Handheld Electronic Device and Associated Method Providing Time Data in a Messaging Environment

• US 20170034104A1
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: KLASSEN, Gerhard Dietrich, WORMALD, Christopher R., KUHL, Lawrence Edward
• Granted Patent: US 10,708,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/02 manually operated with input through keyboard and computation using a built-in program, e.g. pocket calculators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which time data regarding certain aspects of a messaging conversation on a handheld electronic device are made available to a user. Such time data is provided, for instance, in situations where an interruption has occurred during a messaging conversation. Time data can also be provided to a user on demand in certain circumstances.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method of displaying an instant message conversation on an electronic device, the instant message conversation comprising a plurality of instant messages exchanged between the electronic device and a second electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a first instant message at a first time at the electronic device from the second electronic device;

displaying at least a portion of the first instant message on a display of the electronic device;

receiving a second instant message at a second time at the electronic device from the second electronic device;

displaying at least a portion of the second instant message on the display of the electronic device; and

displaying a time stamp representative of the second time only when an amount of time that has elapsed between the first time and the second time is more than a predetermined duration of time.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the time stamp representative of the second time is displayed adjacent the second instant message.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the time stamp representative of the second time is displayed as a relative time.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the time stamp representative of the second time is an active time stamp which changes to reflect a progression of time.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising displaying the time stamp representative of the second time as an absolute time if a second predetermined duration of time has lapsed since the second time.

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

detecting a change in date; and

responsive to detecting the change in date, displaying at least one of the time stamp representative of the first time and the time stamp representative of the second time as a time of day and a date.

46. An electronic device for displaying an instant message conversation, the instant message conversation comprising a plurality of instant messages exchanged between the electronic device and a second electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a display;

a memory; and

a processor electronically coupled with the display and the memory, the processor configured to;

receive a first instant message at a first time at the electronic device from the second electronic device;

display at least a portion of the first instant message on the display of the electronic device;

receive a second instant message at a second time at the electronic device from the second electronic device;

display at least a portion of the second instant message on the display of the electronic device; and

display a time stamp representative of the second time only when an amount of time that has elapsed between the first time and the second time is more than a predetermined duration of time.

47. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the time stamp representative of the second time is displayed adjacent the second instant message.

48. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the time stamp representative of the second time is displayed as a relative time.

49. The electronic device of claim 48, wherein the time stamp representative of the second time is an active time stamp which changes to reflect a progression of time.

50. The electronic device of claim 48, wherein the processor is further configured to display the time stamp representative of the second time as an absolute time if a second predetermined duration of time has lapsed since the second time.

51. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a change in date; and

responsive to detecting the change in date, display at least one of the time stamp representative of the first time and the time stamp representative of the second time as a time of day and a date.

52. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embedded thereon for execution by a processor of an electronic device for displaying an instant message conversation upon a display of the electronic device, the instant message conversation comprising a plurality of instant messages exchanged between the electronic device and a second electronic device, such that when executed, the processor:

on receipt of a first instant message at a first time between the electronic device and the second electronic device;

outputs at least a portion of the first instant message on the display of the electronic device;

on receipt of a second instant message at a second time between the electronic device and the second electronic device;

outputs at least a portion of the second instant message on the display of the electronic device; and

outputs a time stamp representative of the second time of the received second message on the display of the electronic device only when an amount of time that has elapsed between the first time and the second time is more than a predetermined duration of time.

53. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 52, wherein the time stamp representative of the second time is displayed adjacent the second instant message.

57. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 52, further comprising computer instructions such that when executed cause the processor to:

detect a change in date; and

responsive to detecting the change in date, display at least one of the time stamp representative of the first time and the time stamp representative of the second time as a time of day and a date.