System and method for organizing application indicators on an electronic device

• US 8,898,594 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Mousseau, Gary P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/196,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 715/811, 715/864
• 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 refreshing presentation of icons for objects processed on an electronic device are provided. The method comprises: providing a first template for a layout of the icons having a first trigger condition based on a time for the device, the layout of the icons including a first icon layout where an icon of the icons is placed in a first location on the display and other icons are placed in ranked order in the display according to their respective activity levels; providing a second template for the layout of the icons having a second trigger condition based on a location condition for the device; refreshing the layout of the icons to highlight an icon associated with a more frequently used communication technology using one of the first or second templates when either of the first or second trigger conditions is detected by the device; and providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to list options for the first or second triggering conditions, the GUI including an interface to allow entry of a selection of a format for the layout of icons and to allow for entry for a parameter for a triggering event for the format.

Claims

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

providing a first template for a layout of the icons having a first trigger condition based on a time for the mobile communication device, the layout of the icons including a first icon layout where an icon of the icons is placed in a first location on the display and other icons are placed in ranked order in the display according to respective activity levels of their associated applications;

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

refreshing the layout of the icons to highlight an icon associated with a more frequently used communication technology using one of the first or second templates when either of the first or second trigger conditions is detected by the mobile communication device; and

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) to list options for the first or second triggering conditions, the GUI including an interface to allow entry of a selection of a format for the layout of icons and to allow for entry for a parameter for a triggering event for the format.

2. The method of updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a third template for the layout of the icons having a third trigger condition based on a periodic interval of time for the mobile communication device.

3. The method of updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 1, wherein the more frequently used communication technology is determined by analyzing a first activity log associated with the telephone application and a second activity log associated with the email application.

4. The method of updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refreshing the layout of the icons involves placing a set of icons associated with a set of next most frequently used applications from the applications in next most prominent locations on the display.

5. The method of updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refreshing the layout of the icons involves emphasizing visual aspects of the icon over other icons shown on the display.

6. The method of updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 1, further comprising generating a confirmation notice on the display prior to refreshing the layout.

7. A communication device comprising:

a display;

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

a microprocessor;

a memory device to store and update first and second activity logs, the memory device containing

a telephone application providing instructions to the microprocessor to process the telephone calls using the communication system and to track activity relating to the telephone calls in the first activity log;

an email application providing instructions to the microprocessor to process the email transmissions using the communication system and to track activity relating to the email transmissions in the second activity log;

an icon manager application for providing instructions to the microprocessor to

generate a list options for first and second triggering conditions to update a layout of the icons in a display of a mobile communication device, an interface to allow for entry of a selection of a format for the layout of the icons and for entry for a parameter for a triggering event for the format;

provide a first template for the layout of the icons for the first trigger condition based on a time condition for the mobile communication device; and

provide a second template for the layout of the icons for the second trigger condition based on a location condition for the communication device.

8. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the icon manager application provides further instructions to utilize a subset of data in the first and second activity logs to identify the more frequently used communication technology, the subset of data filtered to exclude records older than a certain timestamp.

9. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the icon manager application provides further instructions to:

refresh the layout of the icons to highlight an icon associated with a more frequently used communication technology of the telephone application or the email application using one of the first or second templates when one of the first or second trigger conditions is detected by the communication device otherwise refreshing the layout of the of icons to highlight an icon associated with the more frequently used communication technology.

10. The communication device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the layout of the icons is refreshed to place the icon in the first location on the display and to place a set icons associated with a set of next most frequently used communication technologies from the communication technologies in next most prominent locations on the display.

11. The communication device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the layout of the icons is refreshed to emphasize visual aspects of the icon over other icons shown on the display.

12. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the layout of the icons is set through a graphical user interface and is set to be active for at least one of a time range or when the mobile communication device is at a specific location.

13. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the icon manager application provides further instructions to remove icons of the least used applications from the display and provides access to same through a menu option.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

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

the icon manager application provides further instructions to use the another trigger condition in determining when to refresh the layout of icons.

15. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a graphical user interface provides an interface to allow selection of a size of icon for the layout of the icons and a further interface to allow entry of a ranking method for the layout of the icons.

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a graphical user interface provides a template for the layout of the icons having a trigger condition based on a state condition, the state condition including an “

at work”

state for a user of the communication device.

17. A method for updating presentation of icons for applications on a display of a mobile communication device, the icons including a first icon for a telephone application operating on the mobile communication device and a second icon for an email application operating on the mobile communication device, the method comprising:

generating in a graphical user interface (GUI), a list options for first and second triggering conditions to update a layout of the icons in the display and an interface to allow for entry of a selection of a format for a layout of the icons and for a parameter for a triggering event for the format;

providing a first template for the layout of the icons for the first trigger condition based on a time condition for the mobile communication device; and

providing a second template for the layout of the icons for the second trigger condition based on a location condition for the mobile communication device,

wherein the layout of the icons includes a first icon layout where an icon of the icons is placed in a first location on the display and other icons are placed in ranked order in the display according to respective activity levels of their associated applications.

18. The method for updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

refreshing the layout of the icons to highlight an icon associated with a more frequently used communication technology using one of the first or second templates when one of the first or second trigger conditions is detected by the mobile communication device.

19. The method of updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 17, wherein the refreshing the layout of the icons involves placing the icon in the first location on the display and placing a set of icons associated with a set of next most frequently used applications from the applications in next most prominent locations on the display.

20. The method of updating presentation of icons for applications as claimed in claim 17, wherein the refreshing the layout of the icons involves emphasizing visual aspects of the icon over other icons shown on the display.