METHOD FOR PROMPTING USER CONFIRMATION

• US 20070277120A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wong, Patrick, Wilson, Sean David Drew, Pacey, Carl Edward Kilgour
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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

Prompting user confirmation of an action in a display window on a display of a mobile electronic device including displaying a pair of soft key icons, receiving a request to initiate an action from a user and displaying a confirmation message to confirm that a user wishes to proceed with the action. When the confirmation message is displayed, the pair of soft key icons are modified to create a pair of updated soft key icons. The receiving of the request may include detection of a soft key event. The updated soft key icons provide a first response and a second response to the confirmation message for selection by the user. The soft key icons and updated soft key icons may be displayed at the bottom portion of the display in a manner that does not obstruct the display window.

Claims

1. A method for prompting user confirmation of a requested action on a display of a mobile electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying at least two soft key icons;

receiving a request to initiate an action from a user;

displaying a confirmation message to confirm that the user wishes to proceed with said action; and

modifying said at least two soft key icons to display at least two updated soft key icons, said at least two updated soft key icons providing a first response and a second response to said confirmation message for selection by the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving includes detecting a soft key event associated with one of the at least two soft key icons and determining a soft key identifier associated with said one of the at least two soft key icons.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device includes an active application, said active application having a display window rendered on the display, and wherein said one of the at least two soft key icons is associated with said action.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said active application comprises a wireless data communication application, and wherein said action comprises a send message action.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of displaying said confirmation message further comprises resizing said display window to accommodate said confirmation message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first response is associated with confirmation of said action and said second response is associated with abandonment of said action.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of detecting an updated soft key event associated with one of the at least two updated soft key icons.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of, if said updated soft key event is associated with said first response, performing said action, and, if said updated soft key event is associated with said second response, removing said confirmation message from said display.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said soft key icons are displayed at a bottom portion of said display and said confirmation message is displayed adjacent and above said soft key icons.

10. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a display for displaying a display window and at least two soft key icons;

a user input device for requesting initiation of an action;

an operating system for receiving said request; and

a confirmation module responsive to reception of said request, the confirmation module including components for (i) instructing said display to display a confirmation message to confirm that a user wishes to proceed with said action; and

(ii) modifying said at least two soft key icons to create at least two updated soft key icons in association with said confirmation message, said at least two updated soft key icons providing a first response and a second response to said confirmation message for selection by the user.

11. The mobile electronic device according to claim 10, characterised in that said user input device comprises a soft key buttons and said request comprises a soft key event triggered when a user depresses said soft key buttons.

12. The mobile electronic device according to claim 10, characterised in that said user input device comprises a stylus and said request comprises a soft key event triggered when a user selects one of said at least two soft key icons using said stylus.

13. The mobile electronic device according to claim 10, characterised in that the mobile electronic device includes an active application, said active application having said display window rendered on the display, and wherein said one of the at least two soft key icons is associated with said action.

14. The mobile electronic device according to claim 13, characterised in that said active application comprises a wireless data communication application, and wherein said action comprises a send message action.

15. The mobile electronic device according to claim 10, characterised in that said confirmation module is adapted to resize said display window to accommodate said confirmation message.

16. The mobile electronic device according to claim 10, characterised in that said first response is associated with confirmation of said action and said second response is associated with abandonment of said action.

17. The mobile electronic device according to claim 10, characterized in that said confirmation module further includes a component for detecting an updated soft key event associated with one of the at least two updated soft key icons.

18. The mobile electronic device according to claim 17, characterized in that said confirmation module is adapted to cause said action to be performed if said updated soft key event is associated with said first response.

19. The mobile electronic device according to any one of claims 10 to 8, characterised in that said soft key icons (92) are displayed at a bottom portion of said display (32) and said confirmation message (92) is displayed adjacent and above said soft key icons (92).

20. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable instructions for prompting user confirmation of an action in a display window on a display of a mobile electronic device, said instructions comprising:

instructions for displaying at least two soft key icons;

instructions for receiving a request to initiate an action from a user;

instructions for displaying a confirmation message to confirm that a user wishes to proceed with said action; and

instructions for modifying said at least two soft key icons to create at least two updated soft key icons, said at least two updated soft key icons providing a first response and a second response to said confirmation message for selection by the user.

21. The computer product according to claim 20, wherein said instructions for receiving includes instructions for detecting a soft key event associated with one of the at least two soft key icons and instructions for determining a soft key identifier associated with said one of the at least two soft key icons.

22. The computer product according to claim 20, wherein the mobile electronic device includes an active application, said active application having a display window rendered on the display, and wherein said one of the at least two soft key icons is associated with said action.

23. The computer product according to claim 22, wherein said active application comprises a wireless data communication application, and wherein said action comprises a send message action.

24. The computer product according to claim 20, further comprising instructions for detecting an updated soft key event associated with one of the at least two updated soft key icons.

25. The computer product according to claim 20, wherein said first response is associated with confirmation of said action and said second response is associated with abandonment of said action.

26. The computer product according to claim 25, further comprising instructions for, if said updated soft key event is associated with said first response, performing said action, and, if said updated soft key event is associated with said second response, removing said confirmation message from said display.