METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MINIMAL STATUS DISPLAY

• US 20100211888A1
• Filed: 04/05/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• 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 8,595,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• 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. A method of displaying a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving the secured electronic message at the mobile device;

displaying a plurality of security status icons on the display, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, displaying text corresponding to a selected security status icon, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, displaying text corresponding to a most important security status message, the most important security status message determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the selected security status icon or the most important security status message are displayed in one line on the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the selected security status icon or the most important security status message are displayed in a horizontal row on the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile wireless communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority scheme indicates that an error message associated with a security status of the secured electronic message is of highest importance, and wherein the most important security status message comprises the error message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the text corresponding to the security selected status icon is abbreviated using keywords before the text corresponding to the security selected status icon is displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises two icons selected from the following group:

an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected comprises determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is highlighted using a cursor.

10. A mobile device configured to display a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with the mobile device, the mobile device comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the secured electronic message at the mobile device;

display a plurality of security status icons on the display, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

determine whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, display text corresponding to a selected security status icon, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, display text corresponding to a most important security status message, the most important security status message determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the selected security status icon or the most important security status message in one line on the display.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the selected security status icon or the most important security status message in a horizontal row on the display.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile wireless communications device.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the priority scheme indicates that an error message associated with a security status of the secured electronic message is of highest importance, and wherein the most important security status message comprises the error message.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to abbreviate the text corresponding to the security selected status icon using keywords before displaying the text corresponding to the security selected status icon.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises two icons selected from the following group:

an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected by determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is highlighted using a cursor.

19. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the processor to display a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with the mobile device, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the secured electronic message at the mobile device;

display a plurality of security status icons on the display, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

determine whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, display text corresponding to a selected security status icon, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, display text corresponding to a most important security status message, the most important security status message determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message.

20. A mobile device configured to display a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with the mobile device, the mobile device comprising:

means for receiving the secured electronic message at the mobile device;

means for displaying a plurality of security status icons on the display, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

means for determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

means for displaying text corresponding to a selected security status icon upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

means for displaying text corresponding to a most important security status message upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, the most important security status message determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message.