User Interface and Method for Persistent Viewing of a User Selected Folder on a Mobile Device

• US 20090264158A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A mobile device includes a display having a plurality of display modes including a folder view display mode wherein a plurality of folders are viewable. An input device is operable to change the display mode of the display between the folder view display mode and other display modes. A memory within the mobile device stores a folder that has been previously identified for persistent viewing. A processor controls the operation of the mobile device such that after the folder previously identified for persistent viewing is stored in memory, when the folder view display mode is entered, the folder is automatically displayed on the display.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A method for persistent display of a folder of a folder structure displayable in a mobile device having a user interface, the method comprising:

entering a folder view display mode of the mobile device; and

automatically displaying the folder on the user interface of the mobile device, wherein the folder has been previously identified for persistent viewing.

33. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder that was most recently accessed by a user of the mobile device.

34. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder that was designated as a default folder for persistent viewing.

35. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder other than a top level folder of the folder structure.

36. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a top level folder of the folder structure.

37. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises one or more subfolders in a hierarchical structure and further wherein the folder with one or more subfolders and previously identified for persistent viewing is displayed as a collapsed folder.

38. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein contents of the folder previously identified for persistent viewing are automatically displayed when the folder view display mode is entered.

39. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a Mailbox folder of the folder structure.

40. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises an Outbox folder of the folder structure.

41. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a Sent Items folder of the folder structure.

42. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a Deleted Items folder of the folder structure.

43. A mobile device having a user interface for persistent display of a folder of a folder structure, the mobile device comprising:

means for entering a folder view display mode of the mobile device and

means for automatically displaying the folder on the user interface of the mobile device, wherein the folder has been previously identified for persistent viewing.

44. The mobile device as recited in claim 43 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder that was most recently accessed by a user of the mobile device.

45. The mobile device as recited in claim 43 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder that was designated as a default folder for persistent viewing.

46. The mobile device as recited in claim 43 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder other than a top level folder of the folder structure.

47. The mobile device as recited in claim 43 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a top level folder of the folder structure.

48. The mobile device as recited in claim 43 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises one or more subfolders in a hierarchical structure and further wherein the folder with one or more subfolders and previously identified for persistent viewing is displayed as a collapsed folder.

49. The mobile device as recited in claim 43 wherein contents of the folder previously identified for persistent viewing are automatically displayed when the folder view display mode is entered.

50. The mobile device as recited in claim 43 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises one of a Mailbox folder, an Inbox folder, an Outbox folder, a Sent Items folder, a Deleted Items folder and a Drafts folder of the folder structure.

51. A mobile device comprising:

a display having a plurality of display modes including a folder view display mode wherein a folder structure having one or more folders is viewable;

an input device operable to change the display mode of the display between the folder view display mode and other display modes;

a memory adapted to store folder that has been previously identified for persistent viewing; and

a processor coupled to the display, the input device and the memory for controlling the operation of the mobile device such that after the folder previously identified for persistent viewing is stored in the memory, when the folder view display mode is entered, the folder is automatically displayed on the display.

52. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the input device further comprises an input key adapted to interact with a menu on the display.

53. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the input device further comprises a track wheel adapted to interact with a menu on the display.

54. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder that was most recently accessed by a user of the mobile device.

55. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder that was designated as a default folder for persistent viewing.

56. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises one or more subfolders in a hierarchical structure and further wherein the folder with one or more subfolders and previously identified for persistent viewing is displayed as a collapsed folder.

57. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a top level folder of the folder structure.

58. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein contents of the folder previously identified for persistent viewing are automatically displayed when the folder view display mode is entered.

59. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises a folder other than a top level folder of the folder structure.

60. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the user selected folder contains communication events of a particular type.

61. The mobile device as recited in claim 51 wherein the folder previously identified for persistent viewing comprises one of a Mailbox folder, an Inbox folder, an Outbox folder, a Sent Items folder, a Deleted Items folder and a Drafts folder of the folder structure.