Methods and apparatus for displaying and replying to electronic messages

• US 20040119740A1
• Filed: 12/24/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Singh, Sanjeev, Buchheit, Paul, Chang, Bay-Wei
• Application Number:
  US10/328,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20040119740A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for viewing and responding to electronic messages. In one embodiment, when an electronic message is displayed, a portion of the electronic message is elided to aid in the viewing experience. In one embodiment, a method of viewing a first electronic message, comprises: identifying an extraneous portion within a second electronic message; eliding the extraneous portion within the second electronic message; and generating the first electronic message wherein the first electronic message includes the second electronic message with the extraneous portion of the second electronic message suppressed.

Claims

1. A method of viewing a first electronic message, comprising:

identifying an extraneous portion within a second electronic message;

eliding the extraneous portion from the second electronic message; and

generating the first electronic message wherein the first electronic message includes the second electronic message with the extraneous portion of the second electronic message suppressed.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising displaying the first electronic message.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising selectively displaying the extraneous portion when displaying the first electronic message.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving the second electronic message within a thread.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second electronic message is an email.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second electronic message is a usenet group message.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second electronic message is a message within a bulletin board.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the extraneous portion is repeated text.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the extraneous portion is header information.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the extraneous portion is signature information.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising generating an indicia for inclusion within the first electronic message.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the indicia represents repeated text.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the indicia indicates an identity of a sender of the second electronic message.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the indicia is a first name of the sender.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the indicia is a last name of the sender.

16. The method according to claim 1 further comprising detecting a location of new text relative to a location of repeated text.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising selectively retaining portions of the repeated text within the first electronic message in response to detecting the location of the new text relative to the location of the repeated text.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

identifying an extraneous portion within a second electronic message;

eliding the extraneous portion from the second electronic message; and

generating the first electronic message wherein the first electronic message includes the second electronic message with the extraneous portion of the second electronic message suppressed.

19. A messaging system for viewing a first electronic message, comprising:

means for identifying an extraneous portion within a second electronic message;

means for eliding the extraneous portion from the second electronic message; and

means for generating the first electronic message wherein the first electronic message includes the second electronic message with the extraneous portion of the second electronic message suppressed

20. A method of viewing a plurality of displayed messages in a conversational view, comprising:

identifying an extraneous portion within at least one of a plurality of received messages;

eliding the extraneous portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages; and

displaying the plurality of displayed messages in the conversational view wherein the plurality of displayed messages includes the plurality of received messages with the extraneous portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages suppressed.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the plurality of received messages comprise a thread.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein the extraneous portion is repeated text.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein the extraneous portion is header information.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein the extraneous portion is signature information.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

identifying an extraneous portion within at least one of a plurality of received messages;

eliding the extraneous portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages; and

displaying the plurality of displayed messages in the conversational view wherein the plurality of displayed messages includes the plurality of received messages with the extraneous portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages suppressed.

26. A system for viewing a plurality of displayed messages in a conversational view, comprising:

means for identifying an extraneous portion within at least one of a plurality of received messages;

means for eliding the extraneous portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages; and

means for displaying the plurality of displayed messages in the conversational view wherein the plurality of displayed messages includes the plurality of received messages with the extraneous portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages suppressed.

27. A method of replying to a displayed message, comprising:

eliding a portion of a received message;

forming the displayed message wherein the displayed message includes the received message with the portion suppressed;

selecting the displayed message for a reply; and

displaying a reply box in response to selecting the displayed message.

28. The method according to claim 27 further comprising locating the reply box adjacent to the displayed message.

29. The method according to claim 27 further comprising simultaneously displaying the displayed message while displaying the reply box.

30. The method according to claim 27 wherein the reply box further includes a text box.

31. The method according to claim 27 wherein the reply box further includes an icon for selecting a recipient for the reply.

32. The method according to claim 27 wherein the portion is repeated text.

33. The method according to claim 27 wherein the portion is header information.

34. The method according to claim 28 wherein the portion is signature information.

35. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

eliding a portion of a received message;

forming the displayed message wherein the displayed message includes the received message with the portion suppressed;

selecting the displayed message for a reply; and

displaying a reply box in response to selecting the displayed message.

36. A system for replying to a displayed message, comprising:

means for eliding a portion of a received message;

means for forming the displayed message wherein the displayed message includes the received message with the portion suppressed;

means for selecting the displayed message for a reply; and

means for displaying a reply box in response to selecting the displayed message.

37. A method of viewing a plurality of displayed messages in a summary view, comprising:

identifying a portion from at least one of a plurality of received messages;

eliding a portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages;

eliding at least one of the plurality of received messages; and

displaying the plurality of displayed messages in the summary view wherein the plurality of displayed messages includes the plurality of received messages with the portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages and at least one of the plurality of received messages suppressed.

38. The method according to claim 37 further comprising displaying a first indicia to represent the portion from at least one of the plurality of received messages.

39. The method according to claim 37 further comprising displaying a second indicia to represent the plurality of received messages elided from the plurality of displayed messages.

40. The method according to claim 37 wherein the portion is repeated text.

41. The method according to claim 37 wherein the portion is header information.

42. The method according to claim 37 wherein the portion is signature information.

43. The method according to claim 37 wherein eliding at least one of the plurality of messages is based on one of a particular message being already read, being relevant with context, and being manually selected.

44. A message system comprising:

a control module;

a detection module coupled to the control module for identifying an extraneous portion of a received message; and

an elision module coupled to the control module for suppressing the extraneous portion of the received message.

45. The system according to claim 44 further comprising a display module coupled to the control module for generating a displayed message, wherein the displayed message is the received message without the extraneous portion.

46. The system according to claim 44 further comprising an interface module for receiving the received message.

47. The system according to claim 44 wherein the detection module is configured to identify repeated text.

48. The system according to claim 44 wherein the detection module is configured to identify header information.

49. The system according to claim 44 wherein the detection module is configured to identify signature information.

50. The method according to claim 44 wherein the extraneous portion is repeated text.

51. The method according to claim 44 wherein the extraneous portion is header information.

52. The method according to claim 44 wherein the extraneous portion is signature information.