System and method for providing a parameter for an application operating on an electronic device

• US 8,365,146 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tysowski, Piotr, Lee, Matthew, May, Darrell
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Application Number:
  US12/842,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 717120-123, 709220-222, 713/100
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system, method and device for modifying a parameter for an application operating on an electronic device. The method comprises the steps of: (a) upon activation of the device, determining a state of initial configuration for the device; (b) if the state indicates that the device requires configuration, providing a GUI interface allowing for changes to be made to the parameter; and (c) if a change is made to the parameter through the interface, updating a storage location with the change. In the method, the device may have communication capabilities with a network; and time zone information relating to the location of the device may be provided from the network or from the device; and the time zone information may be used to update an aspect relating to the parameter.

Claims

1. A method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device, comprising:

upon activation of the electronic device, determining a state of initial configuration for the electronic device from configuration data stored in the electronic device;

if the state of initial configuration of the electronic device indicates that the electronic device requires configuration, initiating the set up application and automatically generating a series of graphical user interface (GUI) screens on a display of the electronic device, wherein the series of GUI screens provide introductory information relating to the electronic device only on a first activation of the electronic device;

changing the state of initial configuration of the electronic device after the set up application is activated on the electronic device to reflect an operation history of the set up application; and

if the state of initial configuration of the electronic device indicates that the set up application had previously been initiated, presenting a GUI screen on the electronic device where an application operating on the electronic device and the set up application are displayed and upon a subsequent activation of the set up application, activating the set up application at a point in its operation based on the operation history.

2. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the introductory information relates to operational parameters of the electronic device and a network in communication with the electronic device.

3. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

if a change is made to a parameter through a GUI interface, updating a storage location in a memory of the electronic device with the change, wherein the parameter is accessed by the application operating on the electronic device.

4. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parameter relates to a display characteristic for elements generated on the display of the electronic device.

5. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the GUI interface utilizes at least one template providing text to be displayed in a GUI screen and options relating to the parameter.

6. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the electronic device has Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communication capabilities with a network; and

aspects of the GUI interface can be accessed only if a telephone number has been programmed into the electronic device.

7. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the electronic device has wireless communication capabilities;

time zone information relating to a location of the electronic device is provided from the network; and

the set up application uses the time zone information to update an aspect relating to the parameter.

8. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the time zone information is derived using triangulation of signals received from the network by the electronic device.

9. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the time zone information is derived using country code information associated with the electronic device provided from the network.

10. The method of activating a set up application operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set up application has access to a table of contents GUI screen providing topics that are displayed on the subsequent activation of the set up application.

11. An electronic device comprising:

an application operating on the electronic device;

a set-up module operating on the electronic device, wherein the set-up module is configured to;

upon activation of the electronic device, determine a state of initial configuration for the electronic device from configuration data stored in the electronic device;

if the state of initial configuration of the electronic device indicates that the electronic device requires configuration, initiate the set-up module and automatically generate a series of graphical user interface (GUI) screens on a display of the electronic device, wherein the series of GUI screens provide introductory information relating to the electronic device only on a first activation of the electronic device;

change the state of initial configuration of the electronic device after the set-up module is activated on the electronic device to reflect an operation history of the set-up module; and

if the state of initial configuration of the electronic device indicates that the set-up module had previously been initiated, present a GUI screen on the electronic device where the application operating on the electronic device and the set-up module are displayed and upon a subsequent activation of the set-up module, activate the set-up module at a point in its operation based on the operation history; and

a memory to store the configuration data and the state of initial configuration of the electronic device.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the set-up module is further configured to:

update a storage location in the memory of the electronic device if a change is made to a parameter through a GUI interface.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the parameter relates to a display characteristic for elements generated on the display of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the GUI interface utilizes at least one template providing text to be displayed in a GUI screen and options relating to the parameter.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the electronic device has communication capabilities with a network;

time zone information relating to a location of the electronic device is provided from the network; and

the time zone information is used to update an aspect relating to the parameter.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the electronic device has Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communication capabilities; and

aspects of the GUI interface can be accessed only if a telephone number has been programmed into the electronic device.

17. A method of providing time zone information to a portable communication device, comprising:

upon activation of the portable communication device, determining a state of initial configuration for the portable communication device from configuration data stored in the portable communication device;

if the state of configuration of the portable communication device indicates that the portable communication device requires configuration of an internally stored time value, deriving time zone information from location information relating to the portable communication device provided from a network communicating with the portable communication device;

if the state of initial configuration of the portable communication device indicates that the portable communication device requires configuration, initiating a set up application and automatically generating a series of graphical user interface (GUI) screens on a display of the portable communication device, wherein the series of GUI screens provide introductory information relating to the portable communication device only on a first activation of the portable communication device;

if a change is made to a setting through a GUI interface, updating a storage location in a memory of the portable communication device with the change;

changing the state of initial configuration of the portable communication device after the set up application is activated on the portable communication device to reflect an operation history of the set up application; and

if the state of initial configuration of the portable communication device indicates that the set up application had previously been initiated, presenting a GUI screen on the portable communication device where an application operating on the portable communication device and the set up application are displayed and upon a subsequent activation of the set up application, activating the set up application at a point in its operation based on the operation history.

18. The method of providing time zone information to a portable communication device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the time zone information is derived using triangulation of signals received from the network by the portable communication device.

19. The method of providing time zone information to a portable communication device as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

country code data is associated with the portable communication device; and

the method further comprises comparing the country code data to a preset time zone record provided with the portable communication device to determine a current time zone for the portable communication device.

20. The method of providing time zone information to a portable communication device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

updating a parameter relating to the application operating on the portable communication device that utilizes the time zone information.