Blackberry Corporation

Research in Motion Corporation

Alain Rene Gagne

Darrell Reginald May

Michael Peter Montemurro

Michael Knowles

Kevin John Oerton

Denis Fedotenko

Liam Ronald Quinn

Gerhard Dietrich Klassen

Harry Richmond Major

Jesse Boudreau

Leonardo Jose Silva Salomone

Karen Jean Creditor

Kevin Sundberg

Herbert Anthony Little

Herb A Little

Chris Wormald

Leonardo José Silva Salomone

Tammy MacFarlane

Jesse J Boudreau

An electronic mail server, computer-readable medium and method of delivering an electronic message to a wireless communication device are provided. The wireless communications device comprises a long-range wireless transceiver, a short-range wireless transceiver having a range less than the long-range wireless transceiver, and a display screen. A new text message is received via the long-range wireless transceiver. Based upon a short-range wireless connection being established with another device via the short-range wireless transceiver, the wireless communication device is switched to an audio message mode. An indication that the new text message has been received is displayed on the display screen. The new message is selected and, when in the audio message mode, an audio message comprising speech generated based upon the new text message is output via the short-range wireless transceiver.

Communications system providing automatic text-to-speech conversion features and related methods

A mobile communication device identifies and selects a wireless local area network (WLAN) available for communications in its coverage area. Automatically, without detecting any requests made by a user via a browser application. The mobile device initiates a request (e.g. an HTTP GET request) to a predetermined server site of a communication network which is outside of the WLAN. In response to initiating the request, the mobile device receives a response message via the WLAN and identifies, from the response message, whether the request to the predetermined server site has been redirected to a redirect server site. The WLAN may be a WLAN 'hotspot,' where the redirect server site is a login server. The identifying may be performed by comparing content from the response message to predetermined content of the predetermined server site. In response to identifying that the request has been redirected, the mobile device causes an indication to be produced at its user interface. Access to a communication service (such as a 'push'-data service) may be subsequently expediently obtained.

Methods and apparatus for use in facilitating access to a communication service via a WLAN hotspot

An electronic mail server, computer-readable medium and method of delivering an electronic message to a wireless communication device are provided. An electronic text message for delivery to a wireless communication device is received. When the wireless communication device is determined to be in an audio message mode, an audio message comprising speech generated from the received electronic text message is delivered to the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may be determined to be in an audio message when an audio message filter parameter received from the wireless communication device corresponds to the electronic text message. The audio message filter parameter may be based upon a sender's identity. The electronic text message is converted to the audio message by sending a conversion request for the electronic text message to a text-to-speech conversion server and receiving the audio message from the text-to-speech server.

A communications system may include at least one mobile wireless communications device, and a wireless communications network for sending text messages thereto. More particularly, the at least one mobile wireless communications device may include a wireless transceiver and a controller for cooperating therewith for receiving text messages from the wireless communications network. It may further include a headset output connected to the controller. The controller may be for switching between a normal message mode and an audio message mode based upon a connection between the headset output and a headset. Moreover, when in the audio message mode, the controller may output at least one audio message including speech generated from at least one of the received text messages via the headset output.

A method of event notification on a handheld communications device involves first receiving an indication of an occurrence of an event at the handheld communications device. The communications device comprises a display device, and the event has an associated notification definition for providing a visual notification of the occurrence of the event. The notification definition comprises a content parameter that specifies a scope of the content of the visual notification, and an action parameter that specifies the action to be taken on the communications device after the visual notification is initiated. Then, a visual notification of the occurrence is provided on the display device in accordance with the associated notification definition. The visual notification provides particulars of the event.

Visual event notification on a handheld communications device

A device management method, is disclosed in which available features on a slave mobile device are managed (monitored or controlled) by a slave manager module commanded by a master device through secure messages exchanged between the two devices using respective electronic messaging capabilities on the two devices. Selection of the features of the slave mobile device to be controlled or monitored is facilitated on the master device through a master manager module resident thereon. The features that are controlled or monitored may comprise any user-accessible feature incorporated or installed on the slave mobile device and user access to the feature may be prevented according to at least one criterion, such as date of use, time of day of use, number of times of use, originator and recipient. User access to the feature may be prevented access to the user-accessible feature when usage limitations for the feature have been reached.

Mobile device management

A communications system may include at least one mobile wireless communications device, and a wireless communications network for sending text messages thereto. More particularly, the at least one mobile wireless communications device may include a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating therewith for receiving text messages. The controller may be switchable between a normal message mode and an audio message mode. Also, the at least one mobile wireless communications device may further include a user interface device connected to the controller for receiving at least one audio mode filter parameter from a user, and an audio output connected to the controller. The controller, when in the audio message mode, may select received text messages based upon the at least one audio mode filter parameter, and output audio messages including speech generated from the selected text messages via the audio output.

Communications system providing text-to-speech message conversion features using audio filter parameters and related methods

A device management method, is disclosed in which available features on a slave mobile device are managed (monitored or controlled) by a slave manager module commanded by a master device through secure messages exchanged between the two devices using respective electronic messaging capabilities on the two devices. Selection of the features of the slave mobile device to be controlled or monitored is facilitated on the master device through a master manager module resident thereon. The features that are controlled or monitored may comprise any user-accessible feature incorporated or installed on the slave mobile device and user access to the feature may be prevented according to at least one criterion, such as: date of use, time of day of use, number of times of use, originator and recipient. User access to the feature may be prevented access to the user-accessible feature when usage limitations for the feature have been reached.

A method of updating information included in a handheld device user's contact entry included in a global address list wherein the device stores information of a first type, such as a mobile phone, SMS or MMS number or a PIN. The method includes determining whether the information of a first type has been modified from a first stored piece of information to a second stored piece of information, and generating a message including the second stored piece of information and sending the message to a computer system of the organization if it is determined that the information of a first type has been modified. The computer system stores the second stored piece of information in response to receipt of the message by the computer system for subsequent access by a requesting party. Also provided is an improved handheld electronic device having one or more routines adapted to implement the method.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, Canada

Alain Rene Gagne