Text messaging conversation user interface functionality

• US 20060128404A1
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kuhl, Lawrence Edward, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Wisebourt, Shaul S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 computer readable medium, method and user device for a user interface functionality for SMS and SMS-like message conversations is provided. A group of individual SMS messages is treated as a single entity by the SMS conversation UI, the SMS conversation history UI saves space by including the SMS editor within the conversation history panel, and displays a pop-up display with useful information regarding the SMS message being edited.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a wireless user device to process SMS messages, the method comprising:

grouping a plurality of individual SMS messages into threads, each thread containing one or more messages between a respective pair of two addresses;

displaying a respective UI (User Interface) display element representing each thread;

receiving a selection of a UI display element representing a particular thread; and

performing an individual function upon each of the individual SMS messages of the particular thread.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein grouping comprises:

starting a new thread upon receipt of an SMS message from an address for which no thread has been started or upon transmission of an SMS message to an address for which no thread has been started;

adding each subsequent sent or received SMS message to an appropriate thread for the SMS message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein grouping comprises:

in response to a user input, starting a new thread between two addresses in respect of which a thread had previously been started.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each thread has a start time and an end time, and each SMS message between the respective pair of addresses that has a time stamp between the start time and the end time is assigned to that thread.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user selection of the individual function to be performed.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

saving individual SMS messages in response to user input;

grouping saved individual SMS messages that no longer belong to a thread; and

in response to a user input, displaying the saved individual SMS messages to/from a selected address in a display list.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein individual functions available comprise at least one of:

a thread delete function, and performing the individual function respectively upon each of the individual SMS messages comprises deleting each individual SMS message of the thread;

a thread save function, and performing the individual function respectively upon each of the individual SMS messages comprises saving each individual SMS message of the thread;

a thread open function, and performing the individual function respectively upon each of the individual SMS messages comprises displaying in a conversation history display listing each of the individual SMS messages of the thread.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the conversation history display comprises an indication of a current radio signal strength and an indication of a number of unread SMS messages.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the conversation history display comprises a status for each text SMS message displayed.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

in response to a user input, displaying a display element in association with a particular text SMS message in the conversation history display, the display element providing an indication of an elapsed time since a status of the particular text SMS message last changed.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

displaying a message editor as part of the conversation history display.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

displaying a display element indicating a number of allowed characters remaining for a SMS message being edited.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

automatically splitting a SMS message being composed into multiple SMS messages if the SMS message being composed is to long for a single SMS message;

while the SMS message is being composed, displaying a number of single SMS messages that will be sent.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the grouping, displaying are performed for messages for multiple different text messaging services to produce threads that are message threads of multiple different text messaging services.

15. A wireless user device adapted to implement the method of claim 1.

16. A wireless user device adapted to implement the method of claim 7.

17. A wireless user device adapted to implement the method of claim 14.

18. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a wireless user device so as to implement the method of claim 1.

19. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a wireless user device so as to implement the method of claim 7.

20. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a wireless user device so as to implement the method of claim 14.