Method and apparatus for providing minimal status display

• US 8,595,630 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2010
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Brown, Michael Stephen, Little, Herbert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEATON, SHERROD L
• Application Number:
  US12/754,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788, 715/835, 715/741, 715/752
• US Class Current: 715/752
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for a user of a mobile wireless communications device to have the option of viewing security status messages in a large or small format depending upon the user'"'"'s preferences, form factor of the mobile communications device, or the like. In accordance with an exemplary aspect of the invention, a user may opt to display status icons on one row of a display and include an abbreviated text associated with each icon that is displayed when a particular icon is highlighted by the user. If no icon is highlighted by the user, the most important status text (determined based on predetermined criteria) is displayed. The user has the option of switching to a large status display to view additional information relating to the status icons.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving the secured electronic message at the mobile device, the mobile device being configured to provide at least a large status display mode and a small status display mode;

upon determining that the small status display mode is user-selected, displaying a plurality of security status icons on the display in a small status display format in which the security status icons are resized, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, displaying text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with a selected security status icon, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, displaying text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with a most important security status icon of the plurality of security status icons, the most important security status icon determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message, wherein text corresponding to any of the plurality of security status icons that is not the most important security status icon is not displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the selected security status icon or the most important security status icon are displayed in one line on the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the selected security status icon or the most important security status icon are displayed in a horizontal row on the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile wireless communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority scheme indicates that a security status of the secured electronic message is of highest importance, and wherein the most important security status icon is associated with the security status of the secured electronic message that is of highest importance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the security selected status icon is abbreviated using keywords before the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the security selected status icon is displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises two icons selected from the following group:

an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected comprises determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is highlighted using a cursor.

10. A mobile device configured to display a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with the mobile device, the mobile device comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the secured electronic message at the mobile device, the mobile device being configured to provide at least a large status display mode and a small status display mode;

upon determining that the small status display mode is user-selected, display a plurality of security status icons on the display in a small status display format in which the security status icons are resized, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

determine whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, display text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with a selected security status icon, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, display text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with a most important security status icon of the plurality of security status icons, the most important security status icon determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message, wherein text corresponding to any of the plurality of security status icons that is not the most important security status icon is not displayed.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the selected security status icon or the most important security status icon in one line on the display.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of security status icons and the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the selected security status icon or the most important security status icon in a horizontal row on the display.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile wireless communications device.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the priority scheme indicates that a security status of the secured electronic message is of highest importance, and wherein the most important security status message is associated with the security status of the secured electronic message that is of highest importance.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to abbreviate the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the security selected status icon using keywords before displaying the text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with the security selected status icon.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of security status icons comprises two icons selected from the following group:

an encryption icon, a signature status icon, and a trust status icon.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected by determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is highlighted using a cursor.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the processor to display a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with the mobile device, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the secured electronic message at the mobile device, the mobile device being configured to provide at least a large status display mode and a small status display mode;

upon determining that the small status display mode is user-selected, display a plurality of security status icons on the display in a small status display format in which the security status icons are resized, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

determine whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, display text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with a selected security status icon, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, display text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with a most important security status icon of the plurality of security status icons, the most important security status icon determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message, wherein text corresponding to any of the plurality of security status icons that is not the most important security status icon is not displayed.

20. A mobile device configured to display a status of a secured electronic message on a display associated with the mobile device, the mobile device comprising:

means for receiving the secured electronic message at the mobile device, the mobile device being configured to provide at least a large status display mode and a small status display mode;

means for, upon determining that the small status display mode is user-selected, displaying a plurality of security status icons on the display in a small status display format in which the security status icons are resized, each of the plurality of security status icons being associated with a security status of the secured electronic message;

means for determining whether one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected;

means for displaying text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic message associated with a selected security status icon upon determining that one of the plurality of security status icons is user-selected, wherein text corresponding to any non-selected security status icon is not displayed; and

means for displaying text corresponding to the security status of the secured electronic status message associated with a most important security status icon of the plurality of security status icons upon determining that none of the plurality of security status icons are user-selected, the most important security status icon determined based on a priority scheme and at least one security status of the secured electronic message, wherein text corresponding to any of the plurality of security status icons that is not the most important security status icon is not displayed.