MULTI-SCREEN EMAIL CLIENT

• US 20120290946A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: IMERJ LLC (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schrock, Rodney, Sirpal, Sanjiv, de Paz, Alexander, Gimpl, Martin, Webber, Paul, Reeves, Paul, VonderHaar, Aaron, Soto, Salvador, Kurdziel, Stanley
• Application Number:
  US13/299,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290946A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/38 with means for controlling the display position
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 : for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An email client having multiple screens that may be displayed in different corresponding ones of a plurality of different display portions of a handheld electronic device. The screens of the email client may be related by way of a dependency relationship and/or may provide for control between the various screens. In one embodiment, the email client includes a folder management screen, a message listing screen, a message detail screen, and an attachment screen. Additionally, the email client may be responsive to received gesture inputs to navigate with respect to the screens and/or perform actions with respect to one or more elements (e.g., messages) of the various screens.

Claims

1. A multi-screen email client executable on a handheld electronic device having at least a first display portion and a second display portion, the email client comprising:

a first user interface screen portion displayable on the first display portion; and

a second user interface screen portion displayable on the second display portion;

wherein the first user interface screen portion and the second user interface screen portion are related by way of a dependency relationship therebetween and are operable to provide functionality related to the email client.

2. The email client according to claim 1, wherein the first display portion and the second display portion are distinct display devices of the handheld device.

3. The email client according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second user interface screen portions is operable to at least partially control the execution of another of the first and second user interface screen portions.

4. The email client according to claim 3, wherein one of the first and second user interface screen portions includes an input screen operable to receive inputs from a user for control of another of the first and second user interface screen portions.

5. The email client according to claim 4, wherein the input screen is a keyboard screen.

6. The email client according to claim 1, wherein the first and second user interface screen portions include different respective ones of a folder management screen, a message listing screen, a message detail screen, and an attachment screen.

7. The email client according to claim 6, wherein the folder management screen, the message listing screen, the message detail screen, or the attachment screen define a hierarchical application sequence.

8. The email client according to claim 7, wherein the hierarchical application sequence is navigable by a user to display at least a different one of the screens of the hierarchical application sequence on at least one of the first or second display portions in response to a user input.

9. The email client according to claim 8, wherein the first user interface screen portion includes an indicator regarding a portion of the first user interface screen portion to which the second user interface screen portion corresponds.

10. The email client according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user interface screen portions is a message listing screen, and wherein a plurality of messages appearing in the message listing screen are sortable by at least one of a sender, a subject matter, or a time of receipt.

11. The email client according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user interface screen portions is a message listing screen, and wherein a plurality of messages appearing in the message listing screen are selectable in order to perform an action on the selected messages collectively.

12. The email client according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user interface screen portions is a message detail screen, and wherein an element of the message detail screen is responsive to a user input to initiate an action with respect to the element, and wherein the action is indicated by way of a change in appearance of the element of the message detail screen.

13. The email client according to claim 12, wherein the element is an attachment bar and the action includes downloading an attached file corresponding to the attachment bar, wherein the appearance of the attachment bar corresponds to a status of the downloading of the attached file.

14. The email client according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user interface screen portions is a message detail screen, and wherein the message detail screen is selectively modifiable to invert the color of text and a background of a message displayed in the message detail screen.

15. The email client according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user interface screen portions is a message detail screen, and wherein the message detail screen is selectively viewable in a full screen mode such that at least one element of the message detail screen is removed when displayed in the full screen mode.

16. The email client according to claim 1, wherein an indication is presentable to user upon loss of connectivity with an email server with which an email account is associated.

17. A method of operation of a multi-screen email client, the method comprising:

executing the multi-screen email client on a handheld electronic device having at least a first display portion and a second display portion;

displaying a first user interface screen portion on the first display portion and a second user interface screen on the second display portion, wherein the first user interface screen portion and the second user interface screen portion are related by way of a dependency relationship therebetween;

receiving inputs from a user with respect to the first user interface screen portion on the first display portion and with respect to the second user interface screen portion on the second display portion; and

controlling the execution of the email client in response to the receiving.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first display portion and the second display portion are distinct display devices of the handheld device.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising affecting the execution of one of the first and second user interface screen portions in response to receiving inputs from a user with respect to another of the first and second user interface portions.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein one of the first and second user interface screen portions includes an input screen operable to receive inputs from a user for affecting at least a portion of another of the first and second user interface screen portions.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the input screen is a keyboard screen.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first and second user interface screen portion are different respective ones of a folder management screen, a message listing screen, a message detail screen, or an attachment screen.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the folder management screen, the message listing screen, the message detail screen, and the attachment screen define a hierarchical application sequence.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising navigating the hierarchical application sequence to display at least a different one of the screens of the hierarchical screen progression on at least one of the first or second display portions in response to the receiving of a user input.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising indicating to a user a portion of the first user interface screen portion to which the second user interface screen portion corresponds.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first and second user interface screen portions is the message listing screen, and wherein a plurality of messages appearing in the message listing screen are sortable by at least one of a sender, a subject matter, or a time of receipt.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first and second user interface screen portions is the message detail screen, the method further comprising initiating an action with respect to an element of the message detail screen in response to the receiving a user input and changing the appearance of the element of the message detail screen in response to the initiating.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the element is an attachment bar and the action includes downloading an attached file corresponding to the attachment bar, and wherein the appearance of the attachment bar corresponds to a status of the downloading of the attached file.

29. The method according to claim 17, further comprising receiving a gesture input from the user and, in response to receiving the gesture input, performing an action with respect to a message.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the gesture input includes a long press gesture received with respect to a message displayed in at least one of a message listing screen or a message details screen, and wherein the action includes displaying a contextual menu related to the message.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the gesture input includes a swipe gesture received with respect to a message displayed in at least one of a message listing screen or a message detail screen, and wherein the action includes moving the message to a location in the email client different than the current location of the message.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the moving includes movement of the message to a destination folder.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the destination folder is at least partially determined by the nature of the gesture input received.

34. A handheld electronic device operable to execute a multi-screen email client, the device comprising:

a plurality of user interface screen portions, wherein the plurality of user interface screen portion include at least one of a message listing screen or a message detail screen;

a plurality of display portions operable to display different respective ones of the plurality of user interface screens of the multi-screen email client thereon; and

at least one input device operable to receive a gesture input from a user, wherein the plurality of user interface screen portions are responsive to received gesture inputs at the at least one input device to control the operation of the email client;

wherein upon receipt of a gesture from the user at the input device, the email client is operable to perform an action with respect to a message displayed in the message listing screen or the message detail screen to modify the message.

35. The device according to claim 34, wherein the gesture includes a long press gesture received with respect to a message displayed in at least one of the message listing screen or the message detail screen, and wherein the action includes display of a contextual menu related to the message.

36. The device according to claim 34, wherein the gesture includes a swipe gesture received with respect to a message displayed in at least one of the message listing screen or the message detail screen, and wherein the action includes moving the message in the message listing screen or the message details screen within the email client.

37. The device according to claim 36, wherein the moving includes movement of the message to a destination folder.

38. The device according to claim 37, wherein the destination folder is at least partially determined by the nature of the gesture input received.

39. The device according to claim 37, wherein the gesture input comprise a drag-and-drop gesture to move a message from a source folder to a destination folder.

40. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a memory operable to store a plurality of programs and a plurality of files, wherein at least a portion of the files are executable by one or more of the plurality of programs;

a processor operable to run the plurality of programs to execute the at least a portion of the files;

at least one file in a non-executable file format not executable or capable of being opened by any of the plurality of programs; and

a file transfer module operable to transmit and receive the at least one non-executable file.

41. The device according to claim 40, wherein at least one of the plurality of programs includes an email client operable to transmit email messages from and receive email messages at the device.

42. The device according to claim 41, wherein at least one of the email messages includes a file attachment, and wherein the attached file is the at least one non-executable file.

43. A method of operation of a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of programs in a memory of the handheld electronic device;

executing one or more of the plurality of programs on a microprocessor in operative communication with the memory;

receiving a non-executable file at the handheld electronic device, wherein the non-executable file is in a file format that is not associated with any of the plurality of programs;

storing the file in the memory of the handheld device.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein at least one of the plurality of programs includes an email client operable to transmit email messages from and receive email messages at the device.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein at least one of the email messages includes a file attachment, and wherein the attached file is the non-executable file.