GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE TO FACILITATE SELECTION OF CONTACTS AND FILE ATTACHMENTS FOR ELECTRONIC MESSAGING

• US 20090198780A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Selection of contacts and files for electronic messaging are facilitated by displaying a first set of graphical indicia for each of a plurality of contacts on a user contact list, displaying a second set of graphical indicia for each of one or more files stored in a data storage device, detecting a manipulation of a user interface device wherein a first graphical indicia from the first set of graphical indicia and a second graphical indicia from the second set of graphical indicia are made to at least partially overlap, and generating an electronic message for sending to a contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the electronic message includes a file associated with the second graphical indicia.

Claims

1. A method for providing a graphical user interface to facilitate selection of one or more contacts and one or more files for electronic messaging, the method including:

displaying a first set of graphical indicia for each of a plurality of contacts on a user contact list;

displaying a second set of graphical indicia for each of one or more files stored in a data storage device;

detecting a manipulation of a user interface device wherein a first graphical indicia from the first set of graphical indicia and a second graphical indicia from the second set of graphical indicia are made to at least partially overlap; and

generating an electronic message for sending to a contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the electronic message includes a file associated with the second graphical indicia.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a subject/comments balloon in which a user can enter a subject or a comment or both.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a data entry field in which a user can enter a subject or a comment or both.

4. The method of claim 1 further including sending the generated electronic message as an email to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the email includes a file attachment associated with the second graphical indicia.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of graphical indicia includes a plurality of contact names each associated with a corresponding electronic destination address.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of graphical indicia includes one or more icons representing files on a computer desktop, files stored in a computing device, or both.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic message comprises any of a video file, an audio file, a still image file, an instant message, a text message, a message sent or received in the context of internet protocol television (IPTV), an automated telephone call, or any of various combinations thereof.

8. A computer program product for providing a graphical user interface to facilitate selection of one or more contacts and one or more files for electronic messaging, the computer program product including a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising:

displaying a first set of graphical indicia for each of a plurality of contacts on a user contact list;

displaying a second set of graphical indicia for each of one or more files stored in a data storage device;

detecting a manipulation of a user interface device wherein a first graphical indicia from the first set of graphical indicia and a second graphical indicia from the second set of graphical indicia are made to at least partially overlap; and

generating an electronic message for sending to a contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the electronic message includes a file associated with the second graphical indicia.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for displaying a subject/comments balloon in which a user can enter a subject or a comment or both.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for displaying a data entry field in which a user can enter a subject or a comment or both.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further including instructions for sending the generated electronic message as an email to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the email includes a file attachment associated with the second graphical indicia.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the first set of graphical indicia includes a plurality of contact names each associated with a corresponding electronic destination address.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the second set of graphical indicia includes one or more icons representing files on a computer desktop, files stored in a computing device, or both.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the electronic message comprises any of a video file, an audio file, a still image file, an instant message, a text message, a message sent or received in the context of internet protocol television (IPTV), an automated telephone call, or any of various combinations thereof.

15. An apparatus for providing a graphical user interface to facilitate selection of one or more contacts and one or more files for electronic messaging, the apparatus including:

a display mechanism for displaying a first set of graphical indicia for each of a plurality of contacts on a user contact list and displaying a second set of graphical indicia for each of one or more files stored in a data storage device;

a user interface device operatively coupled to the display mechanism;

a processing mechanism operatively coupled the a user interface device wherein, in response to the processing mechanism detecting a manipulation of the user interface device such that a first graphical indicia from the first set of graphical indicia and a second graphical indicia from the second set of graphical indicia are made to at least partially overlap, the processing mechanism generates an electronic message for sending to a contact associated with the first graphical indicia, wherein the electronic message includes a file associated with the second graphical indicia.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the display mechanism displays a subject/comments balloon in which a user can enter a subject or a comment or both.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the display mechanism displays a data entry field in which a user can enter a subject or a comment or both.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processing mechanism sends the generated electronic message as an email to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the email includes a file attachment associated with the second graphical indicia.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first set of graphical indicia includes a plurality of contact names each associated with a corresponding electronic destination address.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second set of graphical indicia includes one or more icons representing files on a computer desktop, files stored in a computing device, or both.