Method and Apparatus to Implement Themes for a Handheld Device
A method and apparatus for the delivery, administration and application of themes to a cellular telephone device. The apparatus, in one embodiment, comprises an inbox to receive a multimedia message (MM) containing a theme, a filing logic to place the MM in a themes folder, a themes folder available to the user to browse the theme MMs, and a client-side application to apply the theme to the user's cellular telephone device. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes notification logic to notify a web page associated with the user to change its display to match the theme applied by the user to the cellular telephone device.
1 . A method comprising:
receiving a multimedia message (MM) from a multi-media messaging service center (MMSC) at a mobile device;
identifying the MM as a themes MM, the themes MM designed to apply a theme to the mobile device; and
automatically filing the MM in a theme folder in the user's inbox.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a theme folder, if a theme folder is not already present on the user's system.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
permitting the user to browse the MM messages in the theme folder using the same user interface mechanism as for regular MM messages.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein each MM message includes a representative theme image, to enable to the user to visually identify the theme associated with the MM message.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
identifying a representative image for the theme MM, and adding the representative image to the visible message header.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the theme type, wherein the theme type includes a static theme, a rotating theme, and a dynamic theme; and
in a visible message header associated with the theme message, indicating the theme type.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if the user selects a theme MM, applying the theme to the user's device.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when the user applies a theme, sending a message to a web interface to cause the web interface to apply a corresponding theme.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a theme folder if the theme folder does not already exist.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing a theme message after it expires.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
deleting the theme folder, if there are no theme messages in the theme folder.
12 . A handheld device capable of supporting themes, the handheld device comprising:
an inbox for receiving multimedia messages, the inbox including a theme folder for theme messages; and
a filing logic to automatically file a theme message in the theme folder upon receipt of the theme message.
13 . (canceled)
14 . (canceled)
15 . The device of claim 12 further comprising:
a theme client to apply a theme from the theme message upon selection of the theme message in the theme folder.