PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20120075327A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited (Canada) (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: MACKENZIE, Stephen James
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A portable electronic device having a display and a processor is disclosed herein. The processor is configured to render an active application on substantially the entire display. In response to a status change, an alert is rendered in a visually insignificant area of the display.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display; and

a processor configured to;

render an active application on substantially the entire display; and

in response to a status change, render an alert on the display without substantially visually obscuring the active application.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the alert is rendered in a visually insignificant area of the display.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to a user input for viewing details of the alert, render the details associated with the alert.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein rendering the details of the alert comprises rendering a status area.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein a visual characteristic of the alert is dependent on a characteristic of the status change.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the characteristic of the status change includes a type of status change.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the characteristic of the status change includes a priority level.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the visual characteristic includes a color.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the visual characteristic includes an animation rate.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the focus of user inputs is not altered when the alert is rendered.

11. A method of rendering an alert on a portable electronic device having a display, the method comprising:

rendering an active application on substantially the entire display; and

in response to a status change, rendering an alert on the display without substantially visually obscuring the active application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert is rendered in a visually insignificant area of the display.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

in response to a user input for viewing details of the alert, rendering the details associated with the alert.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a visual characteristic of the alert is dependent on a characteristic of the status change.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the status change includes a type of status change.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the status change includes a priority level.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the visual characteristic includes a color.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the visual characteristic includes an animation rate.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the focus of user inputs is not altered when the alert is rendered.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable memory storing statements and instructions for execution by a processor for

rendering an active application on substantially an entire display of a portable electronic device;

and

in response to a status change, rendering an alert on the display without substantially visually obscuring the active application.