Method for prompting user confirmation

• US 8,307,307 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wilson, Sean David Drew, Pacey, Carl Edward Kilgour, Wong, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US11/420,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,357 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/800, 715/823, 715/835, 709/206, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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

Prompting user confirmation of an action in a display window on a display of a mobile electronic device including displaying a pair of soft key icons, receiving a request to initiate an action from a user and displaying a confirmation message to confirm that a user wishes to proceed with the action. When the confirmation message is displayed, the pair of soft key icons are modified to create a pair of updated soft key icons. The receiving of the request may include detection of a soft key event. The updated soft key icons provide a first response and a second response to the confirmation message for selection by the user. The soft key icons and updated soft key icons may be displayed at the bottom portion of the display in a manner that does not obstruct the display window.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile electronic device having an active application for which a main window is displayed on a display, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying at least two soft key icons;

assigning an action of the active application to one of the at least two soft key icons;

receiving a request to initiate the action of the active application from said one soft key icon;

displaying a new window on the display in response to receiving said request;

wherein displaying the new window comprises resizing said main window to accommodate said new window in response to receiving said request, and

wherein the displaying of the new window includes maintaining said main window as a current active element for editing within said main window, including permitting further actions within said main window, wherein the permitted further actions comprise editing text within the main window;

displaying a confirmation message in said new window to confirm proceeding with said action, wherein said soft key icons are displayed at a bottom portion of said display and said confirmation message is displayed adjacent and above said soft key icons; and

modifying said at least two soft key icons including said one of the at least two soft key icons to display at least two updated soft key icons, said at least two updated soft key icons providing a first response and a second response to said confirmation message for selection by the user, wherein said first response is associated with confirmation of said action and said second response is associated with abandonment of said action.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving includes detecting a soft key event associated with said one of the at least two soft key icons and determining a soft key identifier associated with said one of the at least two soft key icons.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said active application comprises a wireless data communication application, and wherein said action comprises a send message action.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said editing comprises editing text of a message within the main window.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting an updated soft key event associated with one of the at least two updated soft key icons.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of, if said updated soft key event is associated with said first response, performing said action, and, if said updated soft key event is associated with said second response, removing said confirmation message from said display.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device includes a hand-held device.

8. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a processor for controlling operation of the mobile electronic device;

a display for displaying a main window and for displaying at least two soft key icons;

an active application executed by the processor, said active application having said main window displayed on the display;

a user input device for receiving a request to initiate an action of the active application, wherein said action is assigned to one of the at least two soft key icons; and

a module executed by the processor responsive to reception of said request, the module including components for instructing said display to display a new window on the display in response to receiving said request, including resizing said main window to accommodate said new window in response to receiving said request,

wherein the displaying of the new window includes maintaining said display main window as a current active element for editing within said main window, wherein further actions are permitted within said main window, wherein the permitted further actions comprise editing text within the main window,

wherein a confirmation message is displayed in the new window to confirm proceeding with said action, wherein said soft key icons are displayed at a bottom portion of said display and said confirmation message is displayed adjacent and above said soft key icons, and

wherein said at least two soft key icons are modified to include said one of the at least two soft key icons to create at least two updated soft key icons in association with said confirmation message, said at least two updated soft key icons providing a first response and a second response to said confirmation message for selection by the user, wherein said first response is associated with confirmation of said action and said second response is associated with abandonment of said action.

9. The mobile electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said user input device comprises soft key buttons and said request comprises a soft key event triggered when a user depresses said soft key buttons.

10. The mobile electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said user input device comprises a stylus and said request comprises a soft key event triggered when a user selects said one of the at least two soft key icons using said stylus.

11. The mobile electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said active application comprises a wireless data communication application, and wherein said action comprises a send message action.

12. The mobile electronic device of claim 11 wherein said editing comprises editing text of a message within the main window.

13. The mobile electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said module further includes a component for detecting an updated soft key event associated with one of the at least two updated soft key icons.

14. The mobile electronic device according to claim 13, wherein said module is adapted to cause said action to be performed if said updated soft key event is associated with said first response.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable instructions for operating a mobile electronic device, the mobile electronic device having an active application for which a main window is displayed on a display, said instructions comprising:

instructions for displaying at least two soft key icons;

instructions for assigning an action of the active application to one of the at least two soft key icons;

instructions for receiving a request to initiate said action from said one soft key icon;

instructions for displaying a new window on the display in response to receiving said request;

wherein said instructions for displaying the new window include instructions for resizing said main window to accommodate said new window, and

wherein the displaying of the new window includes maintaining said main window as a current active element for editing within said main window, including permitting further actions within said main window, wherein the permitted further actions comprise editing text within the main window;

instructions for displaying a confirmation message in said new window to confirm proceeding with said action, wherein said soft key icons are displayed at a bottom portion of said display and said confirmation message is displayed adjacent and above said soft key icons; and

instructions for modifying said at least two soft key icons including said one of the at least two soft key icons to display at least two updated soft key icons, said at least two updated soft key icons providing a first response and a second response to said confirmation message for selection by the user, wherein said first response is associated with confirmation of said action and said second response is associated with abandonment of said action.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said instructions for receiving includes instructions for detecting a soft key event associated with said one of the at least two soft key icons and instructions for determining a soft key identifier associated with said one of the at least two soft key icons.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said active application comprises a wireless data communication application, and wherein said action comprises a send message action.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for detecting an updated soft key event associated with one of the at least two updated soft key icons.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising instructions for, if said updated soft key event is associated with said first response, performing said action, and, if said updated soft key event is associated with said second response, removing said confirmation message from said display.