Inline message alert

• US 10,235,021 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, Timothy T., Donsbach, Aaron Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Martello, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/225,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20170031553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A computing device can be running a current context and displaying a current interface for the current context when a communication is received on the device. The device can display an alert on a portion of a display screen in conjunction with the current interface being displayed. The alert can include information about the communication, which can allow a user to better determine whether or not the communication requires immediate attention. If the user ignores the alert, it will disappear in a specified amount of time. If the user chooses to deal with the communication, he/she can tap on the alert to bring up an overlay interface for replying to the communication without having to switch to another application specifically configured for handling (e.g., viewing, replying to) the communication. After the user replies to the communication using the overlay interface, he/she can be automatically brought back to the current interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying a first interface on an entirety of at least a first portion of a display screen of a computing device;

receiving data associated with a communication;

displaying at least a first portion of the first interface and a second interface associated with the communication on at least a second portion of the display screen that includes at least some of the first portion of the display screen;

receiving a first input associated with the second interface;

displaying at least a second portion of the first interface and a third interface on at least a third portion of the display screen that includes at least some of the first portion of the display screen, the third interface including an interface element associated with responding to the communication;

receiving a response to the communication as a second input, the second input corresponding to the interface element associated with responding to the communication; and

in response to receiving the second input, displaying the first interface on the entirety of at least the first portion of the display screen.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a virtual keyboard between a first time of receiving the first input and a second time of receiving the second input.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

in further response to receiving the second input associated with the interface element, sending a second communication responsive to the communication.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first input as a touch input for a specified amount of time.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least one of the second interface overlaying the first portion of the first interface or the third interface overlaying the second portion of the first interface.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling input associated with at least the second portion of the first interface between a first time of receiving the first input and a second time of receiving the second input.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third input associated with at least the second portion of the first interface between a first time of receiving the first input and a second time of receiving the second input; and

performing an action associated with the third input.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second data associated with a second communication;

displaying at least the first portion of the first interface and the second interface associated with the second communication on at least the second portion of the display screen; and

in response to receiving no input associated with at least the first portion of the second interface for a specified amount of time, displaying the first interface on the entirety of at least the first portion of the display screen.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a data type of the communication is associated with a default application and the second interface is functionality associated with an operating system of the computing device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first interface is associated with first functionality of an operating system of the computing device and the second interface is associated with second functionality of the operating system.

11. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a touchscreen; and

a memory element including instructions that, upon being executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

display a first graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a first application on an entirety of at least a first portion of the touchscreen;

receive data associated with a communication;

display at least a first portion of the first GUI and a second GUI associated with the communication on at least a second portion of the touchscreen that includes at least some of the first portion of the touchscreen;

receive a first touch input to a first region of the touchscreen associated with the second GUI;

display at least a second portion of the GUI and a third GUI on at least a third portion of the touchscreen that includes at least some of the first portion of the touchscreen, the third GUI including a GUI element associated with responding to the communication;

receiving a response to the communication as a second input, the second input in a second region of the touchscreen corresponding to the GUI element associated with responding to the communication; and

in response to receiving the second input display the first GUI on the entirety of at least the first portion of the touchscreen.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions upon being executed further cause the computing device to:

in further response to receiving the second input associated with the GUI element, send a second communication responsive to the communication.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions upon being executed further cause the computing device to:

display at least one of the second GUI overlaying the first portion of the first GUI or the third GUI overlaying the second portion of the first GUI.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions upon being executed further cause the computing device to:

receive a third input associated with at least the second portion of the first interface between a first time of receiving the first input and a second time of receiving the second input; and

perform an action associated with the third input.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying a first graphical user interface (GUI) using an entirety of first pixels of a touchscreen of a computing device;

receiving data associated with a communication;

displaying at least a first portion of the first GUI and a first portion of a second GUI associated with the communication using second pixels that include at least some of the first pixels;

receiving a first touch input to a first region of the touchscreen associated with the first portion of the second GUI;

displaying at least a second portion of the first GUI and a second portion of the second GUI using third pixels that include at least some of the first pixels, the first portion of the second GUI including a GUI element associated with responding to the communication;

receiving a response to the communication as a second touch input, the second touch input corresponding to a second region of the touchscreen corresponding to the GUI element associated with responding to the communication; and

in response to receiving the second touch input displaying the first GUI using the entirety of the first pixels.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a virtual keyboard between a first time of receiving the first touch input and a second time of receiving the second touch input using fourth pixels that include at least some of the first pixels and that exclude the third pixels.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the first GUI is associated with an application for presenting content, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

presenting first content at a first time before receiving the first touch input;

pausing presentation of the first content between a second time of receiving the first touch input and a third time of receiving the second touch input; and

resuming presentation of the first content at a fourth time after receiving the second touch input.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving second data associated with a second communication;

displaying at least the first portion of the first GUI and the first portion of the second GUI associated with the second communication using the second pixels; and

in response to receiving no touch input associated with at least the first portion of the second GUI for a specified amount of time, displaying the first GUI using the entirety of the first pixels.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein a data type of the communication is associated with a default application and the second GUI is associated with a functionality of an operating system of the computing device.