Method and apparatus for dynamic session placeholder for message collection user interface

• US 10,409,460 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard D., Wisebourt, Shaul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US15/426,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• 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: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method and apparatus for representing a conversation of related messages is provided. In a message collection user interface for displaying messages sent and received by a communications device, a dynamic session placeholder is used for a respective conversation of related messages. The message collection user interface is displayed including any dynamic session placeholders in the list of messages. As messages from the conversation are occasioned, the dynamic session placeholder is updated. When the message collection is displayed, it is displayed in accordance with the updated session placeholder.

Claims

1. A method of representing a conversation of related messages in a message collection user interface displayed on a display of a wireless communication device, the message collection user interface displaying a list of messages from one or more communications applications, the method comprising:

displaying a message collection user interface having a plurality of dynamic session placeholders, each dynamic session placeholder representing a respective conversation of related messages constituting a messaging communication session, each dynamic session placeholder including a time stamp in accordance with a time of a most recent message in the conversation, an identification of the opposite messaging party, and at least a portion of the most recent message in the conversation, each dynamic session placeholder presented as a single entry in a list of messages in the message collection user interface and chronologically ordered within the list of messages in the message collection user interface according to a corresponding time of action of the most recent message in the conversation of related messages represented by the respective dynamic session placeholder;

in response to transmission by the wireless communication device of a new message in the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders, updating the time stamp for the new message in the conversation with the time of transmission, and automatically, without user input, reordering the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages based on the time of transmission of the new message in the conversation of related messages; and

displaying the reordered list of messages in the message collection user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an interruption of the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders, removing the dynamic session placeholder representing the interrupted conversation of related messages;

automatically, without user input, reordering the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages based on the removal of the dynamic session placeholder representing the interrupted conversation of related messages; and

displaying the reordered list of messages in the message collection user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

archiving a conversation of related messages in response to an interruption of the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a selection of any one of the dynamic session placeholders, invoking an application associated with a message type of the messages comprising the conversation of related messages; and

displaying the conversation of related messages constituting the messaging communication session represented by the selected dynamic session placeholder, the displayed conversation of related messages including an identification of the opposite messaging party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages are instant messages.

6. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor; and

a memory including machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the wireless communication device to;

display a message collection user interface having a plurality of dynamic session placeholders, each dynamic session placeholder representing a respective conversation of related messages constituting a messaging communication session, each dynamic session placeholder including a time stamp in accordance with a time of a most recent message in the conversation, an identification of the opposite messaging party, and at least a portion of the most recent message in the conversation, each dynamic session placeholder presented as a single entry in a list of messages in the message collection user interface and chronologically ordered within the list of messages in the message collection user interface according to a corresponding time of action of the most recent message in the conversation of related messages represented by the respective dynamic session placeholder;

in response to by the wireless communication device of a new message in the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders, update the time stamp for the new message in the conversation with the time of transmission, and automatically, without user input, reorder the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages based on the time of transmission of the new message in the conversation of related messages; and

display the reordered list of messages in the message collection user interface.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless communication device to

in response to an interruption of the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders, remove the dynamic session placeholder representing the interrupted conversation of related messages;

automatically, without user input, reorder the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages based on the removal of the dynamic session placeholder representing the interrupted conversation of related messages; and

display the reordered list of messages in the message collection user interface.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless communication device to:

archive a conversation of related messages in response to an interruption of the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless communication device to

in response to a selection of any one of the dynamic session placeholders, invoke an application associated with a message type of the messages comprising the conversation of related messages;

and

display the conversation of related messages constituting the messaging communication session represented by the selected dynamic session placeholder, the displayed conversation of related messages including an identification of the opposite messaging party.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the messages are instant messages.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor of a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device comprising a display, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the wireless communication device to:

display a message collection user interface having a plurality of dynamic session placeholders, each dynamic session placeholder representing a respective conversation of related messages constituting a messaging communication session, each dynamic session placeholder including a time stamp in accordance with a time of a most recent message in the conversation, an identification of the opposite messaging party, and at least a portion of the most recent message in the conversation, each dynamic session placeholder presented as a single entry in a list of messages in the message collection user interface and chronologically ordered within the list of messages in the message collection user interface according to a corresponding time of action of the most recent message in the conversation of related messages represented by the respective dynamic session placeholder;

in response to transmission by the wireless communication device of a new message in the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders, update the time stamp for the new message in the conversation with the time of transmission, and automatically, without user input, reorder the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages based on the time of transmission of the new message in the conversation of related messages; and

display the reordered list of messages in the message collection user interface.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless communication device to:

in response to an interruption of the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders, remove the dynamic session placeholder representing the interrupted conversation of related messages;

automatically, without user input, reorder the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages based on the removal of the dynamic session placeholder representing the interrupted conversation of related messages; and

display the reordered list of messages in the message collection user interface.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless communication device to:

archive a conversation of related messages in response to an interruption of the conversation of related messages defined by any one of the dynamic session placeholders.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless communication device to:

in response to a selection of any one of the dynamic session placeholders, invoke an application associated with a message type of the messages comprising the conversation of related messages; and

display the conversation of related messages constituting the messaging communication session represented by the selected dynamic session placeholder, the displayed conversation of related messages including an identification of the opposite messaging party.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the messages are instant messages.