System and method for interrupt control on a handheld device

• US 8,005,496 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wormald, Christopher R., Hardy, Michael Thomas, Klassen, Gerhard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez; Julio
• Application Number:
  US12/176,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20090061826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 455/507, 455/508, 455/466, 455/404.1, 379/93.09, 379/100, 379/12, 379/93.35, 709/204, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 455/507
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

An interrupt message is sent over one of a plurality of transport mediums from a first mobile device to a second mobile device. The interrupt message may include a first mobile device identifier associated with a transport medium that is independent of the plurality of transport mediums. Upon receipt of the interrupt message at the second mobile device an interruption of any current mobile device operation may occur to notify a user of the interrupt message.

Claims

1. A method of providing an interrupt message, comprising:

receiving an input selecting a message recipient to receive the interrupt message;

automatically selecting one of a plurality of data transport mediums over which to send the interrupt message to the selected recipient;

sending the interrupt message over the automatically selected one of the plurality of the data transport mediums, the interrupt message including a first mobile device identifier associated with another one of the plurality of data transport mediums, the automatically selected one of the plurality of data transport mediums being a different type of transport medium than the another one of the plurality of data transport mediums;

receiving a second message over one of the plurality of transport mediums;

determining if the second message is a reply to the interrupt message; and

if the second message is a reply to the interrupt message, then associating the reply with the interrupt message, wherein the reply and the interrupt message are sent over different ones of the plurality of transport mediums.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device identifier is a PIN identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply includes an acknowledge message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply includes an automatic delivery notification message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply is delivered over the transport medium associated with the first mobile device identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reply includes a peer-to-peer communication established over the transport medium associated with the first mobile device identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at a second mobile device:

receiving the interrupt message over the automatically selected transport medium; and

in response to the interrupt message, interrupting one or more current operations to notify a user of the interrupt message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically selected one of the plurality of data transport mediums and the another one of the plurality of data transport mediums are from the group consisting of email, PIN and SMS.

9. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a communication program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, when executed the communication program being configured to;

receive an input to select a message recipient to receive an interrupt message;

automatically select one of a plurality of data transport mediums over which to send the interrupt message to the selected recipient;

send the interrupt message over the automatically selected one of the plurality of the data transport mediums, the interrupt message including a first mobile device identifier associated with another one of the plurality of data transport mediums, the automatically selected one of the plurality of data transport mediums being a different type of transport medium than the another one of the plurality of data transport mediums;

receive a second message over one of the plurality of transport mediums;

determine if the second message is a reply to the interrupt message; and

if the second message is a reply to the interrupt message, then associating the reply with the interrupt message, wherein the reply and the interrupt message are sent over different ones of the plurality of transport mediums.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the first mobile device identifier is a PIN identifier.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the reply includes an acknowledge message.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the reply includes an automatic delivery notification message.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the reply is delivered over the transport medium associated with the first mobile device identifier.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the reply includes a peer-to-peer communication established over the transport medium associated with the first mobile device identifier.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the automatically selected one of the plurality of data transport mediums and the another one of the plurality of data transport mediums are from the group consisting of email, PIN and SMS.