Method for displaying unread message contents and electronic device thereof

• US 10,345,992 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Soo-Ji, Lee, Yun-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Xiao, Di
• Application Number:
  US14/011,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20140075375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 715784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for processing unread message unread contents in an electronic device includes displaying a plurality of unread message contents for a particular application, and if all of the unread message contents is not displayable on a single screen, automatically displaying the unread message content is a scroll motion is performed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying incoming messages in an electronic device, the method comprising:

executing a particular application associated with a plurality of unread messages, and an immediately preceding plurality of messages; and

displaying the plurality of unread messages by automatically scrolling the plurality of unread messages across a screen of the electronic device, when all of the plurality of unread messages cannot be displayed in the screen at once,

wherein the plurality of unread messages is scrolled at a speed that is selected by the electronic device based on a size of at least one of the plurality of unread messages,

wherein the displaying further comprises detecting, by the electronic device, whether a size of a given unread message exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is a size that is less than a size of the screen where all of the plurality of unread messages at once, and, in response to the size of the given unread message exceeding the threshold, temporarily decreasing the speed at which the plurality of unread messages is scrolled until a display of the given unread message is completed, and, in response to the size of the given unread message being smaller than the threshold, the plurality of messages is scrolled at the speed, the speed being faster than the speed at which the plurality of unread messages is scrolled if the given unread message exceeds the threshold,

displaying a content control menu on the screen for scrolling the plurality of unread messages, wherein the content control menu comprises a switch button; and

responsive to selection of the switch button;

when the immediately preceding plurality of messages includes an unread message, switching to a screen of the immediately preceding plurality of messages; and

when the immediately preceding plurality of messages does not include an unread message, switching to a screen of another plurality of messages that includes an unread message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control menu comprises a play button for displaying the plurality of unread messages sequentially on the screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control menu comprises a speed control button for controlling the speed at which the plurality of unread messages is scrolled.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control menu further comprises a stop button for stopping a sequential display of the plurality of unread messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control menu further comprises a cancel button for stopping a sequential display of the plurality of unread messages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control menu comprises a page up/down button for displaying the plurality of unread messages on a page basis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control menu is displayed translucently on the screen to overlap with the displayed plurality of unread messages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content control menu is displayed in a region of the screen that is not occupied by the plurality of unread messages.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the another plurality of unread message is from the same application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the scrolling is performed in sequence.

11. An electronic device for displaying incoming messages, comprising

at least one processor;

at least one touchscreen;

at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

execute a particular application associated with a plurality of unread messages, and an immediately preceding plurality of messages, and

display the plurality of unread messages by automatically scrolling the plurality of unread messages across a screen of the electronic device when all of the plurality of unread messages cannot be displayed in the screen at once,

wherein the plurality of unread messages is scrolled at a speed that is selected by the electronic device based on a size of at least one of the plurality of unread messages,

wherein the displaying further comprises detecting, by the electronic device, whether a size of a given unread message exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is a size that is less than a size of the screen where all of the plurality of unread messages at once, and, in response to the size of the given unread message exceeding the threshold, temporarily decreasing the speed at which the plurality of unread messages is scrolled until a display of the given unread message is completed, and, in response to the size of the given unread message being smaller than the threshold, the plurality of unread messages is scrolled at the speed, the speed being faster than the speed at which the plurality of unread messages is scrolled if the given unread message exceeds the threshold,

display a content control menu on the screen for scrolling the plurality of unread messages, wherein the content control menu comprises a switch button; and

responsive to selection of the switch button;

when the immediately preceding plurality of messages includes an unread message, switching to a screen of the immediately preceding plurality of messages; and

when the immediately preceding plurality of messages does not include an unread message, switching to a screen of another plurality of messages that includes an unread message.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the content control menu comprises a play button for sequentially displaying the plurality of unread messages on the screen.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the content control menu further comprises:

a speed control button for controlling the speed at which the plurality of unread messages is scrolled.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the content control menu further comprises:

a stop button for stopping a sequential display of the plurality of unread messages.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the content control menu further comprises:

a cancel button for stopping a sequential display of the plurality of unread messages.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the content control menu further comprises:

a page up/down button for displaying the plurality of unread messages on a page basis.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the content control menu is displayed translucently on the screen to overlap with the displayed plurality of unread messages.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the content control menu is displayed in a region of the screen that is not occupied by the plurality of unread messages.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the scrolling is performed on a pixel basis.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the scrolling is performed in sequence.