ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR UPDATING MESSAGE BODY CONTENT BASED ON RECIPIENT CHANGES

• US 20130290435A1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: MARTIN, Daryl Joseph, O'NEILL, Conor Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method, device and system are provided for automated insertion of message conversation or thread participant changes in a message body prior to receipt of the message by a recipient of the reply message. Once a reply message is initiated at a first device and an initial recipient set defined for the reply message based on the participants of a previous message of the thread, one or more changes may be made to the recipients specified for the message. In response to a trigger detected at the device, changes to the initial recipient set are identified and indicated by a textual or other notification within the body of the reply message, rather than merely in a header or addressing portion of the reply message. The indication may then be viewable using a recipient messaging client even if header information reflecting the change in recipients is not displayed by the client.

Claims

1. A method implemented at an electronic device, the method comprising:

initiating a reply message for editing and sending in response to a previous message, the initiating including specifying an initial recipient set comprising one or more recipients obtained from a set of participants specified for the previous message;

receiving input specifying a change to the initial recipient set;

in response to a trigger detected at the electronic device, the electronic device;

determining any difference between a recipient set currently specified for the reply message and the initial recipient set; and

if a difference is determined, inserting an indicator of the difference in a message body of the reply message if no such indicator is already present in the message body; and

initiating sending of the reply message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply message and the previous message are both email messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining any difference comprises comparing the currently specified recipient set with the initial recipient set to determine whether any recipients were added or removed from the initial recipient set.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of participants comprises a sender and one or more recipients for the previous message, the one or more recipients including a sender of the reply message, and the initial recipient set comprises at least the sender of the previous message, and further wherein determining any difference comprises comparing the currently specified recipient identifier set with the set of participants excluding the sender of the reply message to determine whether any recipients were added or removed from the initial recipient set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating includes displaying a message composition screen at the electronic device, the message composition screen including at least one recipient identifier entry field populated using the initial recipient set, and a message content entry field.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the input is received in one of the at least one recipient identifier entry field, and the trigger comprises a movement of focus away from said recipient identifier entry field.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises either a received command to validate addresses for recipients of the currently specified recipient set;

a received command to send the reply message;

or both.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein when the difference between the current set and the initial set is removal of a recipient, the method further comprises specifying the removed recipient as an addressee of a blind carbon copy of the reply email message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the indicator is carried out upon receipt of a confirmation instruction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting an indicator of the difference in a header of the reply message.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a display interface;

at least one communications subsystem;

at least one user interface input mechanism; and

a processor in communication with the display interface, the at least one communications subsystem, and the at least one user interface input mechanism, the processor being capable of;

initiating a reply message for editing and sending in response to a previous message, the initiating including specifying an initial recipient set comprising one or more recipients obtained from a set of participants specified for the previous message;

receiving input specifying a change to the initial recipient set;

in response to a trigger detected at the electronic device, the electronic device;

determining any difference between a recipient set currently specified for the reply message and the initial recipient set; and

if a difference is determined, inserting an indicator of the difference in a message body of the reply message if no such indicator is already present in the message body; and

initiating sending of the reply message.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the reply message and the previous message are both email messages.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein determining any difference comprises comparing the currently specified recipient set with the initial recipient set to determine whether any recipients were added or removed from the initial recipient set.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the set of participants comprises a sender and one or more recipients for the previous message, the one or more recipients including a sender of the reply message, and the initial recipient set comprises at least the sender of the previous message, and further wherein determining any difference comprises comparing the currently specified recipient identifier set with the set of participants excluding the sender of the reply message to determine whether any recipients were added or removed from the initial recipient set.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the initiating includes displaying a message composition screen at the electronic device, the message composition screen including at least one recipient identifier entry field populated using the initial recipient set, and a message content entry field.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the input is received in one of the at least one recipient identifier entry field, and the trigger comprises a movement of focus away from said recipient identifier entry field.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the trigger comprises either a received command to validate addresses for recipients of the currently specified recipient set;

a received command to send the reply message;

or both.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein when the difference between the current set and the initial set is removal of a recipient, the processor is further capable of specifying the removed recipient as an addressee of a blind carbon copy of the reply email message.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein inserting the indicator is carried out upon receipt of a confirmation instruction.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising inserting an indicator of the difference in a header of the reply message.

21. A non-transitory electronic device-readable medium bearing code which, when executed by an electronic device, causes the electronic device to carry out the method of:

initiating a reply message for editing and sending in response to a previous message, the initiating including specifying an initial recipient set comprising one or more recipients obtained from a set of participants specified for the previous message;

receiving input specifying a change to the initial recipient set;

in response to a trigger detected at the electronic device, the electronic device;

determining any difference between a recipient set currently specified for the reply message and the initial recipient set; and

if a difference is determined, inserting an indicator of the difference in a message body of the reply message if no such indicator is already present in the message body; and

initiating sending of the reply message.