Abstract: A method of updating a database, including data records, to accord with an updated schema. The method includes obtaining, at a portable electronic device, the updated schema associated with the database. If a field is deleted in the updated schema, the data records are updated by deleting the field from each of the data records. An update command is transmitted from the portable electronic device for updating the database schema for a corresponding backup database at a server.

Abstract: A method of composing an email message at an electronic device and an electronic device operable to carry out the method are provided. The method includes receiving an email command from a user input of the electronic device through a calendar user interface, the email command relating to at least one of a plurality of intended attendees of a calendared meeting, and providing an email composition interface in response to receiving the email command. The email composition interface includes a user-editable portion of an address field. The user-editable portion of the address field is automatically populated with email address information for the at least one of the plurality of intended attendees.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention provides a system for failover comprising at least one client selectively connectable to one of at least two interconnected servers via a network connection. In a normal state, one of the servers is designated a primary server when connected to the client and a remainder of the servers are designated as backup servers when not connected to the client. The at least one client is configured to send messages to the primary server. The servers are configured to process the messages using at least one service that is identical in each of the servers. The services are unaware of whether a server respective to the service is operating as the primary server or the backup server. The servers are further configured to maintain a library, or the like, that indicates whether a server is the primary server or a server is the backup server. The services within each server are to make external calls via its respective library.

Abstract: An electronic device and wireless base station for maintaining a persistent connection is provided. In an embodiment, a system includes an electronic device that connects to a web-server via a physical link that is bandwidth-constrained. The physical link also includes a wireless base station and at least one network address translation (“NAT”) router that is configured to terminate idle connections between the client and the web-server. One of the electronic device and the wireless base station is configured to send keep-alive packets to the web-server in order to reduce the likelihood of the NAT router terminating the connection. The keep-alive packets are sent on a variable basis that is intended to reduce bandwidth consumption while ensuring that the NAT router does not deem the connection idle and terminate the connection.

Abstract: A display screen is capable of having regions having different switching speeds as well as regions that are not switched. One region having a first switching speed may be for colour mode display and the other region having a second switching speed different from the first may be for monochrome mode display. Other regions may be off and not switched. In alternative versions, three or more switched regions may be established on a display screen. For example, a monochrome region may be nested inside a colour region, in which the colour region may be nested between off regions.

Abstract: Disclosed is an enhanced system and method for bridging calls across telecommunications networks, including an illustrative application of the invention as it relates to international roaming among prepaid wireless subscribers. For instance, whenever wireless subscribers roam internationally they may invoke the system by keying in an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) short code followed by the number to be dialed. Said subscriber's prepaid account is then decremented in real-time (until such account is fully depleted). A key feature of the disclosure generally is the bridging of the call legs between the wireless subscriber initiating the telephone communication and that of the receiving party through a series of general purpose databases and computers without requiring modifications to existing core network or handset infrastructure.

Abstract: A method is set forth for automatically adjusting screen and keypad brightness on a mobile electronic device having a light sensor, display screen and keypad, for optimum legibility under varying lighting conditions, with minimal eye strain and distraction to the user. The method includes obtaining light level samples from the light sensor, and independently adjusting backlight intensity of the display screen and keypad responsive to the light level samples. Preferably, correct screen and keypad adjustments are made responsive to the user pulling his or her handheld device out of its holster notwithstanding non-optimal ambient light detection while the device is being removed from the holster. According to another aspect, the described method allows for ambient light detection in a handheld device where the light sensor and a message notification indicator share a common light pipe.

Abstract: A data repository system and method are provided. A method in accordance with an embodiment includes an operation that can be used to port data from one or more existing database partitions to new database partitions according to a minimally progressive hash. The method can be used to increase the overall size of databases while a system runs hot, with little or no downtime.

Abstract: A method of controlling a portable electronic device includes receiving a power-down command, determining an automatic power-up date and time based on an earliest one of a next preset power-up and a next time-dependent event reminder, entering a power-down state, monitoring a date and time, and automatically powering up at the automatic power-up date and time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method of modifying policy settings in a network having a plurality of subscriber devices. An embodiment includes a plurality of base stations, each capable of wirelessly transmitting across a geographic region and a server. A cell-phone, capable of roaming between regions, is operable to establish a wireless link with the base stations and through the base stations, with the server. The network contains a communication policy determining from which other communication devices a subscriber device can receive voice calls. The communication policy is updated, by the server, based on requests from the subscriber devices. Once a request is received from a subscriber device, the determination whether to update the communication policy can be based on a record of rejections respective to the caller requested to be blocked.

Abstract: In a mobile electronic communication device for receiving a downlink radio link control (RLC) data block, the improvement comprising determining whether an Extension (E) bit within a header of the data block has been reset to zero, thereby denoting the existence of extension octets within the data block, summing the lengths of the extension octets, calculating the number of bytes in the data block, and discarding the data block in the event the sum of the lengths is greater than the number of bytes in the data block.

Abstract: An enhanced email system incorporating mobile wireless communication devices includes program logic for efficiently managing (i.e., at least partially synchronizing) “messages sent” files in the mobile device and in a related message server. The exemplary program logic also more efficiently handles resending of previously sent email messages from the mobile wireless communication device (especially in the context of synchronized messages sent files) by sending to the message server only abbreviated unique message ID in the first instance. In this way, wireless bandwidth is conserved as is the device battery.

Abstract: An electronic device and method for power management in an electronic device is provided. In an embodiment, the electronic device includes the functionality of a personal digital assistant, wireless email paging and a camera with a flash that is operated via self-contained power supply in the form of a battery. The device also includes a supervisor circuit which causes the device to enter sleep mode, or disables the device, or certain features of the device, if the battery level falls below a certain threshold. A method in accordance with an embodiment performs, in response to a request to fire the flash, a pre-flash test which is selected so as to not trip the supervisor circuit. The battery level is examined after the pre-flash test. If the battery level meets certain criteria, the full flash is permitted to proceed, else the full flash is not permitted to proceed.

Abstract: A method of synchronizing at least one database including at least one updated data record with at least one other database including a corresponding data record. The method includes comparing at least one field of data of the updated data record with a corresponding field of the data record prior to updating, generating change information including at least the location of a change and an indication representative of the change for the field of the updated data record, and transmitting the change information for assembly in the corresponding data record.

Abstract: A receiver for a mobile communication system includes a channel equalizer for receiving a burst and generating a soft decision output associated with the burst, a soft decision correction circuit follows the channel equalizer and a decoder receives and decodes a block of bursts. The soft decision correction circuit calculates a correction factor based on the soft decision output for the burst and applies the correction factor to the burst prior to the burst entering the decoder.

Abstract: A fault detection apparatus for surface mount packages is provided. The apparatus can include a retainer for releasably securing a circuit board such as a printed circuit board having an electrical component mounted thereon via a ball grid array surface mount package. When mounted within the apparatus, a test signal is applied to the electrical component. The apparatus includes a mechanical actuator, such as a solenoid, for applying a reciprocating force to the circuit board. The reciprocating force can disturb a defect in the ball grid array manifesting as a mechanically unreliable connection at one of the balls where an electrically intermittent connection is occurring. By disturbing the mechanically unreliable connection, the electrically intermittent connection can be caused to fail altogether and thereby reveal the defect as a test signal is carried through the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A peripheral for an electronic device having a speaker is provided. The peripheral includes an input device for placement proximal to the speaker for receiving audio information from the speaker. The peripheral includes an output device connected to the input device that is positioned distal from the input device and away from electromagnetic signals generated by the device. The output device presents the audio information to a hearing aid proximal to the output device. The output device is positioned at a distance such that the electromagnetic signals experienced by the input device is less than the signals experienced by the hearing aid. As a result, deleterious effects of signals otherwise experienced by the hearing aid are reduced.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, data structures, and computer programming for the display on mobile wireless communications devices of information without the authorization or control of administrative servers. Displayed information can include, for example, carrier logos, news, and advertisements presented at the initiative of local service providers or other third-party systems. The local service providers or other parties are enabled to control the location and manner of the displays, as well as the content of data displayed. Providing control over the display to the local service provider enables, among other advantages, the transmission and display of much richer content, in more flexible manner than has heretofore been possible, including static and dynamic graphic images. The Application can be particularly useful in GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS systems.

Abstract: A displayed string of emails is effectively compressed for improved readability by deleting some or all headers and/or by skipping the cursor from one message body to another in response to “hot” key actuation(s) by a user.