of said components an address book application of said handheld electronic device;

employing as said at least one search criteria a name search criteria; and

accepting input to select a name from said address book application as said name search criteria.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said at least one search criteria a text search criteria and a name search criteria;

conducting said search of said components based upon said text search criteria or said name search criteria; and

matching said at least one search result to at least one of said text search criteria and said name search criteria.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said at least one search criteria a text search criteria and a name search criteria;

conducting said search of said components based upon said text search criteria and said name search criteria; and

matching said at least one search result to both of said text search criteria and said name search criteria.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising

accepting input to select at least two of said plurality of components.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising

employing as said plurality of components at least some of a messages application, a calendar application, an address book application, a memos application and a tasks application.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising

after initiating said conducting a search of said components and before concluding said search, displaying at least one of said at least one search result.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising

employing as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

and

after said displaying at least one of said at least one search result, continuing to conduct said search and displaying another one of said search results.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising

canceling said search;

and

continuing said displaying at least one of said at least one search result.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising

employing as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

and

after said concluding said search, displaying all of said plurality of search results.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying as said representation of a plurality of components a plurality of check boxes corresponding to said components;

accepting input from at least two of said check boxes; and

conducting said search based upon said at least one search criteria and said input from at least two of said check boxes.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

employing as said representation of a plurality of components a representation of at least a first one of said components and a second one of said components;

displaying a first group of said search results associated with said first one of said components; and

separately displaying a second group of said search results associated with said second one of said components.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said components a plurality of different applications;

employing as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

displaying said search results on a search results screen;

for each of said different applications, interacting with each of said search results from a corresponding one of said different applications in a corresponding manner; and

for each of said search results of said search results screen, interacting with a corresponding one of said search results in the same corresponding manner as said corresponding manner of said corresponding one of said different applications.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying a screen including a plurality of search entry fields and a plurality of representations of components to be searched;

accepting input of at least one of said search entry fields and at least some of said representations of components to be searched;

displaying a menu associated with said screen; and

accepting input to start said search from said menu.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising

accepting input of a plurality of search criteria as said at least one search criteria;

accepting input from a menu item to start said search based upon said plurality of search criteria and said plurality of components; and

displaying a search results screen including as said at least one search result a plurality of search results.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said components a plurality of different applications;

employing as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

displaying said search results on a search results screen;

for each of said different applications, displaying each of said search results from a corresponding one of said different applications in a corresponding manner; and

for each of said search results of said search results screen, displaying a corresponding one of said search results in the same corresponding manner as said corresponding manner of said corresponding one of said different applications.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying with said at least one search result a status of said search;

and

including as said status one of an in progress status, a canceled status and a completed status.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying with said at least one search result a completed status of said search and a total count of matches therefor.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising

employing as said components a plurality of different applications;

employing as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

displaying said search results on a search results screen; and

for each of said components of said search results screen, displaying a count of matches for a corresponding one of said components.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying with said at least one search result a percentage of said search that is completed and one of a canceled status and an in progress status.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising

employing as said components a plurality of different applications;

employing as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

displaying said search results on a search results screen; and

for each of said components of said search results screen, displaying a count of matches for a corresponding one of said components.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying an icon associated with said search on a home screen;

and

accepting input to launch said search from said icon.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying an icon associated with an application program on a home screen;

accepting input to launch said application program from said icon;

displaying a menu including a search menu item from said launched application program; and

accepting input to launch said search from said menu item.

27. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor circuit including a plurality of routines and a memory having a plurality of components with Personal Information Management information;

an input circuit cooperating with said processor circuit; and

a display circuit cooperating with said processor circuit,

wherein at least one of said routines is adapted to input from said input circuit at least one search criteria for said Personal Information Management information and a representation of at least some of said components to be searched in said memory, to conduct a search of said memory based upon said at least one search criteria and said representation of at least some of said components to be searched, to determine at least one search result from said search, and to display at said display circuit said at least one search result.

28. The handheld electronic device of claim 27 wherein said input circuit comprises a QWERTY keypad and a thumbwheel.

29. The handheld electronic device of claim 27 wherein said components to be searched are a plurality of different applications;

wherein some of said routines are said plurality of different applications;

wherein said at least one search criteria includes a text search criteria and a name search criteria;

wherein said plurality of different applications include at least a first application including a number of first items having a number of text fields and a number of name fields, and a second application including a number of second items having a number of text fields and a number of name fields; and

wherein said at least one of said routines is further adapted to match said text search criteria against the text fields of said first and second items, and to match said name search criteria against the name fields of said first and second items.

30. The handheld electronic device of claim 27 wherein said at least one search criteria includes a text search criteria and a name search criteria;

wherein said at least one of said routines is further adapted to conduct said search of said memory based upon said text search criteria or said name search criteria, and to match said at least one search result to at least one of said text search criteria and said name search criteria.

31. The handheld electronic device of claim 27 wherein said at least one search criteria includes a text search criteria and a name search criteria;

wherein said at least one of said routines is further adapted to conduct said search of said memory based upon said text search criteria and said name search criteria, and to match said at least one search result to both of said text search criteria and said name search criteria.

32. The handheld electronic device of claim 27 wherein said plurality of components to be searched include a plurality of application databases in said memory including at least some of a messages application database, a calendar application database, an address book application database, a memos application database and a tasks application database.

33. A method of searching for information of a handheld electronic device, said method comprising:

accepting input of at least one search criteria;

accepting input of a representation of a plurality of components of said handheld electronic device including information to be searched;

conducting a search of said components based upon said at least one search criteria and said representation of a plurality of components;

determining at least one search result from said search; and

displaying said at least one search result.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising

employing as said plurality of components a plurality of different application routines.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising

employing as said at least one search criteria at least one of a text search criteria and a name search criteria.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising

displaying as said at least one search result a plurality of search results;

employing as said representation of a plurality of components a representation of at least a first one of said components and a second one of said components;

displaying a first group of said search results including at least a first count of matches associated with said first one of said components;

separately displaying a second group of said search results including at least a second count of matches associated with said second one of said components; and

accepting input to expand one of said first and second groups to display individual items of said one of said first and second groups.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising

accepting input to directly manipulate one of said individual items of said one of said first and second groups.