SYNCHRONIZED CONVERSATION-CENTRIC MESSAGE LIST AND MESSAGE READING PANE

• US 20090319911A1
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Affronti, Michael Anthony, Pereira, Jorge, Brauninger, Andrew Russell, McCann, Robert Emmett, Edelen, James J. IV
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for a user interface uniting two primary components, a list view and a reading pane, within a message reading application. Technologies are also described for synchronizing status and parameters between the two primary user interface components. In particular, a user interface for reading messages can represent all components of a conversation with both a list view for presenting a message map, and a reading pane for presenting a content view. The list view can present a list of messages grouped by conversation. The reading pane window can contain smaller windows or frames. Each of the smaller windows or frames can contain a message within a given conversation. Synchronization provided between the list view and a reading pane can allow message selection in one of the user interface components to cause display and selection of the corresponding message in the other user interface component.

Claims

1. A method for providing a unified conversation-centric message list and message reading pane, the method comprising:

organizing a plurality of messages by conversation;

providing a list view of the plurality of messages organized by conversation;

providing a content view of the plurality of messages organized by conversation; and

presenting a unified user interface simultaneously displaying the list view and the content view.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list view indicates a reply structure of each expanded conversation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content view comprises a reading pane with a message frame for each expanded message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing between the list view and the content view.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein synchronizing comprises indicating a message within the list view as selected in response to a corresponding message within the reading pane being selected.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein synchronizing comprises indicating a message within the reading pane as selected in response to a corresponding message within the list view being selected.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein synchronizing comprises scrolling the reading pane to display a message in response to a corresponding message within the list view being selected.

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

organize a plurality of messages by conversation;

provide a list view of the plurality of messages organized by conversation;

provide a content view of the plurality of messages organized by conversation;

present a unified user interface simultaneously displaying the list view and the content view; and

maintain synchronization between the list view and the content view.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the list view indicates the reply structure of each expanded conversation.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the content view comprises a reading pane with a message frame for each expanded message.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein synchronization comprises indicating a message within the list view as selected in response to a corresponding message within the content view being selected.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein synchronization comprises indicating a message within the content view as selected in response to a corresponding message within the list view being selected.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein synchronization comprises updating a read/unread status of a message in the list view in response to a read/unread status being updated in association with a corresponding message within the content view.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein synchronization comprises updating a read/unread status of a message in the content view in response to a read/unread status being updated in association with a corresponding message within the list view.

15. An electronic message reading system comprising:

a processor; and

a message reading application comprising one or more modules operable to cause the processor to provide a list view of a plurality of messages organized by conversation, provide a content view of the plurality of messages organized by conversation, present a unified user interface simultaneously displaying the list view and the content view, and to maintain synchronization between the list view and the content view.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the list view indicates a reply structure of each expanded conversation.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the content view comprises a reading pane with a message frame for each expanded message.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein synchronization comprises indicating a message within the list view as selected in response to a corresponding message within the content view being selected.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein synchronization comprises indicating a message within the content view as selected in response to a corresponding message within the list view being selected.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein synchronization comprises scrolling the content view to display a message in response to a corresponding message within the list view being selected.