CUSTOMIZABLE CONTROLS PROVIDED BY A MESSAGING APPLICATION FOR PERFORMING SELECTED ACTIONS

• US 20090235196A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: MacBeth, Melissa Rodden Morrell, Coates, Andrew Mark, Yada, Kumiko, Affronti, Michael Anthony, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Gregg, Ryan Edward, Braun, Owen C., Grutzmacher, Richard P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0097 Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for providing users of a messaging application with controls that perform one or more selected actions with a message. Any number of default custom action controls may be displayed in a gallery. The selection of a custom action control performs various actions to an active message. New custom action controls may be created and existing controls modified to provide any number of desired actions. Dialogs provide user-friendly interfaces that allow a user to assign the desired functionality to a custom action control. The custom action controls may be organized into groups and shared between messaging applications and computers.

Claims

1. A method for providing one or more user-defined actions with respect to an active message from a single user input, the method comprising:

providing a custom action control corresponding to a user-defined action associated with the active message;

receiving the single user input comprising a selection of the custom action control; and

in response to receiving the selection of the custom action control, performing the user-defined action with respect to the active message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the active message comprises an electronic mail (e-mail).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the custom action control comprises providing the custom action control in a gallery adjacent to a message window comprising the active message.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request to create a new custom action control;

in response to the request to create the new custom action control, providing a dialog comprising a plurality of action options corresponding to actions to be taken with respect to the active message upon selection of the new custom action control;

receiving a selection of at least two action options;

associating the new custom action control with the at least two action options selected such that a subsequent selection of the new custom action control initiates actions corresponding to the at least two action options; and

providing the new custom action control in the gallery.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the dialog further comprises a text entry field for receiving text to be displayed when a mouse hovers over the new custom action control and an icon control for selecting an icon to be associated with the new custom action control.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the gallery comprises a quantity of custom action controls fewer than a total number of available custom action controls and wherein the gallery further comprises an expand control that when selected, is operative to expand the gallery to display all of the available custom action controls.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gallery is configured to group custom action controls into categories when expanded.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a right-click selection of the custom action control; and

in response to receiving the right-click selection of the custom action control, providing a menu comprising a plurality of commands corresponding to the custom action control, the plurality of commands comprising a command to apply the custom action control to the active message and a command to modify the custom action control.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the custom action control comprises storing the custom action control at network server to enable roaming of the custom action control between a plurality of messaging applications in communication with the network server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by an e-mail application, the method further comprising exporting the custom action control via e-mail.

11. A computer storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request to customize a custom action control;

in response to the request to customize the custom action control, provide a dialog comprising a plurality of selectable actions corresponding to actions to be taken upon selection of the custom action control;

receive a selection of at least two actions via the dialog;

associate the custom action control with the at least two actions selected such that a subsequent selection of the custom action control initiates the at least two actions; and

provide the custom action control in a gallery adjacent to a message window comprising an active message.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a selection of the custom action control; and

in response to receiving the selection of the custom action control, perform the at least two actions associated with the custom action control.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the request to customize the custom action control comprises a type of custom action control, and wherein the dialog is configured according to a template corresponding to the type of custom action control requested.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the dialog further comprises a text entry field for receiving text to be displayed when a mouse hovers over the custom action control and a shortcut key field for receiving a keyboard shortcut key identification corresponding to a combination of keyboard keys to be assigned to the custom action control.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the request to customize the custom action control comprises a request to create a new custom action control.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the request to customize the custom action control comprises a request to edit an existing custom action control.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

determine that the request to customize the custom action control comprises a request to transmit a message to a recipient having a title;

retrieving an address corresponding to the title of the recipient from a global address book; and

pre-populate a field of the dialog corresponding to the address with the address retrieved from the global address book.

18. A computer storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

display a gallery comprising a plurality of custom action controls adjacent to a message window comprising an active message, each custom action control defining a plurality of actions to be taken with respect to the active message;

provide a manage custom actions control with the gallery;

receive a selection of the manage custom actions control;

in response to receiving the selection of the manage custom actions control, provide a manage custom actions dialog comprising a preview of each of the plurality of custom action controls and a plurality of selectable controls for modifying at least one of the plurality of custom action controls within the gallery;

receive a control selection corresponding to a desired modification of at least one of the plurality of custom action controls within the gallery; and

in response to receiving the control selection, modify the at least one of the plurality of custom action controls according to the control selection.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of custom action controls are stored at a network server to enable roaming of the custom action control between a plurality of messaging applications in communication with the network server.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein a selectable control for modifying at least one of the plurality of custom action controls within the gallery comprises a sharing control operative to export one or more of the plurality of custom action controls via e-mail.