Displaying conversations in a conversation-based email system

• US 10,284,506 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Buchheit, Paul T., Chang, Bay-Wei W., Lim, Jing Yee, Rakowski, Brian D., Singh, Sanjeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Elfervig, Taylor A
• Application Number:
  US15/812,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20180159810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 709207
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method and system for processing messages is disclosed that includes receiving a plurality of messages directed to a user, where each message has a unique message identifier. Each of the plurality of messages may be associated with a respective conversation, where each conversation has a respective conversation identifier. Also, each conversation includes a set of one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet a first predefined criteria. A list of conversations is displayed as a set of rows in an order determined by a second predefined criteria, where each row corresponds to one of the listed conversations and includes at least a sender list, a conversation topic and a date/time value. The contents of a conversation is displayed when the user selects a conversation from the displayed list of conversations. Messages can be displayed in one of three modes: expanded, compacted and hidden.

Claims

1. A method of validating an electronic message, comprising:

at a computing device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors;

providing a user interface for an electronic messaging application, wherein the user interface includes a first browser window displaying an electronic message, the electronic message comprising a message body with content generated by the user;

while displaying the electronic message in the first browser window;

analyzing the content generated by the user to determine whether the content includes misspelled words, thereby identifying at least one potentially misspelled word;

associating the potentially misspelled word with at least one replacement term; and

emphasizing the potentially misspelled word, in the displayed electronic message, in a visually distinct manner;

responsive to user selection of the potentially misspelled word, displaying the at least one replacement term adjacent to the potentially misspelled word in the displayed electronic message, wherein displaying the at least one replacement term comprises displaying an inline expandable box, in line with the potentially misspelled word in the displayed electronic message, that includes the potentially misspelled word and the at least one replacement term; and

responsive to user selection of the at least one replacement term, replacing the potentially misspelled word with the at least one replacement term selected by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inline expandable box includes a left expansion icon and/or a right expansion icon configured to expand the inline expandable box horizontally to include additional text, from the message body, adjacent to the potentially misspelled word.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a first user input on the left and/or right expansion icon;

in response to the first user input, expanding the inline expandable box horizontally to include one or more additional characters from the message body;

receiving a second user input to edit text, other than the potentially misspelled word, within the inline expandable box; and

updating the message body according to the second user input and the user selection of the at least one replacement term.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one replacement term comprises two or more alternative replacement terms, and displaying the at least one replacement term comprises listing the alternative replacement terms within a pop-up window under or adjacent to the potentially misspelled word.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein emphasizing the potentially misspelled word in a visually distinct manner comprises highlighting the potentially misspelled word within the message body.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the at least one replacement term includes displaying the at least one replacement term in a second browser window.

7. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

providing a user interface for an electronic messaging application, wherein the user interface includes a first browser window displaying an electronic message, the electronic message comprising a message body with content generated by the user;

while displaying the electronic message in the first browser window;

analyzing the content generated by the user to determine whether the content includes misspelled words, thereby identifying at least one potentially misspelled word;

associating the potentially misspelled word with at least one replacement term; and

emphasizing the potentially misspelled word, in the displayed electronic message, in a visually distinct manner;

responsive to user selection of the potentially misspelled word, displaying the at least one replacement term adjacent to the potentially misspelled word in the displayed electronic message, wherein displaying the at least one replacement term comprises displaying an inline expandable box, in line with the potentially misspelled word in the displayed electronic message, that includes the potentially misspelled word and the at least one replacement term; and

responsive to user selection of the at least one replacement term, replacing the potentially misspelled word with the at least one replacement term selected by the user.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the inline expandable box includes a left expansion icon and/or a right expansion icon configured to expand the inline expandable box horizontally to include additional text, from the message body, adjacent to the potentially misspelled word.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

receiving a first user input on the left and/or right expansion icon;

in response to the first user input, expanding the inline expandable box horizontally to include one or more additional characters from the message body;

receiving a second user input to edit text, other than the potentially misspelled word, within the inline expandable box; and

updating the message body according to the second user input and the user selection of the at least one replacement term.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the at least one replacement term comprises two or more alternative replacement terms, and displaying the at least one replacement term comprises listing the alternative replacement terms within a pop-up window under or adjacent to the potentially misspelled word.

11. The computing device of claim 7, wherein emphasizing the potentially misspelled word in a visually distinct manner comprises highlighting the potentially misspelled word within the message body.

12. The computing device of claim 7, wherein displaying the at least one replacement term includes displaying the at least one replacement term in a second browser window.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computing device having one or more processors and memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

providing a user interface for an electronic messaging application, wherein the user interface includes a first browser window displaying an electronic message, the electronic message comprising a message body with content generated by the user;

while displaying the electronic message in the first browser window;

analyzing the content generated by the user to determine whether the content includes misspelled words, thereby identifying at least one potentially misspelled word;

associating the potentially misspelled word with at least one replacement term; and

emphasizing the potentially misspelled word, in the displayed electronic message, in a visually distinct manner;

responsive to user selection of the potentially misspelled word, displaying the at least one replacement term adjacent to the potentially misspelled word in the displayed electronic message, wherein displaying the at least one replacement term comprises displaying an inline expandable box, in line with the potentially misspelled word in the displayed electronic message, that includes the potentially misspelled word and the at least one replacement term; and

responsive to user selection of the at least one replacement term, replacing the potentially misspelled word with the at least one replacement term selected by the user.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the inline expandable box includes a left expansion icon and/or a right expansion icon configured to expand the inline expandable box horizontally to include additional text, from the message body, adjacent to the potentially misspelled word.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

receiving a first user input on the left and/or right expansion icon;

in response to the first user input, expanding the inline expandable box horizontally to include one or more additional characters from the message body;

receiving a second user input to edit text, other than the potentially misspelled word, within the inline expandable box; and

updating the message body according to the second user input and the user selection of the at least one replacement term.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the at least one replacement term comprises two or more alternative replacement terms, and displaying the at least one replacement term comprises listing the alternative replacement terms within a pop-up window under or adjacent to the potentially misspelled word.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein emphasizing the potentially misspelled word in a visually distinct manner comprises highlighting the potentially misspelled word within the message body.