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System and method for adaptive theming of a mobile deviceSystem and method for adaptive theming of a mobile device description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080028326, System and method for adaptive theming of a mobile device. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE APPLICATION [0001]The present application relates to the field of mobile communications and particularly to a system and method for adaptive theming of a mobile device. BACKGROUND [0002]Mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular telephones and smartphones, for example, provide a man machine interface (MMI) through which a user interfaces with/or controls the operation of the mobile device. A mobile device's MMI typically consists of a hardware portion and a software portion. The hardware portion consists of buttons, thumb-wheels, displays, microphones, speakers and the like, whereas the software portion typically consists of visual or audio elements which a user may interact with through the use of one or more hardware portion. A common example of a software portion of a man machine interface includes an icon. The icon is displayed on a display and is actuated by a user through the use of a button. The software portion of the MMI may also include non-interactive elements, such as logos, ring tones, menu hierarchies or screen layouts known generally as a theme. [0003]Theme refers to attributes of the visual components or elements of the user interface that affect the look, but not the underlying meaning or semantic content, of the visual components such as colors, fonts, icon look and size, background images, and logos, among other things. Theme-able attributes are those attributes of visual elements of the user interface that can be changed or customized based on information provided to a mobile device. [0004]Mobile device manufacturers frequently enter into arrangements with telecommunications providers (carriers) whereby the carrier sells a manufacturer's mobile devices to consumers. Carriers will typically order a volume of a given mobile device from the manufacturer for sale. A carrier may desire to have a distinct MMI to represent its corporate identity or image and to serve to differentiate mobile devices and services sold by them from those sold by other carriers. The carrier configurable MMI is typically the software portion and is commonly known as a theme. A theme includes both interactive (or functional) elements and visual (or aesthetic) elements. [0005]The volume of mobile devices ordered by a carrier could be significant (to take advantage of volume discounts for example). As such, the carrier may not sell all of the ordered mobile devices until a lengthy period of time has past. During this time, the carrier may have changed marketing material, may have been acquired by another carrier or may have merged with another carrier. Any mobile devices which remain unsold may not comply with novel requirements resulting from the marketing change, acquisition or merger. [0006]Solutions exist wherein a mobile device's theme may be altered. [0007]U.S. Pat. No. 6,509,913 to Bruce K. Martin Jr et al. is entitled "Configurable Man-Machine Interface" (the '913 patent) and discloses methods which allow a network operator to configure a wireless device's man-machine interface remotely, over the air. The wireless device's man-machine interface disclosed in the '913 patent exists in relation to a browser application executing at the wireless device. The browser application requests from a network operator a configuration file which is then delivered to the wireless device and provided to the browser application. The browser application uses the configuration file to determine how to divide the wireless device's display into portions and further associate each portion of the screen with a universal resource indicator. The browser application will typically request (and possibly re-request) each of the resources indicated by the universal resource indicator and display the resource in the assigned portion of the screen. [0008]U.S. Patent Application Number US2005/0050474 to Bells et al. is entitled "Method and Data Structure for User Interface Customization" and is assigned to a common applicant, Research in Motion Ltd (the '474 application). In the '474 application is disclosed a data structure useable to theme a mobile device. The data structure is generally referred to as a UI theme file. The '474 application also discloses a UI theme manager operable at a mobile device to manage themes at the mobile device. Also disclosed in the '474 is a UI data provider system which is operable to provide UI theme files to the UI theme manager on a mobile device. [0009]There is a need for improved system and methods whereby a mobile device's theme can be conveniently altered. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010]The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments by way of example only. In the drawings: [0011]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile device and a communications system to which embodiments may be applied; [0012]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method executable at the mobile device of FIG. 1 for theming the mobile device; and [0013]FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method executable by a UI data provider system from FIG. 1 for theming a mobile device. [0014]Similar numerals may have been used throughout the figures to represent similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0015]Embodiments provide for a system and methods wherein the user interface (`UI`) of a mobile device may be themed at the latest possible moment in order to avoid costly losses arising from outdated theming or customization information contained on mobile devices which may have been held as inventory by a third party vendor. [0016]In one aspect there is provided a method for customizing the UI of a mobile device comprising the steps of detecting an activation of the mobile device, transmitting identification information from the mobile device subsequent to the detecting, receiving UI customization information at the mobile device in response to the transmitted identification information and customizing the UI of the mobile device based on the received UI customization information. [0017]In another aspect there is disclosed a method for supplying UI customization information comprising the steps of receiving identification information, providing UI customization information based on the received identification information and transmitting the retrieved UI customization information as a response to receiving the identification information. [0018]In yet another aspect there is disclosed a mobile computing device, comprising a display for rendering a user interface, the user interface having visual elements displayed in accordance with a UI customization, a communication subsystem for effectuating communications, a memory storing identification information and a UI customization manager for detecting activation of the mobile computing device, transmitting the identification information, receiving UI customization information in response to the transmitted identification information, and customizing the UI of the mobile device based upon the received theme information. [0019]In even yet another embodiment there is disclosed a user interface data provider system for customizing a user interface of a mobile device, comprising a server adapted to receive identification information from the mobile device, provide UI customization information based on the received identification information, and transmit the provided UI customization information to the mobile device in response to receiving the identification information. [0020]Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a block diagram of a communication system 100 and mobile device 10 in which example embodiments may be applied. The communication system 100 includes mobile devices 10 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1), a wireless network 110 for communicating with the mobile device 10, a wireless network gateway 115 for interfacing the wireless network 110 with a Wide Area Network (WAN) 120, the WAN 120 connecting the wireless network gateway 115 with a User Interface (UI) data provider system 125, Continue reading about System and method for adaptive theming of a mobile device... Full patent description for System and method for adaptive theming of a mobile device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System and method for adaptive theming of a mobile device patent application. 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