System and method for message display and management

• US 20050193345A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard D., Yach, David, Wormald, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,739,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• 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 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A collating application for message display and management executes on a communication device. The communication device includes a plurality of message applications associated with various communication channels, each message application receiving and storing messages associated with one of the various communications channels. The collating application dynamically accesses messages stored by the plurality of message applications to retrieve messages that meet defined matching criteria. The collating application permits the user to select a listing of the heterogeneous retrieved messages in a single view on the communication device. Icons associated with the matching criteria are displayable and vary in accordance with the presence or absence of unread messages meeting the matching criteria.

Claims

1. A program product for execution on a communications device for receiving, storing and displaying messages from different communications channels,

the communications device being capable of executing a plurality of message applications, each message application being associated with one of the communications channels and being executable to store and display messages received from the associated communications channel,

the program product comprising a medium having executable program code embodied in said medium, the executable program code comprising a collating application,

the executable program code comprising a collating application being executable on the communications device for dynamically retrieving messages stored by the plurality of message applications, said retrieved messages meeting one or more matching criteria, and for displaying a listing of the retrieved messages in a single view on the communications device.

2. The program product of claim 1, in which the executable program code further comprises program code executable on the communications device for enabling a user to specify the matching criteria.

3. The program product of claim 2, in which the executable program code for enabling a user to specify the matching criteria comprises executable program code for enabling the user to specify the matching criteria used to match entries in an address book maintained by the communications device.

4. The program product of claim 3, the specified matching criteria comprising a name associated with one entry in the address book.

5. The program product of claim 1, in which the executable program code further comprises program code executable on the communications device for displaying a defined icon representing the matching criteria.

6. The program product of claim 1, in which the executable program code further comprises program code executable on the communications device for displaying a first defined icon representing the matching criteria when the communications device is in receipt of no unread messages meeting the matching criteria and for displaying a second defined icon representing the matching criteria when the communications device is in receipt of at least one unread message meeting the matching criteria.

7. The program product of claim 1, in which the executable program code further comprises program code executable on the communications device for enabling a user to select between alternative views for presenting the listing of the retrieved messages.

8. The program product of claim 1, in which the executable program code further comprises program code executable on the communications device for displaying a listing of the retrieved messages in sub-lists under displayed headings, each heading reflecting the communications channel on which the messages in the associated sub-list were received by the communications device.

9. The program product of claim 8, in which the executable program code further comprises program code executable on the communications device for enabling a user to launch the message application associated with one of the communications channels by selecting one of the displayed sub-list headings.

10. A method for a communications device to display a listing of heterogeneous messages, the communications device being capable of executing a plurality of message applications, each message application being associated with one of a plurality of communications channels and being executable to store and display messages received from the associated communications channel, the method comprising the steps of

a collating application, executing on the communications device, dynamically applying one or more matching criteria to messages stored by the plurality of message applications,

the collating application dynamically retrieving messages meeting the matching criteria, and

displaying a listing of the retrieved messages in a single view on the communications device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of enabling a user of the communications device to specify the matching criteria.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the step of enabling a user to specify the matching criteria comprises the step of enabling the user to specify the matching criteria used to match entries in an address book maintained by the communications device.

13. The method of claim 12, the specified matching criteria comprising a name associated with one entry in the address book.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying a defined icon representing the matching criteria.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of displaying a first defined icon representing the matching criteria when the communications device is in receipt of no unread messages meeting the matching criteria and of displaying a second defined icon representing the matching criteria when the communications device is in receipt of at least one unread message meeting the matching criteria.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of enabling a user to select between alternative views for presenting the listing of the retrieved messages.

17. The method of claim 10, in which the step of displaying a listing of the retrieved messages comprises the step of displaying the messages in sub-lists under displayed headings, each heading reflecting the communications channel on which the messages in the associated sub-list were received by the communications device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of enabling a user to launch the message application associated with one of the communications channels by selecting one of the displayed sub-list headings.