Methods for responding to an email message by call from a mobile device

• US 10,200,322 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shih, Jimmy S., Beust, Cedric, McKinley, Joanne, Phillips, Derek Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US14/996,892
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Methods for responding to an email message by a phone call from a mobile device are described. In some embodiments, mobile devices are capable of receiving emails. The emails may be in form of messages in a threaded conversation. Each message has metadata and the metadata includes a phone number corresponding to a sender of the message. The text or information associated with the message is displayed but not the metadata. While a user is reading the message displayed on the mobile device, the user is provided with a plurality of options to respond to the message, an option is for the user to call the sender of the message using the phone number in the metadata. Upon selecting such an option, the user is able to initiate a call to the sender of the message by activating a feature to call using the phone number stored in the metadata without physically looking up and dialing the sender'"'"'s number. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a client device, a message and corresponding metadata in a first application, the metadata including a call identifier corresponding to a sender of the message;

displaying the message or information associated with the message in the first application;

retrieving the call identifier corresponding to the sender of the message from the metadata associated with the message or a contact entry matching the sender from an external source of contact information, wherein the call identifier is not viewable in the displayed message;

while displaying the message or the information associated with the message in the first application, providing an option to call the sender of the message using the call identifier included in the metadata;

while displaying the message or the information associated with the message in the first application, enabling user selection of the option to call the sender of the message; and

in response to a user selection of the option to call the sender of the message, initiating a call to the sender of the message using the call identifier included in the metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the metadata temporarily in a memory of the client device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the option is a one-step activation of an accelerator key that automatically calls the sender using the call identifier contained in the metadata.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the accelerator key is a key or button on an input device of the client device that performs a common function in all screens of an application whenever the common function is allowed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second message, wherein a call identifier of a sender of the second message is not contained in metadata, if any, corresponding to the second message;

searching, automatically upon receiving the second message, a local address book of the client device for an entry matching identity of the sender of the second message; and

while displaying the second message or information associated with the second message, responding to a user action by initiating a call to the sender of the second message using the call identifier in the local address book entry matching identity of the sender of the second message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving a second message, wherein a call identifier of a sender of the second message is not contained in metadata, if any, corresponding to the second message;

upon receiving the second message, automatically sending a request to a server for the call identifier of the sender of the second message;

receiving from the server the requested call identifier of the sender of the second message; and

while displaying the second message or information associated with the second message, responding to a user action by initiating a call to the sender of the second message using the call identifier received from the server of the sender of the second message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an email, a text message, or an instant message.

8. A computing device comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to;

receive a message and corresponding metadata in a first application, the metadata including a call identifier corresponding to a sender of the message;

display the message or information associated with the message in the first application;

retrieve the call identifier corresponding to the sender of the message from the metadata associated with the message or a contact entry matching the sender from an external source of contact information, wherein the call identifier is not viewable in the displayed message;

while displaying the message or the information associated with the message in the first application, provide an option to call the sender of the message using the call identifier included in the metadata;

while displaying the message or the information associated with the message in the first application, enable user selection of the option to call the sender of the message; and

in response to a user selection of the option to call the sender of the message, initiate a call to the sender of the message using the call identifier included in the metadata.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:

store the metadata temporarily in a memory of the client device.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the option is a one-step activation of an accelerator key that automatically calls the sender using the call identifier contained in the metadata.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the accelerator key is a key or button on an input device of the client device that performs a common function in all screens of an application whenever the common function is allowed.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:

receive a second message, wherein a call identifier of the sender of the second message is not contained in metadata, if any, corresponding to the second message;

search, automatically upon receiving the second message, a local address book of the client device for an entry matching identity of the sender of the second message; and

while displaying the second message or information associated with the second message, respond to a user action by initiating a call to the sender of the second message using the call identifier in the local address book entry matching identity of the sender of the second message.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:

receive a second message, wherein a call identifier of the sender of the second message is not contained in metadata, if any, corresponding to the second message;

upon receiving the second message, automatically send a request to a server for the call identifier of the sender of the second message;

receive from the server the requested call identifier of the sender of the second message; and

while displaying the second message or information associated with the second message, respond to a user action by initiating a call to the sender of the second message using the call identifier received from the server of the sender of the second message.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the message is an email, a text message, or an instant message.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing device to:

receive a message and corresponding metadata in a first application, the metadata including a call identifier corresponding to a sender of the message;

display the message or information associated with the message in the first application;

retrieve the call identifier corresponding to the sender of the message from the metadata associated with the message or a contact entry matching the sender in an external source of contact information, wherein the call identifier is not viewable in the displayed message;

while displaying the message or the information associated with the message in the first application, provide an option to call the sender of the message using the call identifier included in the metadata;

while displaying the message or the information associated with the message in the first application, enable user selection of the option to call the sender of the message; and

in response to a user selection of the option to call the sender of the message, initiate a call to the sender of the message using the call identifier included in the metadata.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor of the computing device to:

store the metadata temporarily in a memory of the client device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the option is a one step activation of an accelerator key that automatically calls the sender using the call identifier contained in the metadata.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the accelerator key is a key or button on an input device of the client device that performs a common function in all screens of an application whenever the common function is allowed.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor of the computing device to:

receive a second message, wherein a call identifier of the sender of the second message is not contained in metadata, if any, corresponding to the second message;

search, automatically upon receiving the second message, a local address book of the client device for an entry matching identity of the sender of the second message; and

while displaying the second message or information associated with the second message, respond to a user action by initiating a call to the sender of the second message using the call identifier in the local address book entry matching identity of the sender of the second message.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor of the computing device to:

receive a second message, wherein a call identifier of the sender of the second message is not contained in metadata, if any, corresponding to the second message;

upon receiving the second message, automatically send a request to a server for the call identifier of the sender of the second message;

receive from the server the requested call identifier of the sender of the second message; and

while displaying the second message or information associated with the second message, respond to a user action by initiating a call to the sender of the second message using the call identifier received from the server of the sender of the second message.