METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING MESSAGE

• US 20130159878A1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Jinyong, CHOI, Yongho
• Granted Patent: US 9,690,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for conveniently managing messages that are received from or sent to external devices through a network by a mobile device. At least one message is displayed and selected by a user for a further operation. Attribute information of the selected message is checked in a message history database. Based on the checked attribute information, a message related to the selected message is displayed. The selected message may be a previously marked message and the related message may be an unmarked message.

Claims

1. A method operative in an electronic device for managing a message sent or received through a network, the method comprising:

displaying at least one message;

detecting a selection for one of the displayed at least one message;

checking attribute information associated with the selected message in a message history database; and

based on the checked attribute information, displaying a message related to the selected message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the checking of the attribute information includes checking communication time when the selected message is sent or received.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying of the related message includes at least one of displaying a message sent or received before the communication time and displaying a message sent or received after the communication time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the at least one message includes displaying a mark view containing at least one marked message or at least one object indicating the at least one marked message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting selection of one of the at least one displayed message includes detecting selection of the marked message or the object in the mark view.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying a message view that contains at least one message or at least one object indicating the at least one message; and

marking one of the at least one of the message and the at least one object in the message view,

wherein the displaying of the mark view includes displaying the marked message or object extracted from the message view.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a scroll of a message view containing at least one marked message or object; and

reducing a speed of the scroll or stopping the scroll when the marked message or object is displayed during the scroll.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute information includes at least one of time information indicating communication time when the selected message is sent or received, origin information indicating an origin of the selected message, link information indicating information about a target linked to the selected message, location information indicating information about a location when the selected message is sent or received, capacity information, category information, and user input information about the selected message inputted by a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message sent or received through the network includes at least one of text, audio, video and multimedia.

10. An apparatus for managing a message, the apparatus comprising:

a memory unit configured to store a message history database that contains messages sent or received through a network and attribute information about the messages;

a display unit configured to display at least one message stored in the memory unit; and

a control unit configured to detect selection of one of the displayed at least one message, to check the attribute information associated with the selected message in the message history database, and based on the checked attribute information, to control a display of a message related to the selected message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to check communication time when the selected message is sent or received in the message history database, and the related message is a message selected in relation to the communication time.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display unit is further configured to perform, under the control of the control unit, at least one of displaying a message sent or received before the communication time and displaying a message sent or received after the communication time.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display unit is further configured to display, under the control of the control unit, a mark view containing at least one marked message or at least one object indicating the at least one marked message.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control unit is further configured to, when the marked message or the object is selected in the mark view, control a display of a message related to the selected marked message or object.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to, when the marked message or object is displayed during a scroll of a message view, reduce a speed of the scroll or stop the scroll.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the attribute information includes at least one of time information indicating communication time when the selected message is sent or received, origin information indicating an origin of the selected message, link information indicating information about a target linked to the selected message, location information indicating information about a location when the selected message is sent or received, capacity information, category information, and user input information inputted to the selected message by a user.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the message sent or received through the network includes at least one of text, audio, video and multimedia.

18. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to cause an apparatus for managing a message sent or received through a network to:

display at least one message;

select one of the displayed at least one message;

check attribute information associated with the selected message in a message history database; and

based on the checked attribute information, display a message related to the selected message.