System and method for an extendable mobile communications device user interface

• US RE47,081 E1
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Maguire, Michael, Pathiyal, Krishna K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Basehoar, Adam L
• Application Number:
  US14/298,755
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 715818, 715841, 715708, 715711, 715808-810, 715821, 715822, 715862, 715856, 715804, 715864, 719328, 719329
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72522 With means for supporting locally a plurality of applications to increase the functionality for selecting a function in a menu H04M1/2477

Abstract

A system and method for an extendable software interface includes software architecture for use in a mobile device having a processor and a memory device. The software architecture includes a set of first-order controller software instructions configured to interface the application program with a first-order data model, and a first-order data object stored in the memory device in the form of the first-order data model. The first-order data object includes a second-order data object. A second-order set of controller software instructions configured to interact with the second-order data object is also included in the software architecture.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile device having a display, comprising:

receiving at the mobile device an electronic a short message service (SMS) message having a body, with an e-mail address within the body;

displaying on the display at least a portion of the electronic SMS message including the e-mail address, wherein the portion of the SMS message is displayed in a first application operating on the mobile device;

and

determining, by a message controller at the mobile device, that the SMS message includes the e-mail address, wherein the message controller is associated with an SMS data model, and the SMS data model includes a retrieving function for retrieving the e-mail address from the SMS message;

after determining that the SMS message includes the e-mail address, determining that a cursor is effected near the displayed e-mail address;

in response to a selection of the displayed e-mail address, determining that the cursor is effected near the displayed e-mail address, activating, by the message controller, an e-mail address controller, wherein the e-mail address controller is different than the message controller, the e-mail address controller is associated with an e-mail address data model, wherein the e-mail address data model is associated with at least two functions to be performed on the e-mail address, and the e-mail address controller is configured to display the at least two functions;

displaying, by the e-mail address controller at the mobile device, on the display an a first interface for selecting one of including the at least adding the e-mail address to an address book and creating an e-mail message addressed to the e-mail address two functions to be performed on the e-mail address, wherein the at least two functions include a first function executed by a second application and a second function executed by a third application different than the first and second applications;

receiving, from the first interface, a selection of the first function executed by the second application;

launching, by the e-mail address controller, the second application;

retrieving, by the message controller using the SMS data model, the e-mail address from the SMS message; and

providing, by the message controller, the retrieved e-mail address to the second application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is an SMS message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving at the mobile device the selection of the e-mail address comprises receiving a cursor positioning over the e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving selection of one of the at least adding the e-mail address to the address book and creating the e-mail message addressed to the e-mail address.

6. The method of claim 5 1, further comprising:

after launching an the second application associated with the selection; and

displaying a second interface different than the first interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interface comprises a menu list.

8. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a display;

an input device; and

a processor, connected to the display and the input device, and configured to;

receive an electronic a short message service (SMS) message having a body, with an e-mail address within the body,

display on the display at least a portion of the electronic SMS message including the e-mail address, wherein the portion of the SMS message is displayed in a first application operating on the mobile communication device, and

determine, by a message controller at the mobile communication device, that the SMS message includes the e-mail address, wherein the message controller is associated with an SMS data model, and the SMS data model includes a retrieving function for retrieving the e-mail address from the SMS message;

after determining that the SMS message includes the e-mail address, determine that a cursor is effected near the displayed e-mail address;

in response to a selection of the displayed e-mail address at the input device determining that the cursor is near the displayed e-mail address, activate, by the message controller, an e-mail address controller, wherein the e-mail address controller is different than the message controller, the e-mail address controller is associated with an e-mail address data model, wherein the e-mail address data model is associated with at least two functions to be performed on the e-mail address, and the e-mail address controller is configured to display the at least two functions;

display, by the e-mail address controller at the mobile communication device, on the display an a first interface for selecting from including the at least two functions that can be performed with the e-mail address, the at least two functions including adding the e-mail address to an address book and creating an e-mail message addressed to the e-mail address to be performed on the e-mail address, wherein the at least two functions include a first function executed by a second application and a second function executed by a third application different than the first and second applications;

receive, from the first interface, a selection of the first function executed by the second application;

launch, by the e-mail address controller, the second application;

retrieve, by the message controller using the SMS data model, the e-mail address from the SMS message; and

provide, by the message controller, the retrieved e-mail address to the second application.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the electronic message is an SMS message.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the at least two functions comprise an operation involving an application other than a message application.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the at least two functions comprise an operation involving an address book application.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the receiving the selection of the displayed e-mail address comprises receiving a cursor positioning over the e-mail address.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 8, further comprising the processor configured to receive selection of one of the at least two functions.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 14, further comprising the processor configured to launch an application associated with the selected function.

16. The method mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the first interface comprises a menu list.

17. A method of providing functionality on a mobile device having a display, comprising:

receiving at the mobile device an e-mail message with an e-mail address within a body of the e-mail message;

displaying on the display at least a portion of the e-mail message including the e-mail address;

in response to a selection of the displayed e-mail address, displaying on the display a list of at least two functions that can be performed with the e-mail address, the at least two functions including adding the e-mail address to an address book on the mobile device and creating an e-mail message addressed to the e-mail address; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the at least two functions, and then performing the selected function.

18. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a display;

a transceiver; and

a processor connected with the display and the transceiver, the processor configured for;

receiving with the transceiver an e-mail message having an e-mail address within a body of the e-mail message;

displaying on the display at least a portion of the e-mail message including the e-mail address;

in response to a selection of the displayed e-mail address, displaying on the display a list of at least two functions that can be performed with the e-mail address, the at least two functions including adding the e-mail address to an address book on the mobile device and creating an e-mail message addressed to the e-mail address; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the at least two functions, and then performing the selected function.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a short message service (SMS) message having a body, with an e-mail address within the body;

displaying at least a portion of the SMS message including the e-mail address, wherein the portion of the SMS message is displayed in a first application;

determining, by a message controller at the mobile device, that the SMS message includes the e-mail address, wherein the message controller is associated with an SMS data model, and the SMS data model includes a retrieving function for retrieving the e-mail address from the SMS message;

after determining that the SMS message includes the e-mail address, determining that a cursor is effected near the displayed e-mail address; and

in response to determining that the cursor is effected near the displayed e-mail address, activating, by the message controller, an e-mail address controller, wherein the e-mail address controller is different than the message controller, the e-mail address controller is associated with an e-mail address data model, wherein the e-mail address data model is associated with at least two functions to be performed on the e-mail address, and the e-mail address controller is configured to display the at least two functions;

displaying, by the e-mail address controller at the mobile device, an interface including the at least two functions to be performed on the e-mail address, wherein the at least two functions include a first function executed by a second application and a second function executed by a third application different than the first and second applications;

receiving, from the interface, a selection of the first function executed by the second application;

launching, by the e-mail address controller, the second application;

retrieving, by the message controller using the SMS data model, the e-mail address from the SMS message; and

providing, by the message controller, the retrieved e-mail address to the second application.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the interface comprises a menu list.