Bubble messaging

• US 20050216568A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mesgar, Eugene, Walkush, Joseph, Ferguson, Heather, Zaner, Melora, Savage, Tammy, Chung, Eun-Kyung, Rockey, Caroline
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Bubble messaging may include creating a bubble message and seamlessly sending the bubble message to one or more recipients. The bubble message may include message text and a bubble message shape specification. As a result of the bubble message being sent, a notification of the bubble message may be received. The notification of the bubble message may be displayed and, in response to recipient interaction with the displayed notification, a bubble message open animation may be displayed that provides a transition to a shape specified by the bubble message shape specification. The bubble message may be displayed with the shape specified by the bubble message shape specification. A bubble message editor may be configured to enable the creation and seamless sending of the bubble message. A bubble message viewer may be configured to enable the display of bubble messages. The bubble message may be unmodifiable after creation.

Claims

1. A computerized method of bubble messaging comprising:

creating a personalized graphical message, the personalized graphical message comprising;

message text; and

a graphical message shape specification;

seamlessly sending the personalized graphical message to at least one recipient;

as a result of the personalized graphical message being sent, displaying a notification of the personalized graphical message;

in response to recipient interaction with the displayed notification of the personalized graphical message, displaying a graphical message open animation that provides a transition to a shape specified by the graphical message shape specification of the personalized graphical message; and

displaying the personalized graphical message, the displayed personalized graphical message having the shape specified by the graphical message shape specification of the personalized graphical message.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

the personalized graphical message further comprises;

a graphical message iconic shape specification; and

a graphical message open animation specification;

displaying the notification of the personalized graphical message comprises displaying a graphical message iconic shape specified by the graphical message iconic shape specification of the personalized graphical message; and

displaying the graphical message open animation comprises displaying the graphical message open animation specified by the graphical message open animation specification of the personalized graphical message.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

the personalized graphical message further comprises a sender icon; and

displaying the personalized graphical message comprises displaying the sender icon of the personalized graphical message.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the graphical message shape specification comprises:

a shape identifier;

shape dimensions; and

a shape color scheme.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein creating the personalized graphical message comprises performing at least one graphical message edit action as a result of at least one user interaction with a bubble message edit graphical user interface component.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein seamlessly sending the personalized graphical message to at least one recipient comprises sending the personalized graphical message to at least one recipient as a result of at least one user interaction with a bubble message edit graphical user interface component.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein seamlessly sending the personalized graphical message to at least one recipient comprises:

storing the personalized graphical message in a message store; and

sending said at least one recipient the notification of the personalized graphical message.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

the shape specified by the graphical message shape specification comprises a bubble shape; and

the graphical message open animation comprises visually inflating the bubble shape.

9. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

the shape specified by the graphical message shape specification comprises a bubble shape;

displaying the notification of the personalized graphical message comprises displaying an iconic form of the bubble shape; and

the graphical message open animation comprises visually inflating from the iconic form of the bubble shape to the bubble shape.

10. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying the notification of the personalized graphical message comprises displaying a wrapped gift; and

the graphical message open animation comprises visually unwrapping the wrapped gift.

11. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

a graphical user interface icon is associated with said at least one recipient; and

creating the personalized graphical message occurs as a result of at least one user interaction with the graphical user interface icon associated with said at least one recipient.

12. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein:

a graphical user interface icon is associated with said at least one recipient; and

displaying the notification of the personalized graphical message comprises displaying the notification of the personalized graphical message in proximity to the graphical user interface icon associated with said at least one recipient.

13. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein creating the personalized graphical message comprises retrieving at least one default setting.

14. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein retrieving said at least one default setting comprises retrieving at least one remote default setting.

15. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein creating the personalized graphical message comprises retrieving at least one premium setting.

16. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein creating the personalized graphical message comprises determining at least one constrained-random setting, at least one constraint associated with said at least one constrained-random setting comprising an aesthetically determined constraint.

17. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the personalized graphical message is unmodifiable after creation.

18. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein displaying the personalized graphical message comprises verifying that the personalized graphical message complies with at least one bubble message feature policy.

19. The computerized method of claim 18, wherein said at least one bubble message feature policy comprises a bubble message feature policy inhibiting modification of the personalized graphical message.

20. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

21. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for communicating in a bubble messaging mode of communication comprising:

receiving at least one notification of at least one bubble message, each bubble message comprising;

bubble message text; and

a bubble message shape specification;

displaying said at least one notification; and

in response to user interaction with said at least one notification, displaying, for each of at least one of said at least one bubble message;

a bubble message open animation transitioning to a bubble message shape specified by the bubble message shape specification of the bubble message; and

the bubble message, the bubble message having the bubble message shape specified by the bubble message shape specification of the bubble message.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein:

each bubble message further comprises a sender icon identifier; and

displaying the bubble message comprises displaying a sender icon identified by the sender icon identifier of the bubble message.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the bubble message shape specification comprises:

a shape identifier;

shape dimensions; and

a shape color scheme.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein each bubble message is unmodifiable.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein displaying the bubble message comprises verifying that the bubble message complies with at least one bubble message feature policy.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said at least one bubble message feature policy comprises a bubble message feature policy inhibiting modification of the bubble message.

27. A computerized system, comprising a bubble message editor, the bubble message editor configured to, at least:

create a personalized graphical message, the created personalized graphical message comprising;

message text; and

a graphical message shape specification, the graphical message shape specification specifying a shape of the created personalized graphical message when displayed to which a graphical message open animation provides a transition in response to recipient interaction with a displayed notification of the created personalized graphical message; and

seamlessly send the created personalized graphical message to at least one recipient.

28. The computerized system of claim 27, wherein:

the created personalized graphical message further comprises a sender icon identifier; and

displaying the created personalized graphical message comprises displaying a sender icon identified by the sender icon identifier of the created personalized graphical message.

29. The computerized system of claim 27, wherein the graphical message shape specification of the created personalized graphical message comprises:

a shape identifier;

shape dimensions; and

a shape color scheme.

30. The computerized system of claim 27, wherein the created personalized graphical message is unmodifiable after creation.

31. The computerized system of claim 27, wherein displaying the created personalized graphical message comprises verifying that the created personalized graphical message complies with at least one bubble message feature policy.

32. The computerized system of claim 31, wherein said at least one bubble message feature policy comprises a bubble message feature policy inhibiting modification of the created personalized graphical message.

33. A computerized system, comprising a bubble message viewer, the bubble message viewer configured to, at least:

display, in response to user interaction with a displayed notification of a received personalized graphical message, a graphical message open animation that provides a transition to a shape specified by a graphical message shape specification of the received personalized graphical message, the received personalized graphical message comprising;

message text; and

the graphical message shape specification; and

display the received personalized graphical message, the received personalized graphical message when displayed having the shape specified by the graphical message shape specification of the received personalized graphical message.

34. The computerized system of claim 33, wherein:

the received personalized graphical message further comprises a sender icon identifier; and

displaying the received personalized graphical message comprises displaying a sender icon identified by the sender icon identifier of the received personalized graphical message.

35. The computerized system of claim 33, wherein the graphical message shape specification of the received personalized graphical message comprises:

a shape identifier;

shape dimensions; and

a shape color scheme.

36. The computerized system of claim 33, wherein the received personalized graphical message is unmodifiable.

37. The computerized system of claim 33, wherein displaying the received personalized graphical message comprises verifying that the received personalized graphical message complies with at least one bubble message feature policy.

38. The computerized system of claim 37, wherein said at least one bubble message feature policy comprises a bubble message feature policy inhibiting modification of the received personalized graphical message.

39. A computer-readable medium having thereon a bubble message data structure specifying a bubble message comprising:

bubble message version data;

bubble message identification data;

bubble message sender data;

bubble message shape data, the bubble message shape data comprising a bubble message shape specification, the bubble message shape specification specifying a shape of the bubble message when displayed to which a bubble message open animation provides a transition in response to user interaction with a displayed notification of the bubble message; and

bubble message body data, the bubble message body data comprising bubble message text.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein:

the bubble message sender data comprises a sender icon identifier; and

displaying the bubble message comprises displaying a sender icon identified by the sender icon identifier of the bubble message sender data.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the bubble message shape specification of the bubble message shape data comprises:

a shape identifier;

shape dimensions; and

a shape color scheme.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the bubble message is capable of being marked unmodifiable.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein displaying the bubble message comprises verifying that the bubble message complies with at least one bubble message feature policy.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein said at least one bubble message feature policy comprises a bubble message feature policy inhibiting modification of the bubble message.