System and method for color coding list items

• US 20050144570A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Loverin, Darrell J., Raven, Mary Elizabeth, Moody, Paul B., Coppinger, Jodi L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,151,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/822
• 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 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method is provided to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and handling email messages. A selection color module may provide for the display of color coding and selection highlighting. The selection color module may provide a secondary highlighting color to indicate messages related to a selected message. A category navigation module may provide one or more of the following: an indicator that provides the user with a number of items that are off the screen for a particular category, a command that causes the first entry for a category to be scrolled into view, a label to indicate the number of items in a particular category matching a particular criteria, and/or a control for scrolling between next or previous categories.

Claims

1. A method for color coding an item in a list of items, each item having a plurality of displayed fields in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

applying a first color to at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the item based on a value of said at least one field; and

in response to a user selecting at least one of the item and a related item related to the item, applying a second color to at least one other field of the plurality of displayed fields of the item,

wherein the first color and the second color are other than a background color.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining one or more items related to the selected item; and

applying a third color to at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of each of the related items,

wherein the third color, the first color, the second color, and the background color are different from one another.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the third color is determined from the second color.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the third color is a lighter shade of the second color.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the third color is a darker shade of the second color.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying a third color to at least one second field of the plurality of displayed fields of the item, wherein the third color is based on a value of said at least one second field,

wherein said at least one second field is different from said at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the item,

wherein said at least one second field is different from said at least one other field of the plurality of displayed fields of the item, and

wherein the first color, the second color, the third color, and the background color are different from one another.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the item contains data including identifying characteristics of the item and wherein said first color is determined based on specific identifying characteristics of said at least one field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said identifying characteristics identify at least one of an origin, a subject matter, and a priority of the item.

9. A method for color coding an item in a list of items, the item having a plurality of fields displayed in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

presenting a color coded field of the item in a first color in the graphical user interface, said color coded field being one of the plurality of fields displayed in the graphical user interface, said first color determined based on a value associated with the color coded field; and

prior to a user selecting at least one of the item and a related item related to the item, presenting at least one non-highlighted field of the item in a background color, said at least one non-highlighted field being at least one of the plurality of fields displayed in the graphical user interface and other than the color coded field, wherein said first color and said background color are different from one another; and

in response to the user selecting at least one of the item and the related item, changing the at least one non-highlighted field of the item to at least one highlighted field of the item by changing a color of the at least one non-highlighted field from said background color to a second color, wherein said first color, said second color and said background color are different from one another.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining one or more items related to the selected item; and

applying a third color to at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of each of the related items,

wherein the third color, the first color, the second color, and the background color are different from one another.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third color is determined from the second color.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the third color is a lighter shade of the second color.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the third color is a darker shade of the second color.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

applying a third color to at least one second field of the plurality of displayed fields of the list item based on a value of said at least one second field,

wherein said at least one second field is different from said color coded field of the list item, wherein said at least one second field is different from said at least one non-highlighted field, and wherein the third color, the first color, the second color, and the background color are different from one another.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said color coded field of the item includes data concerning identifying characteristics of the item, and wherein said first color is determined based on specific identifying characteristics of said color coded field.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said identifying characteristics identify at least one of an origin, a subject matter, and a priority of the list item.

17. A graphical user interface for displaying a plurality of items, each item having a plurality of displayed fields, the graphical user interface comprising:

at least one color coded field associated with an item, said at least one color field belonging to the plurality of displayed fields of the item, said at least one color coded field having a first color;

at least one other field associated with the item, said at least one other field belonging to the plurality of displayed fields of the item and other than the at least one color coded field, said at least one other field having a background color when the item is unselected and a second color when the item is selected,

wherein said first color, said second color, and said background color are different from one another.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining items related to the item; and

displaying at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of each said related items in a third color,

wherein said third color, said first color, said second color, and said background color are different from one another.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said third color is determined from said second color, and wherein said third color is one of a lighter shade of said second color and a darker shade of said second color.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

applying a third color to at least one second field of the plurality of displayed fields of the list item based on a value of said at least one second field,

wherein said at least one second field is different from said color coded field of the list item, wherein said at least one second field is different from said at least one non-highlighted field, and wherein the third color, the first color, the second color, and the background color are different from one another.