Abstract: A method and devices for providing secure data backup from a mobile communication device to an external computing device is described. In accordance with one example embodiment, there is provided a method of backing up data from a mobile communication device to an external computing device, the mobile communication device being connected to the external computing device for exchanging data with each other, the method comprising: receiving a request to backup one or more data items in a plurality of data items stored on the mobile communication device; encrypting a data item using an encryption key stored in memory of the mobile communication device; transferring the encrypted data item to the external computing device; and storing a backup file comprising the encrypted data item in the memory of the external computing device.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for controlling the display of a portable electronic device having a user input device and a camera function; the portable electronic device including a photosensor chip having a sensor array of a predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels for converting radiant energy into electronic signals representing an image for display via a viewfinder. The method comprises selecting via the user input a zoom level and viewfinder resolution for the camera application, and in the event the zoom level is 1× then scaling the predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels to the selected viewfinder resolution and generating an image corresponding thereto; and in the event the zoom level is greater than 1× then cropping a region of interest of the predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels in accordance with the zoom level and then scaling the cropped region of interest in accordance with the viewfinder resolution and generating an image corresponding thereto.

Abstract: In a handheld communication device capable of a plurality of wireless communication modes, a method of communication begins by receiving, at the handheld communication device, a notification of an available one of the wireless communication modes. Then, in a data communication window of the communication device, a user-indication of an active one of the available wireless communication modes is provided in accordance with the received communication mode indication. The data communication window is configured to facilitate data communication via the plurality of wireless communication modes, and facilitates the data communication via the active wireless communication mode.

Abstract: A handheld device has a memory for storing a plurality of software applications and a processor for running concurrently at least two of the applications, a one of them defining an active application. First and second buttons on the device are adapted to advance a one of the running applications to the active application. According to a method, (which may be configured by code in each of at least some of the software applications), the processor is configured to display a first menu in response to an input from the first button where the first menu has at least one menu item for prompting a user to a second menu showing a list of running applications. The processor is further configured to navigate the menus in response to input from the second button and advance to the active application a one of the running applications selected from the second menu.

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: A method for viewing a full image of a server stored original attachment on a portable electronic device including: building a graph structure within the server representing a map of the original image, downloading and displaying a re-sized image from the server to the portable electronic device, the original image exceeding an image size limit of the portable electronic device indicative of screen size of the portable electronic device, dividing the original image into four individual quadrants and calculating width and height parameters of the four individual quadrants, sending a request from the portable electronic device to the server to enlarge the image displayed on the device based on the width and height parameters, the request including the image size limit, retrieving and traversing the graph structure within the server to locate a separate image component constructed for the image size limit, collecting image binary data from the separate image component and modifying the image binary data based on

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for configuring unique profile settings for multiple services associated with an application in an electronic device. A profile system is provided having multiple programmable profile settings and a default profile setting for the application. Service records are received at the electronic device for each of the multiple services. The multiple services register with the profile system using a unique ID for each of the service records and include data for identifying the default profile setting for the application. Initially, the default profile setting is assigned to each of the multiple services. Subsequently, the multiple programmable profile settings are assigned to respective ones of the multiple services.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for configuring unique profile settings for multiple services associated with an application in an electronic device. A profile system is provided having multiple programmable profile settings and a default profile setting for the application. Service records are received at the electronic device for each of the multiple services. The multiple services register with the profile system using a unique ID for each of the service records and include data for identifying the default profile setting for the application. Initially, the default profile setting is assigned to each of the multiple services. Subsequently, the multiple programmable profile settings are assigned to respective ones of the multiple services.

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: Contact records are stored. Each record has values in respective fields, including first and second fields and a contact identifier field. A communication, that includes a network identifier, is received. Which of the records matches the identifier is determined based on the value in the respective record's contact identifier field matching the identifier. If multiple records match the identifier and those matching records have a common value in the first field, then the common value is displayed without duplication.

Abstract: In a method of operating a wireless handheld device, upon receipt of a user request to compose an email, an email composition screen is displayed with a field indicating an email service to be used. Then, upon a user request launched from this email composition screen, a list of all available email services is displayed.

Abstract: A user interface and method for composing a message to be sent over a wireless network environment using a handheld device is disclosed. According to the method, upon receipt of a user request to compose a message, a screen is displayed with an input recipient field for a recipient address, an associated label to indicate that the input recipient field is for a recipient address, and an input message body field for holding message content. The method further includes, upon each keystroke entry of text to the input recipient field, looking up entries from an address book which match the text, and displaying a selection menu representing addresses from at least a portion of the entries.

Abstract: A user interface and method for composing a message to be sent over a wireless network environment using a handheld device is disclosed. According to the method, upon receipt of a user request to compose a message, a screen is displayed with a recipient field for a recipient address, an associated label to indicate that the recipient field is for a recipient address, and a message body field for holding message content. The method further includes, upon each keystroke entry of text to the recipient field, looking up entries from an address book which match the text, and displaying a selection menu representing addresses from at least a portion of the entries.

Abstract: A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device having stored therein a number of language objects includes detecting a selection of a languages, making a determination that the language is a default language or a non-default language, detecting as an ambiguous input an actuation of one or more input members, outputting at least a portion of a number of the language objects that corresponds to the ambiguous input, and outputting an indication representative of the language.

Abstract: A method for enabling input into a handheld electronic device having at least three selectable languages available thereon includes detecting a predetermined input a number of times and switching a selected language between one of the three selectable languages and another of the three selectable languages wherein the another language is an immediately preceding selected language.

Abstract: A method for selecting a communication option for communications from a mobile device which operates in a wireless communication network, the mobile device having access to stored address book information that includes contact names, the method including: storing for at least some of the contact names an indication of a last communication option used for communicating therewith; displaying a list of user selectable contact names on a display of the mobile device; after receiving user input selecting of one of the contact names from the list, causing a list of user selectable communication options for communicating with the selected contact name to be generated on the display; and automatically positioning a selection symbol on the display to highlight the selectable communication option that corresponds to a last communication option that was used for communicating with the selected contact name.

Abstract: A set of email messages is received at a wireless communication device. Each of the email messages has at least one attachment. For each attachment, an indicator of whether any content of the attachment has been presented at the wireless communication device (e.g. displayed on a display or played on a speaker) is maintained. A subset of the set of email messages is identified and displayed on the basis of the indicators and a user-specified parameter, which may be specified via a graphical user interface. Alternatively, a subset of the set of email messages is identified, wherein each email message of the subset has at least one attachment whose content is presentable at the device.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method of provisioning a resource to an electronic device. The method comprises the steps of: (a) maintaining a library of resources at a remote server from the device; (b) after a triggering event, providing a data transmission to the device, the data transmission containing access information for the library that can be extracted by the device and used to access the library; and (c) after a selection event initiated on the device for a specific resource from the library, providing a second data transmission to the device, the second data transmission containing a copy of the specific resource. The system provides a server, a resource, a device and a communication link incorporating the method.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for updating a resource to an electronic device. The method provisions a resource to an electronic device by: (a) maintaining the resource at a remote server from the device; and (b) after a triggering event, providing a data transmission to the device containing access information for the resource. The system incorporates the method and comprises: a resource providing information for the device; a server to maintain the resource; a communication link providing the device with access to the resource; a data transmission module for extracting and transmitting access information about the resource to the device; and a data processing module for processing the received information at the device. In the device, a GUI provides information on a topic retrieved from local storage on the device and additional information about the resource is incorporated into the GUI for that topic.

Abstract: A method for initiating telephone calls from a mobile device which operates in a wireless communication network, including: displaying text on a visual display of the mobile device; moving a position marker on the visual display throughout the displayed text in response to a navigational input by a user to the mobile device; monitoring for a predetermined user input to the mobile device and upon detecting the predetermined user input causing a list of user selectable functions to be displayed on the visual display; determining if the position marker is located within a non-hyperlinked number string in the displayed text when the predetermined user input is detected and if so, causing the displayed list of user selectable functions to include a telephone call function for initiating a telephone call to the non-hyperlinked number string; and causing, if a user selects from the list of functions the initiate a telephone call function, a telephone call to the non-hyperlinked number string to be initiated through