Methods and Apparatus for Managing Messages

• US 20120149405A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhat, Hamsika
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing messages may include receiving at a mobile device a message, such as a short message service (SMS) message. The methods and apparatus may further include determining a message priority for the message by comparing a source of the message with a set of rules defining the message priority. The methods and apparatus may further include determining one or more groups for the messages based upon the priority and placing the messages into the determined groups.

Claims

1. A method of managing messages, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a message;

determining a message priority for the message by using a set of rules defining the priority;

determining one or more groups for the message based upon the message priority;

placing the message in the one or more groups;

determining a group priority for the one or more groups; and

relatively ordering the one or more groups based on the group priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises one of a short message service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, or an instant messaging (IM) service message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules define the priority with a value that varies based upon a source of the message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a source of the message comprises one of a contact from a contact list, a bank, a service provider, a news provider, a retail establishment, or an unknown number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message priority comprises a priority set by a sender of the message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein if the sender is a recognized user, the mobile device accepts the message priority from the sender.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the message based on the priority.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying the one or more groups as separate folders in a user interface for received messages, wherein the displaying further includes relatively ordering the one or more groups in a list based on a respective ranking of at least one message in the respective group.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying each message in each respective folder in a relative order based on the priority of the respective message.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an input from a user defining the ranking.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

labeling the one or more groups based upon the priority.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

labeling the one or more groups based upon a source of the message.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

overriding the one or more groups for the message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the overriding further comprises:

receiving an input defining a new group for the message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the input comprises receiving a selection from a menu listing the one or more groups.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the ordered one or more groups; and

displaying within each respective group each message in a relative order based on the priority of the respective message.

35. The method of claim 6, wherein the sender is a recognized user if sender information associated with the sender matches a contact in a contact list.

36. The method of claim 13, wherein the overriding further comprises receiving an input defining a new group priority assigned to the one or more groups.

16. At least one processor configured to manage messages, the processor comprising:

a first module for receiving, at a mobile device, a message;

a second module for determining a message priority for the message by using a set of rules defining the priority;

a third module for determining one or more groups for the message based upon the message priority;

a fourth module for placing the message in the one or more groups;

a fifth module for determining a group priority for the one or more groups; and

a sixth module for relatively ordering the one or more groups in a list based on the group priority.

17. A non-transitory computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to receive, at a mobile device, a message;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to determine a message priority for the message by using a set of rules defining the priority;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to determine one or more groups for the message based upon the message priority;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to place the message in the one or more groups;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to determine a group priority for the one or more groups; and

at least one instruction for causing a computer to relatively order the one or more groups in a list based on the group priority.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, at a mobile device, a message;

means for determining a message priority for the message by using a set of rules defining the priority;

means for determining one or more groups for the message based upon the message priority;

means for placing the message in the one or more groups;

means for determining a group priority for the one or more groups; and

means for relatively ordering the one or more groups in a list based on the group priority.

19. An apparatus for managing messages, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving component operable to receive, at a mobile device, a message;

a priority component operable to determine a message priority for the message by using a set of rules defining the priority;

a grouping component operable to determine one or more groups for the message based upon the message priority;

the grouping component is further operable to place the message in the one or more groups;

wherein the priority component is further operable to determine a group priority for the one or more groups; and

an ordering component operable to relatively order the one or more groups in a list based on the group priority.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the message comprises one of a short message service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, or an instant messaging (IM) service message.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the rules define the priority with a value that varies based upon a source of the message.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a source of the message comprises one of a contact from a contact list, a bank, a service provider, a news provider, a retail establishment, or an unknown number.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the message priority comprises a priority set by a sender the message.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the priority component is further operable to accept the message priority from the sender if the sender is a recognized user.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an ordering component operable to rank the message based on the priority.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

a display component operable to display the one or more groups as separate folders in a user interface for received messages, wherein the displaying further includes relatively ordering the one or more groups in a list based on a respective ranking of at least one message in the respective group.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the display component is further operable to display each message in each respective folder in a relative order based on the priority of the respective message.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the ordering component is further operable to receive an input from a user defining the ranking.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a message manager component operable to label the one or more groups based upon the priority.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a message manager component operable to label the one or more groups based upon a source of the message.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

an override component operable to override the one or more groups for the message.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the override component is further operable to receive an input defining a new group for the message.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the input comprises receiving a selection from a menu listing the one or more groups.

37. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a display component operable to display the ordered one or more groups and display within each respective group each message in a relative order based on the priority of the respective message.

38. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the sender is a recognized user if sender information associated with the sender matches a contact in a contact list.

39. The apparatus of 31, wherein the override component is further configured to receive input defining a new group priority assigned to the one or more groups.