Method and Apparatus to Implement Themes for a Handheld Device

Abstract

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.