Compressible display of e-mail message string to facilitate readability

• US 20060167976A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Michael S., Brown, Michael K., Kirkup, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

A displayed string of emails is effectively compressed for improved readability by deleting some or all headers and/or by skipping the cursor from one message body to another in response to “hot” key actuation(s) by a user.

Claims

1. A method for improving readability of an email message string including successive message headers with their respective associated message bodies, said method comprising:

automatically determining parts of such message string having possibly greater interest to a reader; and

displaying at least one such located part of the email message string so as to enhance its readability.

2. A method as in claim 1 comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a complete email message string including successive message headers with their respective associated message bodies;

upon a pre-defined user command being detected, automatically deleting from such display at least one message header.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein said pre-defined user command is effected by actuation of at least one hot key on a keyboard associated with a device on which said display appears.

4. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

upon each repetition of said pre-defined user command being detected, automatically deleting from such display at least one further message header if such is still present.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein said successive deletions begin at a user-marked location in the display.

6. A method as in claim 4 wherein said successive deletions occur in a downward direction through the message string.

7. A method as in claim 4 wherein said successive deletions occur in an upward direction through the message string.

8. A method as in claim 2 wherein said complete email message string exceeds an available capacity for simultaneous display of successive text lines.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein successive repetition of said pre-defined user command causes increasing lines of remaining message body text to be simultaneously displayed to the user.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the email message string is being displayed on a handheld sized mobile wireless communication device having a correspondingly limited display area.

11. A method as in claim 1 comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a complete email message string including successive message headers with their respective associated message bodies;

upon a pre-defined user command being detected, automatically altering the display so as to enhance readability of a said located part of the message.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein said automatic alteration of the display comprises moving a cursor to a next message body.

13. An email display apparatus capable of compressing display of an email message string to improve readability of the email message string, said apparatus comprising:

a visual display displaying at least a portion of a complete email message string including successive message headers with their respectively associated message bodies;

an email display processor including a user command detector and processor which, upon detecting such command, automatically deletes from such display at least one message header.

14. An email display apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said user command detector includes at least one hot key on a keyboard associated with the email display apparatus.

15. An email display apparatus as in claim 13 wherein:

said processor is adapted, upon detecting a repetition of said user command, to automatically delete at least one further message header from said display if such is still present.

16. An email display apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said processor is adapted to cause successive deletions to begin at a user-marked location in the display.

17. An email display as in claim 15 wherein said processor is adapted to cause successive deletions to occur in a downward direction through the message string.

18. An email display apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said processor is adapted to cause successive deletions to occur in an upward direction through the message string.

19. An email display apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said complete email message string exceeds an available capacity for simultaneous display of successive text lines.

20. An email display apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said processor is adapted to cause successive repetition of said user command to cause increasing lines of remaining message body text to be simultaneously displayed to the user.

21. An email display apparatus as in claim 20 comprising a handheld sized mobile wireless communication device having a correspondingly limited display area.

22. A machine readable computer program storage medium on which is stored at least one computer program which, when executed in a suitable computer, effects a method for improving readability of an email message string, said method comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a complete email message string including successive message headers with their respectively associated message bodies;

upon a pre-defined user command being detected, automatically deleting from such display at least one message header.

23. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 22 wherein said pre-defined user command is effected by actuation of at least one key on a keyboard associated with a device on which said display appears.

24. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 22 wherein:

upon each repetition of said pre-defined user command being detected, automatically deleting from such display at least one further message header if such is still present.

25. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 24 wherein said successive deletions begin at a user-marked location in the display.

26. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 24 wherein said successive deletions occur in a downward direction through the message string.

27. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 24 wherein said successive deletions occur in an upward direction through the message string.

28. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 22 wherein said complete email message string exceeds an available capacity for simultaneous display of successive text lines.

29. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 28 wherein successive repetition of said pre-defined user command causes increasing lines of remaining message body text to be simultaneously displayed to the user.

30. A machine readable computer program storage medium as in claim 29 wherein the email message string is being displayed on a handheld sized mobile wireless communication device having a correspondingly limited display area.