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

• US 7,603,447 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hodgson, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US11/188,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

A system and method for propagating device settings to a data communications client from a host on a mobile device, the system having at least one host application adapted to operate on the mobile device host and further adapted to change device settings on the mobile device; a notification means adapted to notify the data communications client of device settings changes on the mobile device; a mode setting at the data communications client, the mode setting adapted to indicate whether client applications on the data communications client should use device settings from the host; and a client settings application adapted to receive a notification from the notification means and change device settings for the client applications if the mode setting indicates the client applications should use device settings from the host.

Claims

1. A host device certified for operation in a wireless network, the host device comprising:

a number of host device dependent features for controlling the host device;

at least one host application configured to interface with the host device dependent features in order to operate the host device, the host device dependent features and host applications being certified for operation in the wireless network;

a data communications client comprising a virtual machine executing a number of client applications using a client operating system, wherein, in order to invoke the certified host device dependent features, the client operating system communicates with one or more of the certified host applications, at least one of the host applications being further adapted to change device settings on the host device;

a notification means configured to notify the data communications client of device settings changes on the host device in order to propagate device settings to the data communications client;

a mode setting at the data communications client, said mode setting configured to indicate whether client applications on the data communications client should use device settings from said host device; and

a client settings application in the data communications client configured to receive a notification from the notification means and change device settings for said client applications if said mode setting indicates said client applications should use device settings from said host device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the notification means includes a listener at said host, said listener adapted to monitor said host applications for device settings changes.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said listener is further adapted to notify the client settings application.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the notification means includes a polling application located at said data communications client, said polling application adapted to poll said at least one host application to determine whether a device settings change has been made.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a graphical user interface monitor adapted to determine when a client application has taken control of a graphical user interface on the host device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said polling application polls said at least one host application when said graphical user interface monitor determines that the client application has taken control of the graphical user interface on the host device.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising an abstraction layer and a native interface layer between said at least one host application and said client settings application, said abstraction layer and native interface layer configured for a particular host application, allowing said data communications client to communicate with the particular host application.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the mode setting is a flag that is persisted.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a conflict resolution application, said conflict resolution application configured to provide an alternative supported setting if said data communications client does not support a setting set at said at least one host application.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said conflict resolution application includes one of a mapping table to map unsupported settings with the alternative supported setting and a prompting a user to select the alternative supported setting.

11. A method of operating a host device certified for operation in a wireless network, the method comprising:

arranging for a client operating system, the client operating system being on a data communications client comprising a virtual machine executing a number of client applications for controlling the host device using the client operating system, to communicate with one or more certified host applications in order to invoke certified host device dependent features for controlling the host device;

changing device settings on the host device using at least one host application which interfaces with a host device dependent feature for controlling a host device;

notifying the data communications client of device settings changes on the host device;

checking a mode setting at the data communications client to determine whether device settings changed at the host device should be propagated to the data communications client; and

if the checking step determines changes should be propagated, changing device settings for said data communications client.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the notifying step includes listening for changes at said host, said listening step monitoring said host applications for device settings changes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said notifying step notifies the data communications client when said listening step finds device settings changes have occurred.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the notifying step polls from said data communications client said at least one host application to determine whether a change in device settings has occurred.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said polling step is activated when a client application has taken control of a graphical user interface on the host device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising a translating step, the translating step occurring in an abstraction layer and a native interface layer between said host and the data communications client, said translating step allowing a particular host application to communicate with the data communications client.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the checking step checks a flag at a preset memory location.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of resolving conflicts before said changing step, said resolving conflicts step providing an alternative supported setting to said data communications client if said data communications client does not support a setting set in said changing step.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said conflict resolving step chooses the alternative supported setting from a mapping table that maps unsupported settings with the alternative supported setting.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the conflict resolving step prompts a user to select the alternative supported setting.