Patents by Inventor Gerhard D. Klassen

Gerhard D. Klassen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9514441
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for conducting at least two concurrent conversation sessions is provided whereby a user may quickly switch between sessions. A graphical user interface may be provided comprising a first portion for conducting a first communication session and a second portion for immediately invoking a switch to a second communication session. In operation, the first portion of the graphical user interface is switched to immediately conduct said second communication session in response to a user input to invoke the switch. The second component can display notifications for concurrent session activities and a particular notification selected by a user to invoke the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Shaul Wisebourt
  • Patent number: 9503400
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which time data regarding certain aspects of a messaging conversation on a handheld electronic device are made available to a user. Such time data is provided, for instance, in situations where an interruption has occurred during a messaging conversation. Time data can also be provided to a user on demand in certain circumstances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Christopher R. Wormald, Lawrence E. Kuhl
  • Patent number: 9385973
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which time data regarding certain aspects of a messaging conversation on a handheld electronic device are made available to a user. Such time data is provided, for instance, in situations where an interruption has occurred during a messaging conversation. Time data can also be provided to a user on demand in certain circumstances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Christopher R. Wormald, Lawrence E. Kuhl
  • Patent number: 9325643
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which time data regarding certain aspects of a messaging conversation on a handheld electronic device are made available to a user. Such time data is provided, for instance, in situations where an interruption has occurred during a messaging conversation. Time data can also be provided to a user on demand in certain circumstances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Christopher R. Wormald, Lawrence E. Kuhl
  • Publication number: 20160037016
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system and method for uploading an image file to an image repository from a mobile handheld communications device having an integrated camera. In an embodiment, the method comprises: upon determining capture of an image using the integrated camera, automatically initiating an image upload module; configuring the image upload module to display an image upload user interface having user selectable image upload settings; and upon receiving user instructions, uploading the image file to the image repository with the selected image upload settings. The upload settings may be preselected and the device may be preauthorized to access an account on the image repository.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. KLASSEN, Terrill DENT
  • Patent number: 9203646
    Abstract: A method and system of message transport selection for a communication device configured for communication over a plurality of message transports are provided. A determination is made as to whether any of the plurality of message transports is available for sending an outgoing message from the communication device. One of the available message transports is then selected, and the outgoing message is sent from the communication device using the selected message transport. Even though the outgoing message may be of a message type associated with one of the plurality of message transports, other message transports may be selected and used to send the outgoing message from the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, David P. Yach
  • Patent number: 9203949
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system and method for integrating an image upload object with a message list. In an embodiment, the method comprises: creating an image upload object for each image to be uploaded; and displaying the image upload object in a message list such that the image upload object may be selected and opened as a message. In another embodiment, the method may further comprise associating with the image upload object at least one of a text description, a thumbnail of the image, a date, and a file link to the uploaded image. In another embodiment, an image upload object in the message list may be configured such that the image upload object may be forwarded to another user as a message, and the associated uploaded image may be accessed by the other user via the file link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Terrill Dent, Scotte Zinn
  • Patent number: 9112999
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for allowing a user to select, from a plurality of TTY-modes, one TTY-mode to associate with one phone number. The associated TTY-mode will be used for either incoming or outgoing calls using that phone number. Further disclosed are a plurality of TTY-modes to associate with individual phone numbers, and, a selectable set of default TTY-modes to use if no TTY-mode is associated with a particular phone number. Selectable audio modes, associable with phone numbers or with TTY-modes, is also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: David J. Dougall, Gregory J. Fields, Gerhard D. Klassen, Mohamed Farid
  • Patent number: 9098169
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which enhanced information regarding an “availability” of a user of a handheld electronic device is provided to another electronic device in a messaging environment. Such availability data provides step-wise indications of the relative availabilities of one or more users of electronic devices in a messaging environment. The step-wise indications can, for instance, range from an availability level of “currently active” to several levels of nonavailability. The device and method can be incorporated into an existing messaging environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Christopher R. Wormald, Darcy R. Phipps, Craig A. Dunk
  • Publication number: 20150106457
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing a conversation of related messages is provided. In a message collection user interface for displaying messages sent and received by a communications device, a dynamic session placeholder is used for a respective conversation of related messages. The message collection user interface is displayed including any dynamic session placeholders in the list of messages. As messages from the conversation are occasioned, the dynamic session placeholder is updated. When the message collection is displayed, it is displayed in accordance with the updated session placeholder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Gerhard D. KLASSEN, Shaul S. WISEBOURT
  • Patent number: 8873885
    Abstract: A system and method of resizing an image on a mobile communication device prior to transmitting to an online image repository is disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, the method comprises: determining a size of an original image; determining whether there are any default file sizes to which the original image may be resized; when a default file size does not exist, receiving a custom image size, resizing the original image in accordance with the received custom image size to create a resized image, and transmitting the resized image to the online image repository.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Terrill Dent
  • Patent number: 8843569
    Abstract: This relates to a method of operating a mobile device. The method includes providing groups data comprising information for each of a plurality of instant messaging services operable on the mobile device. The groups data is stored in a database and used with a multi-community service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Craig A. Dunk, Christopher R. Wormald
  • Patent number: 8818349
    Abstract: A method for deploying an application to a mobile device comprises providing a web page to a computing device coupled to a communications network for receiving the web page, the web page comprising a configuration determination and loading component for deploying the application to the mobile device coupled to the computing device, the web page determining configuration information about the mobile device for determining specific application components for loading; and providing specific application components for loading onto the mobile device in response to the web page. The web page may determine specific application components for the mobile device in response to the configuration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Garth Newton, Christopher R. Wormald
  • Patent number: 8803980
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system and method for geotagging objects on a mobile handheld communication device. In an embodiment, the method comprises: providing a user interface with a plurality of user selectable options for obtaining geographic location coordinates; receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of options; and tagging an object with the geographic location coordinates obtained from the selected one of the plurality of options. In another embodiment, the method may further comprise obtaining from an active global positioning system (GPS) module the geographic location coordinates for a current location to tag the object. The method may further comprise providing previously saved geographic location coordinates to tag the object. The object may be an image object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Thomas Murphy, Gordon Bowman
  • Patent number: 8750914
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which enhanced information regarding an “availability” of a user of a handheld electronic device is provided to another electronic device in a messaging environment. Such availability data provides step-wise indications of the relative availabilities of one or more users of electronic devices in a messaging environment. The step-wise indications can, for instance, range from an availability level of “currently active” to several levels of nonavailability. The device and method can be incorporated into an existing messaging environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Christopher R. Wormald, Darcy R. Phipps, Craig A. Dunk
  • Patent number: 8745149
    Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which time data regarding certain aspects of a messaging conversation on a handheld electronic device are made available to a user. Such time data is provided, for instance, in situations where an interruption has occurred during a messaging conversation. Time data can also be provided to a user on demand in certain circumstances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Christopher R. Wormald, Lawrence E. Kuhl
  • Patent number: 8739071
    Abstract: A collating application for message display and management executes on a communication device. The communication device includes a plurality of message applications associated with various communication channels, each message application receiving and storing messages associated with one of the various communications channels. The collating application dynamically accesses messages stored by the plurality of message applications to retrieve messages that meet defined matching criteria. The collating application permits the user to select a listing of the heterogeneous retrieved messages in a single view on the communication device. Icons associated with the matching criteria are displayable and vary in accordance with the presence or absence of unread messages meeting the matching criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Chris Wormald, David Yach
  • Patent number: 8732245
    Abstract: In a computer system, a system, method and computer program product for pre-selecting a folder for a current message. The system, method and computer program product involve (a) providing a folder pre-selection cache having n configurable entries, n being a predetermined positive integer greater than one, each configurable entry being configured to include an associated pre-selection criterion for matching with the current message, and an associated folder identification for identifying an associated folder in the plurality of folders; (b) for at least one entry in the folder pre-selection cache, comparing a comparison criterion, obtained from the current message, with the associated pre-selection criterion to determine a matching entry in the folder pre-selection cache; and, (c) pre-selecting the folder identified by the associated folder identification of the matching entry when the message comparison module determines the matching entry in the folder pre-selection cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Anthony F. Scian, David P. Yach, R. Scotte Zinn, Gerhard D. Klassen
  • Patent number: 8688081
    Abstract: To automatically determine the availability status of the user of a handheld communication device, various conditions of the device may be checked, which imply whether the user is likely Available, or Unavailable or the equivalent. Normally, the conditions are checked only if the user has not explicitly or semi-explicitly set his or her status to Unavailable. The conditions to be checked can vary, but generally include anything from which it might be inferred or implied that the user is likely Available or Unavailable or the equivalent. Such conditions can include, for example, whether or not a specified timeout for use of a mechanical feature has elapsed; whether a real-time application is in use; and preferably any one or more of other conditions, one further example being whether there are any unattended-to notifications such as an unanswered phone call, or a missed e-mail, or other message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Gerhard D. Klassen, Shaul S. Wisebourt
  • Patent number: 8667384
    Abstract: There is disclosed a user interface for editing photo tags. In an embodiment, the user interface embodies a method of editing photo tags, comprising: displaying a photo on a display; providing a photo tagging mode for editing tags for the displayed photo; and for each tag used to tag a subject or object in the photo, identifying the tag type and associating a unique pointer for each tag type to highlight the corresponding tagged subject or object. The method may further comprise: displaying a tag list of tags used to tag a subject or object in the photo; and identifying the tag type of each tag in the tag list. In an embodiment, context sensitive information may be accessed for each tag depending on the tag type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael S. Brown, Gerhard D. Klassen, Terrill Dent