FAST MOBILE MAIL WITH CONTEXT INDICATORS

• US 20130173727A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bending Spoons SpA
• Original Assignee: Evernote Corp. (Bending Spoons SpA)
• Inventors: Libin, Phil, Lang, Keith, Warwick, Richard M., Hinkle, Christopher, Jimenez, Juan Carlos, Ryall, Ken, Armendariz, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,628,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

Facilitating replying to received email messages includes presenting a selectable set of fast reply tokens that correspond to snippets of multimedia content, providing a mechanism to superimpose a selected subset of the fast reply tokens on to different portions of the received email message to compose an annotated email messages, wherein the fast reply tokens are separate from any reply email text, and sending the annotated email message. The fast reply tokens may include action icons, status icons, emoticons, emojis, expressive elements, clip art, highlighters, geometric shapes, arrows, short tunes, audio clips, video clips, abbreviated standard texts, and freehand notes. Facilitating replying to received email messages may also include providing cultural adaptations and localization of fast reply tokens based on a setting provided by a recipient of the annotated email message.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating replying to received email messages, comprising:

presenting a selectable set of fast reply tokens that correspond to snippets of multimedia content;

providing a mechanism to superimpose a selected subset of the fast reply tokens on to different portions of the received email message to compose an annotated email messages, wherein the fast reply tokens are separate from any reply email text; and

sending the annotated email message.

2. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the fast reply tokens include action icons, status icons, emoticons, emojis, expressive elements, clip art, highlighters, geometric shapes, arrows, short tunes, audio clips, video clips, abbreviated standard texts, and freehand notes.

3. A method, according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing cultural adaptations and localization of fast reply tokens based on a setting provided by a recipient of the annotated email message.

4. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism to superimpose the fast reply tokens includes dragging each of a selected one of the fast reply tokens on to a corresponding portion of the annotated email message.

5. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising:

superimposing a progressing scrolling bar for fast reply tokens on to the one of the received email messages to facilitate efficient navigation therethrough.

6. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a search bar for searching the fast reply tokens by category.

7. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically restricting a user to sending only particular types of input in response to a user being in a particular setting.

8. A method, according to claim 7, further comprising:

automatically restricting a user to receiving only particular types of input in response to a user being in a particular setting.

9. A method, according to claim 8, wherein a user is restricted to sending and receiving audio-only input in response to the user being in a moving automobile.

10. A method, according to claim 8, further comprising:

automatically converting a message from a first type of input to one of the particular types of input, wherein the first type of input is not one of the particular types of input.

11. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining an overall tone of the annotated email message based on the fast reply tokens superimposed on to the annotated email message; and

providing to a recipient an indication of the overall tone of the annotated email message.

12. A method, according to claim 1, further comprising:

including context information with at least some of the fast reply tokens superimposed on to the annotated email message, wherein the context information includes portions of source documents associated with at least some of the fast reply tokens.

13. A method, according to claim 12, wherein each of the portions of source documents includes location information indicating a location within the document for the corresponding portion.

14. A method, according to claim 13, wherein the location information indicates a page and a position on the page for the corresponding portion.

15. A method, according to claim 14, wherein the position on the page is descriptive.

16. A method, according to claim 14, wherein the position on the page is indicated using a graphical matrix.

17. Computer software, provided in a non-transitory computer readable medium, that facilitates replying to received email messages, the software comprising:

executable code that presents a selectable set of fast reply tokens that correspond to snippets of multimedia content;

executable code that superimposes a selected subset of the fast reply tokens on to different portions of the received email message to compose an annotated email messages, wherein the fast reply tokens are separate from any reply email text; and

executable code that sends the annotated email message.

18. Computer software, according to claim 17, wherein the fast reply tokens include action icons, status icons, emoticons, emojis, expressive elements, clip art, highlighters, geometric shapes, arrows, short tunes, audio clips, video clips, abbreviated standard texts, and freehand notes.

19. Computer software, according to claim 18, further comprising:

executable code that provides cultural adaptations and localization of fast reply tokens based on a setting provided by a recipient of the annotated email message.

20. Computer software, according to claim 17, wherein the mechanism to superimpose the fast reply tokens includes dragging each of a selected one of the fast reply tokens on to a corresponding portion of the annotated email message.

21. Computer software, according to claim 17, further comprising:

executable code that superimposes a progressing scrolling bar for fast reply tokens on to the one of the received email messages to facilitate efficient navigation therethrough.

22. Computer software, according to claim 17, further comprising:

executable code that provides a search bar for searching the fast reply tokens by category.

23. Computer software, according to claim 17, further comprising:

executable code that automatically restricts a user to sending only particular types of input in response to a user being in a particular setting.

24. Computer software, according to claim 23, further comprising:

executable code that automatically restricts a user to receiving only particular types of input in response to a user being in a particular setting.

25. Computer software, according to claim 24, wherein a user is restricted to sending and receiving audio-only input in response to the user being in a moving automobile.

26. Computer software, according to claim 24, further comprising:

executable code that automatically converts a message from a first type of input to one of the particular types of input, wherein the first type of input is not one of the particular types of input.

27. Computer software, according to claim 17, further comprising:

executable code that determines an overall tone of the annotated email message based on the fast reply tokens superimposed on to the annotated email message; and

executable code that provides to a recipient an indication of the overall tone of the annotated email message.

28. Computer software, according to claim 17, further comprising:

executable code that includes context information with at least some of the fast reply tokens superimposed on to the annotated email message, wherein the context information includes portions of source documents associated with at least some of the fast reply tokens.

29. Computer software, according to claim 28, wherein each of the portions of source documents includes location information indicating a location within the document for the corresponding portion.

30. Computer software, according to claim 29, wherein the location information indicates a page and a position on the page for the corresponding portion.

31. Computer software, according to claim 30, wherein the position on the page is descriptive.

32. Computer software, according to claim 30, wherein the position on the page is indicated using a graphical matrix.