Method and system for coordinating device setting between a communications client and its host device

• US 20070016682A1
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hodgson, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

A system and method for propagating device settings to a data communications client from a host on a mobile device, the system having at least one host application adapted to operate on the mobile device host and further adapted to change device settings on the mobile device; a notification means adapted to notify the data communications client of device settings changes on the mobile device; a mode setting at the data communications client, the mode setting adapted to indicate whether client applications on the data communications client should use device settings from the host; and a client settings application adapted to receive a notification from the notification means and change device settings for the client applications if the mode setting indicates the client applications should use device settings from the host.

Claims

1. A system for propagating device settings to a data communications client from a host on a mobile device, said system comprising:

at least one host application adapted to operate on the mobile device host and further adapted to change device settings on the mobile device;

a notification means adapted to notify the data communications client of device settings changes on the mobile device;

a mode setting at the data communications client, said mode setting adapted to indicate whether client applications on the data communications client should use device settings from said host; and

a client settings application adapted to receive a notification from the notification means and change device settings for said client applications if said mode setting indicates said client applications should use device settings from said host.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification means includes a listener at said host, said listener adapted to monitor said host applications for device settings changes.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said listener is further adapted to notify the client settings application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification means includes a polling application located at said data communications client, said polling application adapted to poll said at least one host application to determine whether a device settings change has been made.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a graphical user interface monitor adapted to determine when a client application has taken control of a graphical user interface on the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said polling application polls said at least one host application when said graphical user interface monitor determines that the client application has taken control of the graphical user interface on the mobile device.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an abstraction layer and a native interface layer between said at least one host application and said client settings application, said abstraction layer and native interface layer adapted for a particular host, allowing said data communications client to communicate with the particular host.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mode setting is a flag that is persisted.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a conflict resolution application, said conflict resolution application adapted to provide an alternative supported setting if said data communications client does not support a setting set at said at least one host application.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said conflict resolution application includes a mapping table to map unsupported settings with the alternative supported setting.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the conflict resolution application includes a prompt for prompting a user to select the alternative supported setting.

12. A method for propagating device settings to a data communications client from a host on a mobile device, said method comprising the steps of:

changing device settings on the mobile device using at least one host application;

notifying the data communications client of device settings changes on the mobile device;

checking a mode setting at the data communications client to determine whether device settings changed at the host should be propagated to the data communications client; and

if the checking step determines changes should be propagated, changing device settings for said data communications client.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the notifying step includes listening for changes at said host, said listening step monitoring said host applications for device settings changes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said notifying step notifies the data communications client when said listening step finds device settings changes have occurred.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the notifying step polls from said data communications client said at least one host application to determine whether a change in device settings has occurred.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said polling step is activated when a client application has taken control of a graphical user interface on the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising a translating step, the translating step occurring in and abstraction layer and a native interface layer between said host and the data communications client, said translating step allowing a particular host to communicate with the data communications client.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the checking step checks a flag at a preset memory location.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of resolving conflicts before said changing step, said resolving conflicts step providing an alternative supported setting to said data communications client if said data communications client does not support a setting set in said changing step.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said conflict resolving step chooses the alternative supported setting from a mapping table that maps unsupported settings with the alternative supported setting.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the conflict resolving step prompts a user to select the alternative supported setting.