User interface methods and apparatus for use in communicating messages to multiple recipients

• US 8,521,143 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Balasubramaniam, Mahadevan, Holt, Ryan Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US13/087,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20110281596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/414.4, 455/412.1, 709/206
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for use in communicating messages to multiple recipients are described. A wireless device receives a first input request for creating a new message, and also receives one or more second input requests for selecting a plurality of recipient identifiers for the new message. The wireless device also receives a third input request which indicates whether or not the message is for a group conversation. When the third input request indicates group conversation, the wireless device formats the recipient identifiers in first header fields (e.g., CC header fields) of an MMS message. When the third input request indicates no group conversation, the wireless device alternatively formats the recipient identifiers in second header fields (e.g., BCC header fields) of the MMS message. The MMS message is then transmitted to the recipient identifiers via a wireless network. Recipient devices may process the message as group or non-group (e.g., broadcast) depending on the field locations of the recipient identifiers.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication device for use in communicating messages via a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of the wireless communication device, a first input request for creating a new message;

receiving, via the user interface, in one or more TO fields of the new message, one or more second input requests for selecting a plurality of recipient identifiers for the new message;

receiving, via the user interface, a third input request which indicates whether the new message is for a group conversation;

when the third input request indicates that the new message is for a group conversation, formatting the recipient identifiers in CC header fields of the new message;

otherwise, when the third input request indicates that the new message is not for a group conversation, formatting the recipient identifiers in BCC header fields of the new message; and

causing the new message to be transmitted from the wireless communication device via the wireless communication network to the recipient identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, an indication to send the new message;

in response to the indication to send the new message when the third input request indicates that the new message is for the group conversation, formatting each recipient identifier from the TO field in the CC header fields; and

in response to the indication to send the new message when the third input request indicates that the new message is not for a group conversation, formatting each recipient identifier from the TO field in the BCC header fields.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the new message comprises a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a user input checkbox;

when the user input checkbox is checked, then the new message being for the group conversation; and

otherwise, when the user input checkbox is unchecked, then the new message not being for the group conversation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein, when the new message is not for a group conversation, the new message is processed as a broadcast message which includes suppressing a display of a sender identifier of the new message with the new message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a processor of the wireless communication device is configured to format the recipient identifiers in the CC header fields or BCC header fields without user intervention.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient identifiers comprise at least some of recipient names, recipient telephone numbers, or recipient addresses.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at a recipient device, the new message;

displaying the new message in a display of the recipient devices; and

when the recipient identifiers are formatted in the CC header fields of the new message, processing the new message as part of a group conversation which includes displaying in the display a sender identifier of the new message with the new message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at a recipient device, the new message;

displaying the new message in a display of the recipient device; and

when the recipient identifiers are formatted in the BCC header fields of the new message, processing the new message as a broadcast message which includes suppressing a display of a sender identifier of the new message while the new message is being displayed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at a recipient device, the new message;

displaying the new message in a display of the recipient device; and

when the recipient identifiers are formatted in the CC header fields of the new message, processing the new message as part of a group conversation, which includes displaying in the display a sender identifier of the new message with the new message; and

when the recipient identifiers are formatted in the second header fields of the new message, processing the new message as a broadcast message, which includes suppressing a display of a sender identifier of the new message while the new message is being displayed.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein processing the new message as part of the group conversation comprises making the recipient identifiers visible in a display while the new message is being displayed; and

wherein the processing the new message as the broadcast message comprises suppressing the display of the recipient identifiers from the display while the new message is being displayed.

12. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium; and

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of a wireless communication device for;

receiving, via a user interface of the wireless communication device, a first input request for creating a new message;

receiving, via the user interface, in one or more TO fields of the new message, one or more second input requests for selecting a plurality of recipient identifiers for the new message;

receiving a third input request which indicates whether the new message is for a group conversation;

when the third input request indicates that the new message is for a group conversation, formatting the recipient identifiers in CC header fields of the new message;

otherwise, when the third input request indicates that the new message is not for a group conversation, formatting the recipient identifiers in BCC header fields of the new message; and

causing the new message to be transmitted via a wireless communication network to the recipient identifiers.

13. A wireless communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors, the wireless transceiver configured for communications in a wireless communication network;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors, the user interface comprising a display;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

the one or more processors being configured to;

receive, via the user interface, a first input request for creating a new message;

receive, via the user interface, in one or more TO fields of the new message, one or more second input requests for selecting a plurality of recipient identifiers for the new message;

receive, via the user interface, a third input request which indicates whether the new message is for a group conversation;

when the third input request indicates that the new message is for a group conversation, format the recipient identifiers in first header fields of the new message;

otherwise, when the third input request indicates that the new message is not for a group conversation, format the recipient identifiers in second header fields of the new message; and

cause the new message to be transmitted, via the wireless transceiver, to the recipient identifiers via a wireless communication network.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive, via the user interface, an indication to send the new message;

in response to the indication to send the new message when the third in input request indicates that the new message is for the group conversation, format each recipient identifier from the TO field in the CC header fields; and

in response to the indication to send the new message when the third input request indicates that the new message is not for a group conversation, format each recipient identifier from the TO field in the BCC header fields.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the message comprises a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

present a user input checkbox;

when the user input checkbox is checked, the new message being for the group conversation; and

when the user input checkbox is unchecked, the new message not being for the group conversation.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

when the new message is not for the group conversation, process the new message as a broadcast message which includes suppressing a display of a sender identifier of the new message with the new message.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to format the recipient identifiers in the CC header fields or BCC header fields without user intervention.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the recipient identifiers comprise at least some of recipient names, recipient telephone numbers, and recipient addresses.

20. A communication system, comprising:

a wireless communication network;

a first wireless communication device operative in the wireless communication network;

the first wireless communication device being configured to;

receive, via a user interface, a first input request for creating a new message;

receive, via the user interface, in one or more TO fields of the new message, one or more second input requests for selecting a plurality of recipient identifiers for the new message, the recipient identifiers identifying at least a second wireless communication device and a third wireless communication device operative in the wireless network;

receive, via the user interface, a third input request which indicates whether the new message is for a group conversation;

when the third input request indicates that the new message is for a group conversation, format the recipient identifiers corresponding to the second wireless communication device and the third wireless communication device in CC header fields of the new message;

otherwise, when the third input request indicates that the new message is not for a group conversation, format the recipient identifiers corresponding to the second wireless communication device and the third wireless communication device in BCC header fields of the new message; and

cause the new message to be transmitted, via the wireless communication network, to second wireless communication device and the third wireless communication device identified by the recipient identifiers.

21. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communication device is further configured to:

receive, via the user interface, an indication to send the new message;

in response to the indication to send the new message when the third input request indicates that the new message is for the group conversation, format each recipient identifier from the TO field in the CC header fields; and

in response to the indication to send the new message when the third in input request indicates that the new message is not for a group conversation, format each recipient identifier from the TO field in the BCC header fields.

22. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the message comprises a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message.

23. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communication device is further configured to:

present a user input checkbox;

when the user input checkbox is checked, the new message being for the group conversation; and

otherwise, when the user input checkbox is unchecked, the new message not being for the group conversation.

24. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the first wireless communication device is further configured to, when the new message is not for the group conversation, the new message is processed as a broadcast message which includes suppressing a display of a sender identifier of the new message with the new message.