System and method for organizing application indicators on an electronic device

• US 8,037,421 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Mousseau, Gary P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin; Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US11/246,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 715/866, 715/864, 715/811, 715/789, 715/788
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

A device for and a method of dynamically refreshing presentation of icons for objects processed on an electronic device are provided. The method comprises: establishing a triggering event to initiate refreshment of a layout of the icons displayed on a display in the device; upon detection of the triggering event, creating a ranking of the objects processed by the device utilizing activity logs providing their recent levels of activity; identifying a most frequently processed object from the ranking; and automatically refreshing the layout of icons to highlight an icon associated with the most frequently processed object. The device incorporates modules to perform the method.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically refreshing presentation of icons for different applications for generation on a display of a mobile communication electronic device, said icons including a first icon for a telephone application operating on said device and a second icon for an email application operating on said device, the method comprising:

providing a first template for a layout of said icons having a first trigger condition based on a time condition for said device, said layout of said icons including a fixed icon layout where one icon of said icons is automatically placed in a prominent location on said display and other icons are placed in ranked order in said display according to their respective activity levels;

providing a second template for said layout of said icons having a second trigger condition based on a location condition for said device;

providing a third template for said layout of said icons having a third trigger condition based on a periodic interval of time for said device;

automatically refreshing said layout of said icons to highlight an icon associated with a more frequently used communication technology using one of said first, second or third templates when one of said first, second or third trigger conditions is detected by said device, otherwise automatically refreshing said layout of said icons to highlight an icon associated with said more frequently used communication technology;

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to list options for said first, second or third triggering conditions and options for said layout of said icons, said GUI including an interface to allow for entry of a selection of a format for said layout of said icons and to allow for entry for a parameter for said first, second or third trigger conditions; and

providing in said GUI an interface to allow entry of a selection of a format for said layout of icons and to allow for entry for a parameter for a triggering event for said format.

2. The method of dynamically refreshing presentation of icons as claimed in claim 1, wherein said more frequently used communication technology is determined by analyzing at least a first activity log associated with said telephone application and a second activity log associated with said email application and utilizing a subset of data in said first and second activity logs filtered to exclude entries older than a certain timestamp.

3. The method of dynamically refreshing presentation of icons as claimed in claim 1, wherein said refreshing said layout of said icons involves placing said icon in said prominent location on said display and placing a set of icons associated with a set of next most frequently used applications from said applications in next most prominent locations on said display.

4. The method of dynamically refreshing presentation of icons as claimed in claim 1, wherein said refreshing said layout of said icons involves emphasizing visual aspects of said icon over other icons shown on said display.

11. The method of dynamically refreshing presentation of icons as claimed in claim 1, wherein said icon manager application generates a confirmation notice on said display prior to refreshing said layout.

5. A communication device comprising:

a display;

a communication system to transmit and receive telephone calls and email transmissions for said device;

a telephone application to process said telephone calls using said communication system and to track activity relating to said telephone calls in a first activity log;

an email application to process said email transmissions using said communication system and to track activity relating to said email transmissions in a second activity log;

a memory device to store and update said first and second activity logs;

an icon manager application for

generating a layout of icons in a graphical user interface (GUI) on said display, said icons including a first icon for said telephone application and a second icon for said email application on said display, said layout of said icons including a fixed icon layout where one icon of said icons is automatically placed in a prominent location on said display and other icons are placed in ranked order in said display according to their respective activity levels;

tracking time and location trigger parameters for refreshing said layout;

providing a first template for said layout of said icons having a first trigger condition based on at least a time condition for said device;

providing a second template for said layout of said icons having a second trigger condition based on at least a location condition for said device;

providing a third template for said layout of said icons having a third trigger condition based on a periodic interval of time for said device;

analyzing said first and second activity logs to identify a more frequently used communication technology between said telephone and email applications from said ranking;

automatically refreshing said layout of said icons to highlight an icon associated with a more frequently used communication technology using one of said first, second or third templates when one of said first, second or third trigger conditions is detected by said device otherwise automatically refreshing said layout of said of icons to highlight an icon associated with said more frequently used communication technology; and

providing in said GUI an interface to allow entry of a selection of a format for said layout of icons and to allow for entry for a parameter for a triggering event for said format.

6. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said icon manager application utilizes a subset of data in said first and second activity logs to identify said more frequently used communication technology, said subset of data filtered to exclude records older than a certain timestamp.

7. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said layout of said icons is refreshed to place said icon in said prominent location on said display and to place a set icons associated with a set of next most frequently used communication technologies from said communication technologies in next most prominent locations on said display.

8. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said layout of said icons is refreshed to emphasize visual aspects of said icon over other icons shown on said display.

9. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said fixed icon layout is set through said GUI to be active for at least one of an adjustable, specific time range and when said device is at a specific location.

10. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said icon manager application generates a confirmation notice on said display prior to refreshing said layout.

12. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said icon manager application removes icons of the least used applications from the display and provides access to same through a menu option.

13. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said first template provides another trigger condition based on a location condition; and

said icon manager application uses said another trigger condition in determining when to refresh said layout of icons.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said icon manager application refreshes said layout by placing one of said first or second icons in a predetermined location in said display regardless of usage data.

15. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first template generates in said GUI a first set of choices for presentation of said icons and a second set of choices for said first trigger condition.

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said icon manager application places remaining icons in said layout in a ranked order in said display according to their respective activity levels.

17. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said GUI provides an interface to allow selection of a size of icon for said layout of said icons and a further interface to allow entry of a ranking method for said layout of said icons.

18. The communication device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said GUI provides a fourth template for said layout of said icons having a fourth trigger condition based on a state condition, said state condition including an “

at work”

state for a user of said device.