Method and apparatus for posting data to a plurality of accounts

• US 9,154,605 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Stovicek, Thomas Jan, Chen, Henry Yao-Tsu, Cundill, Andrew Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, TUYETLIEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/091,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 715751-753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

The present specification provides a method, system and apparatus for posting data to a plurality of accounts at a plurality of remote servers. A display is controlled to generate a message region for receiving message data to be posted to at least a subset of the plurality of accounts. The display is controlled to generate icons, associated with the plurality of accounts, in a one-to-one relationship, the icons provided adjacent to the message region, each icon comprising: a first respective indicator of a respective account; a second respective indicator of a service associated with the account; and a respective picture. Icons are selected and the display is controlled to provide an indicator of selection at each of the selected icons. Message data is transmitted to each of the plurality of accounts associated with each of the icons which are selected via the communication subsystem.

Claims

1. A method for posting data to at least one of a plurality of accounts at a plurality of remote servers via a mobile device comprising a processor interconnected with a display, an input device and a communication subsystem, the method comprising:

controlling said display to generate a message region for receiving message data to be posted to at least a subset of said plurality of accounts;

controlling said display to generate icons, associated with said plurality of accounts, in a one-to-one relationship, said icons provided adjacent to said message region, each said icon comprising;

a first respective indicator of a respective account;

a second respective indicator of a service associated with said respective account; and

a respective picture associated with said respective account;

receiving input data from said input device indicating that at least one of said icons has been selected;

controlling said display to provide an indicator of selection at each of said icons which are selected; and

transmitting said message data to each of said plurality of accounts associated with each of said icons which are selected via said communication subsystem, wherein each of said plurality of accounts is associated with a respective maximum number of characters that can be uploaded to each said account, said method further comprising;

receiving said data in said message region as textual characters; and

, as each said respective maximum number of characters is exceeded, changing selected icons associated with each said respective maximum number from a selected state to an unselected state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective picture comprises at least one of:

a picture stored at said mobile device; and

,

a picture downloaded from a remote server associated with said respective account.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising refreshing said picture downloaded from said remote server by at least one of:

querying said remote server in a refresh operation and receiving a refresh picture in response; and

receiving a refresh picture from said remote server, said refresh picture transmitted by said remote server in a refresh operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first respective indicator comprises a textual indicator of a name of said respective account provided adjacent to said respective picture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second respective indicator comprises at least one of said respective picture and a visual indicator inset in said respective picture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said indicator of selection comprises at least one of:

a visual difference between selected icons and unselected icons;

a visual indicator inset in said second respective picture;

a border surrounding said respective picture;

or

said respective picture for selected icons provided with an original color scheme, wherein pictures for unselected icons are provided with a changed color scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving said message data in said message region via said input device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving messages from at least a second subset of said accounts via said communication subsystem, each of said messages received in a respective data feed;

controlling said display to provide said messages;

receiving selection data from said input device indicating that one of said messages has been selected via said input device; and

populating said message region with said one of said messages, such that said message data comprises said one of said messages.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling said display to provide, adjacent to at least one of said message region or said icons, a region for receiving at least one of link data, picture data, file data, event data, or video data; and

posting at least one of said link data, said picture data, said file data, said event data, or said video data for upload with said message data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing unselected icons associated with an exceeded maximum number of characters from being selected.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of servers comprises at least one of a social networking server, an RSS (real simple syndication) server, or a news server.

12. A mobile device for posting data to at least one of a plurality of accounts at a plurality of remote servers, the mobile device comprising:

a processor interconnected with a display, an input device and a communication subsystem, said processor configured to;

control said display to generate a message region for receiving message data to be posted to at least a subset of said plurality of accounts;

control said display to generate icons, associated with said plurality of accounts, in a one-to-one relationship, said icons provided adjacent to said message region, each said icon comprising;

a first respective indicator of a respective account;

a second respective indicator of a service associated with said respective account; and

a respective picture associated with said respective account;

receive input data from said input device indicating that at least one of said icons has been selected;

control said display to provide an indicator of selection at each of said icons which are selected; and

transmit said message data to each of said plurality of accounts associated with each of said icons which are selected via said communication subsystem, wherein each of said plurality of accounts is associated with a respective maximum number of characters that can be uploaded to each said account, and wherein said processor is further configured to;

receive said data in said message region as textual characters; and

, as each said respective maximum number of characters is exceeded, change selected icons associated with each said respective maximum number from a selected state to an unselected state.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein each respective picture comprises at least one of:

a picture stored at said mobile device; and

,

a picture downloaded from a remote server associated with said respective account.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein said processor is further configured to refresh said picture downloaded from said remote server by at least one of:

querying said remote server in a refresh operation and receiving a refresh picture in response; and

receiving a refresh picture from said remote server, said refresh picture transmitted by said remote server in a refresh operation.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein said first respective indicator comprises a textual indicator of a name of said respective account provided adjacent to said respective picture.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein said second respective indicator comprises at least one of said respective picture and a visual indicator inset in said respective picture.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein said indicator of selection comprises at least one of:

a visual difference between selected icons and unselected icons;

a visual indicator inset in said second respective picture;

a border surrounding said respective picture;

or

said respective picture for selected icons provided with an original color scheme, wherein pictures for unselected icons are provided with a changed color scheme.

18. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to receive said message data in said message region via said input device.

19. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to:

receive messages from at least a second subset of said accounts via said communication subsystem, each of said messages received in a respective data feed;

control said display to provide said messages;

receive selection data from said input device indicating that one of said messages has been selected via said input device; and

populate said message region with said one of said messages, such that said message data comprises said one of said messages.

20. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to:

control said display to provide, adjacent to at least one of said message region or said icons, a region for receiving at least one of link data, picture data, file data, event data, or video data; and

post at least one of said link data, said picture data, said file data, said event data, or said video data for upload with said message data.

21. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein said processor is further configured to prevent unselected icons associated with an exceeded maximum number of characters from being selected.

22. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of servers comprises at least one of a social networking server, an RSS (real simple syndication) server, or a news server.

23. A system for posting data to at least one of a plurality of accounts, the system comprising:

a plurality of remote servers, said plurality of accounts associated with said plurality of servers; and

a mobile hardware device in communication with said plurality of servers, said mobile hardware device configured to;

control an associated display to generate a message region for receiving message data to be posted to at least a subset of said plurality of accounts;

control said display to generate icons, associated with said plurality of accounts, in a one-to-one relationship, said icons provided adjacent to said message region, each said icon comprising;

a first respective indicator of a respective account;

a second respective indicator of a service associated with said respective account; and

a respective picture associated with said respective account;

receive input data from said input device indicating that at least one of said icons has been selected;

control said display to provide an indicator of selection at each of said icons which are selected; and

transmit said message data to each of said plurality of accounts associated with each of said icons which are selected via an associated communication subsystem, wherein each of said plurality of accounts is associated with a respective maximum number of characters that can be uploaded to each said account, and wherein said mobile hardware device is further configured to;

receive said data in said message region as textual characters; and

, as each said respective maximum number of characters is exceeded, change selected icons associated with each said respective maximum number from a selected state to an unselected state.

24. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for posting data to at least one of a plurality of accounts at a plurality of remote servers via a mobile device comprising a processor interconnected with a display, an input device and a communication subsystem, comprising:

controlling said display to generate a message region for receiving message data to be posted to at least a subset of said plurality of accounts;

controlling said display to generate icons, associated with said plurality of accounts, in a one-to-one relationship, said icons provided adjacent to said message region, each said icon comprising;

a first respective indicator of a respective account;

a second respective indicator of a service associated with said respective account; and

a respective picture associated with said respective account, wherein said first respective indicator, said second respective indicator and said respective picture are different from each other;

receiving input data from said input device indicating that at least one of said icons has been selected;

controlling said display to provide an indicator of selection at each of said icons which are selected; and

transmitting said message data to each of said plurality of accounts associated with each of said icons which are selected via said communication subsystem, wherein each of said plurality of accounts is associated with a respective maximum number of characters that can be uploaded to each said account, said method further comprising;

receiving said data in said message region as textual characters; and

, as each said respective maximum number of characters is exceeded, changing selected icons associated with each said respective maximum number from a selected state to an unselected state.