METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM FOR NAVIGATING BETWEEN ATTACHMENTS TO ELECTRONIC MAIL MESSAGES

• US 20100095224A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hartwell, Aaron, Finkelstein, Erich S., Savastano, Hernan, Yozell-Epstein, Rebekah
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,364 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

A method and computer-readable medium are provided for navigation between attachments to electronic mail messages. According to the method, a list of e-mail messages is displayed that includes header information associated with each of the messages. When one of the messages in the list is selected, a determination is made as to whether the selected message has attachments. If the selected message has attachments, an identifier is displayed adjacent to the header information for each attachment. The identifier indicates that the attachment is associated with the selected message and may provide other information such as the type and size of the attachment. The identifiers are displayed in a manner to indicate clearly to a user that the attachments are associated with the selected e-mail message. The identifiers may be selected to preview the corresponding attachment.

Claims

1. A method for navigating between one or more attachments to one or more electronic mail messages, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface for an electronic mail application on a computing device, the user interface for the electronic mail application having a list pane for navigating electronic mail messages and attachments to electronic mail messages;

displaying a hierarchical list of the electronic mail messages in the list pane, the hierarchical list representing an email conversation;

displaying a first electronic mail sender identifier and a second electronic mail sender identifier in association with the email conversation, the first electronic mail sender identifier and the second electronic mail sender identifier displayed at an indentation level indicating association of a first electronic mail message and a second electronic mail message with the email conversation;

receiving a selection of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation, the first electronic mail message having multiple attachments; and

displaying for the first electronic mail message a selectable identifier for an attachment indicating that the attachment is associated with the first electronic mail message, the selectable identifier for selecting a preview of the attachment without switching context of the electronic mail application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a first selectable identifier for a first attachment of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation; and

displaying a preview of the first attachment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a second selectable identifier for a second attachment of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation; and

displaying a preview of the second attachment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the preview of the second attachment replaces the preview of the first attachment.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation having one or more attachments; and

displaying a selectable identifier for each attachment of the second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation in response to the selection of the second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation not having an attachment; and

removing previously displayed selectable identifiers in response to the selection of the second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to open the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation; and

displaying contents of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation for viewing and the selectable identifiers for the attachments of the first electronic mail message in response to the request to open the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a first selectable identifier for a first attachment of the first electronic mail message while the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation is open; and

displaying a preview of the first attachment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a second selectable identifier for a second attachment of the first electronic mail message while the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation is open; and

displaying a preview of the second attachment.

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

display a user interface for an electronic mail application on a computing device, the user interface for the electronic mail application having a list pane for navigating electronic mail messages and attachments to electronic mail messages;

display a hierarchical list of the electronic mail messages in the list pane, the hierarchical list representing an email conversation;

display a first electronic mail sender identifier and a second electronic mail sender identifier in association with the email conversation, the first electronic mail sender identifier and the second electronic mail sender identifier displayed at an indentation level indicating association of a first electronic mail message and a second electronic mail message with the email conversation;

receive a selection of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation, the first electronic mail message having multiple attachments; and

display for the first electronic mail message a selectable identifier for an attachment indicating that the attachment is associated with the first electronic mail message, the selectable identifier for selecting a preview of the attachment without switching context of the electronic mail application.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a selection of a first selectable identifier for a first attachment of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation; and

display a preview of the first attachment.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a selection of a second selectable identifier for a second attachment of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation; and

display a preview of the second attachment.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the preview of the second attachment replaces the preview of the first attachment.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a selection of a second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation having one or more attachments; and

display a selectable identifier for each attachment of the second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation in response to the selection of the second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a selection of a second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation not having an attachment; and

remove previously displayed selectable identifiers in response to the selection of the second electronic mail message associated with the email conversation.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a request to open the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation; and

display contents of the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation for viewing and the selectable identifiers for the attachments of the first electronic mail message in response to the request to open the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a selection of a first selectable identifier for a first attachment of the first electronic mail message while the first selected electronic mail message associated with the email conversation is open; and

display a preview of the first attachment.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a selection of a second selectable identifier for a second attachment of the first electronic mail message while the first electronic mail message associated with the email conversation is open; and

display a preview of the second attachment.

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

display a user interface for an electronic mail application comprising a first window pane for navigating among electronic mail messages and attachments to the electronic mail messages;

display an email conversation comprising multiple electronic mail messages in the first window pane;

display an electronic mail sender identifier for each electronic mail message of the email conversation in the first window pane at an indentation level indicating a hierarchy of the electronic mail message of the email conversation; and

display selectable identifiers for attachments of a selected electronic mail message of the email conversation that has multiple attachments, the selectable identifiers for selecting to preview one or more attachments of the selected electronic mail message of the email conversation without switching context of the electronic mail application.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

receive a selection of a selectable identifier for an attachment of the selected electronic mail message of the email conversation; and

display a second window pane for previewing the attachment.