MESSAGING DEVICE HAVING A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR INITIATING COMMUNICATION TO RECIPIENTS

• US 20090271712A1
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Carney, Patrick, Giardini, Anthony, Goulart, Valerie, Chow, Paulo S.T., Ligh, Ming, Gough, Jeff, Gormley, Georgiana
• Granted Patent: US 9,508,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A messaging device allows a user to initiate communication to recipients via a graphical user interface. In some embodiments, messages are composed by a user via a touchscreen display. Pre-existing messages may also be retrieved by the user via the display. Icons representing potential message recipients are displayed, and the user may deliver a message to a recipient by associating the message with the icon that represents the desired recipient, such as by a drag-and-drop or pop-and-hop motion. In addition, the user may indicate to which of the recipient'"'"'s various electronic devices or services the message is to be delivered. In some embodiments, the user may deliver the message to a group of recipients.

Claims

1. A method of initiating communication to a recipient via a graphical user interface on a touchscreen display, the method comprising:

displaying to a user on a touchscreen display a graphical user interface having a graphic associated with each of a plurality of recipients;

receiving from the user an identification of a message for delivery to one of the plurality of recipients;

detecting from the user an associating command from the identified message to the graphic associated with a selected one of the plurality of recipients;

displaying to the user indications of delivery methods by which the message is deliverable to the selected recipient;

detecting from the user a selection of a displayed delivery method; and

transmitting the message to the selected recipient via the selected delivery method.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of a message for delivery to one of the plurality of recipients comprises:

providing a message area of the touchscreen display; and

receiving via the message area of the touchscreen display a composition of the message by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of a message for delivery to one of the plurality of recipients comprises:

receiving from the user a selection of a pre-existing message to be delivered to a recipient; and

retrieving the selected pre-existing message for delivery to the recipient.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating command is a drag-and-drop motion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating command is a pop-and-hop motion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a recipient may be a group of recipients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic associated with at least one of the plurality of recipients is selected by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic associated with at least one of the plurality of recipients is selected by the recipient.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an identity of the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising associating the determined identity of the user with the delivered message.

11. A system for sending messages to recipients via associating commands on a touchscreen display, the system comprising:

a storage component for storing a plurality of recipients and one or more delivery options associated with each of the plurality of recipients;

a touchscreen display for displaying a plurality of icons, each of the plurality of icons being associated with at least one of the plurality of recipients;

an input component for;

receiving from the user via the display a composition of a message;

detecting from the user an associating command associating the message with a selected one of the plurality of icons, the selected icon being associated with an intended recipient, wherein the selection of an icon causes the touchscreen display to display one or more of the delivery options associated with the intended recipient; and

detecting from the user a selection of one of the one or more displayed delivery options; and

a transmission component for transmitting the received message to the intended recipient via the selected delivery option.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein detecting the associating command comprises:

detecting the touching of the message on the display with an implement,

detecting the dragging of the message to the selected icon associated with the intended recipient, and

detecting the release of the implement touching the message.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein detecting the associating command comprises:

detecting the touching of the message on the display with an implement,

detecting the tapping of the message, and

detecting the subsequent tapping of the selected icon associated with the intended recipient.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the selected icon is associated with a plurality of intended recipients and wherein the transmission component further transmits the received message to the plurality of intended recipients via the selected delivery option.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the input component detects from the user via the display an associating command associating the message with a selected second icon in the plurality of icons, the selected icon and the selected second icon forming a group.

16. A tangible computer-readable medium for executing a method for initiating communication to recipients via a graphical user interface on a touchscreen display, the method comprising:

displaying to a user on a touchscreen display a graphical user interface having a recipient icon associated with each of a plurality of recipients;

receiving from the user an identification of a message for delivery to one of the plurality of recipients;

detecting from the user an associating action that associates the identified message with a recipient icon associated with a selected one of the plurality of recipients;

displaying to the user message delivery methods by which the message is deliverable to the selected recipient;

detecting from the user a selection of a displayed message delivery method; and

transmitting the message to the selected recipient via the selected message delivery method.

17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the displayed message delivery options vary based on delivery preferences of the selected recipient.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the displayed message delivery options vary based on availability information of the selected recipient.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the displayed message delivery options vary based on a type of the message.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a message icon in association with the recipient icon of the selected recipient, wherein the message icon indicates that the selected recipient has a message waiting.

21. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a message icon in association with the recipient icon of the selected recipient, wherein the message icon indicates that the selected recipient has opened a waiting message.

22. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

displaying to the user delivery time options associated with the selected message delivery method; and

detecting from the user a selection of a displayed delivery time option.

23. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the displayed delivery time options include urgent, now, and later.