Setting reminders from an instant messaging application

• US 9,665,266 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, Fyke, Steven Henry, Walker, David Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Azizul
• Application Number:
  US13/282,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709217, 709250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method for providing a reminder from within an instant messaging application executing on a computing device, the method comprising receiving textual input from within the instant messaging application. In response to receiving the textual input, a reminder-triggering condition is determined based on a predetermined symbol within the textual input. An instant message is sent that includes the reminder-triggering condition for the reminder.

Claims

1. A method for setting a reminder from within an instant messaging application executing on a computing device, the method comprising:

populating a list with abbreviations of reminder-triggering conditions;

associating one or more of the abbreviations with a respective symbol, each symbol being associated with one or more abbreviations of time, location and proximity;

detecting the symbol in one or more user input symbols, within textual input, received from direct user input to the instant messaging application;

displaying in a drop-down menu, in response to detecting the symbol, the list of abbreviations associated with detected symbol;

receiving selection input to select one abbreviation from the displayed drop-down menu;

generating from within said instant messaging application, a reminder having the reminder-triggering condition corresponding to the selected abbreviation; and

sending in an instant message from the computing device the generated reminder that includes the selected reminder-triggering condition.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein providing the list of preset reminder-triggering conditions comprises providing a list of preset locations from which a location is selected for providing a location-based reminder.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the list of preset locations includes an option to select a map location on a map displayed on the computing device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein providing the list of preset reminder-triggering conditions comprises providing a list of contacts for providing a proximity reminder based on a proximity of a current position of the computing device to a selected contact.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user input symbols being one or more non-alphanumeric characters.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein determining the reminder-triggering condition based on the predetermined symbol comprises:

in response to receiving textual input containing a first symbol followed immediately by numeric input, generating a time-based reminder-triggering condition;

in response to receiving textual input containing the first symbol followed immediately by alphabetic input, generating a location-based reminder-triggering condition; and

in response to receiving textual input containing a second symbol, generating a contact-proximity-based reminder-triggering condition.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which loads into a memory and executes a processor of a computing device causing the computing device to:

populate a list with abbreviations of reminder-triggering conditions;

associate one or more of the abbreviations with a respective symbols, each symbol, being associated with one or more abbreviations of time, location and proximity;

detect the symbol in one or more user input symbols, within textual input, received from direct user input to the instant messaging application;

display in a drop-down menu, in response to detecting the symbol, the list of abbreviations associated with detected symbol;

receiving selection input to select one abbreviation from the displayed drop-down menu;

generate from within said instant messaging application, a reminder having the reminder-triggering condition corresponding to the selected abbreviation; and

send in an instant message from the computing device the generated reminder that includes the selected reminder-triggering condition.

8. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code to provide the list of preset reminder-triggering conditions comprises code for providing a list of preset locations from which a location is selected for providing a location-based reminder.

9. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code for providing the list of preset locations includes code for providing an option to select a map location on a map displayed on the computing device.

10. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code to provide the list of preset reminder-triggering conditions comprises code for providing a list of contacts for providing a proximity reminder based on a proximity of a current position of the computing device to a selected contact.

11. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the user input symbols being one or more non-alphanumeric characters.

12. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code for determining the reminder-triggering condition based on the predetermined symbol comprises:

code for generating a time-based reminder-triggering condition in response to receiving textual input containing a first symbol followed immediately by numeric input;

code for generating a location-based reminder-triggering condition in response to receiving textual input containing the first symbol followed immediately by alphabetic input; and

code for generating a contact-proximity-based reminder-triggering condition in response to receiving textual input containing a second symbol.

13. A computing device comprising:

a memory for storing data for an instant messaging application;

a processor operatively coupled to the memory that executes the instant messaging application;

a user interface for receiving textual input for the instant messaging application, wherein the processor is configured to;

populate a list with abbreviations of reminder-triggering conditions;

associate one or more of the abbreviations with a respective symbol, each symbol being associated with one or more abbreviations of time, location and proximity;

the processor further configured to;

detect the symbol in one or more user input symbols, within textual input, received from direct user input to the instant messaging application;

display in a drop-down menu, in response to detecting the symbol, the list of abbreviations associated with detected symbol;

receive selection input to select one abbreviation from the displayed drop-down menu;

generate from within said instant messaging application, a reminder having the reminder-triggering condition corresponding to the selected abbreviation;

and

a transceiver in the computing device for transmitting in an instant message the generated reminder that includes the selected reminder-triggering condition.

14. The computing device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the preset reminder-triggering conditions comprise preset locations from which a location is selected for providing a location-based reminder.

15. The computing device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the preset reminder-triggering conditions comprise contacts for providing a proximity reminder based on a proximity of a current position of the computing device to a selected contact.

16. The computing device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the user input symbols being one or more non-alphanumeric characters.

17. The computing device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to cause the computing device to:

in response to receiving textual input containing a first symbol followed immediately by numeric input, generate a time-based reminder-triggering condition;

in response to receiving textual input containing the first symbol followed immediately by alphabetic input, generate a location-based reminder-triggering condition; and

in response to receiving textual input containing a second symbol, generate a contact-proximity-based reminder-triggering condition.