MESSAGING CLIENT APPLICATION INTERFACE

• US 20140223347A1
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Underwood, George Milton IV, Beausoleil, Sean, Seo, Kijun, DeVincenzi, Anthony, Edwards, Darian
• Granted Patent: US 9,729,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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: 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 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A user interface for a messaging client application can include a message list. By executing various input operations on a representation of a message in the message list, the user can take an action on the message. For example, a user operating a pointing device can perform a drag operation on a representation of the message in the message list, and the action to be taken on the message can be indicated by the direction and distance of the drag. Visual feedback can be provided during the drag operation to indicate the action that will be taken if the user ends the drag at the current location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting a user interface including a message-list pane that displays a list of messages including a first message;

receiving a user input from a user input device that controls a location of an on-screen cursor, the user input indicating a drag operation on the first message from a starting cursor location to a current cursor location, the current cursor location being variable during the drag operation;

while the user input continues to indicate the drag operation, providing a visual indicator identifying an action that will be performed on the first message if the user ends the drag operation, the visual indicator being selected based on the current cursor location relative to the starting cursor location; and

in response to a further user input ending the drag operation, performing the identified action on the message.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein performing the identified action includes moving the message from a current message collection to a destination message collection, the destination message collection being determined based on the current cursor location relative to the starting cursor location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the destination message collection is determined based on a direction and a distance of the current cursor location relative to the starting cursor location.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the visual indicator includes one or both of a glyph corresponding to the destination message collection or a color corresponding to the destination message collection.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein performing the identified action on the message includes:

presenting, at the user interface, a selection menu including a plurality of options for the identified action, the selection menu being presented at a location determined based on the current cursor location;

receiving a user input indicating a selection of one of the options; and

performing the action using the selected option.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the user interface further includes one or more other panes in addition to the message-list pane.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the one or more other panes include a message-reading pane that displays a selected message from the message list.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the one or more other panes include a collections pane that presents a list of message collections, the method further comprising:

detecting a user selection of a message collection in the collections pane; and

presenting at least some of the messages in the selected collection in the message-list pane.

9. A client device comprising:

a display;

a user input device operable to position an on-screen cursor within the display; and

a processor coupled to the display and the user input device, the processor configured to;

present, at the display, a user interface including a message-list pane that displays a list of messages including a first message;

receive a user input from the user input device, the user input indicating a drag operation on the first message from a starting cursor location to a current cursor location, the current cursor location being variable during the drag operation;

provide, while the user input continues to indicate the drag operation, a visual indicator identifying an action that will be performed on the first message if the user ends the drag operation, the visual indicator being selected based on the current cursor location relative to the starting cursor location; and

perform the identified action on the message in response to a further user input ending the drag operation.

10. The client device of claim 9 further comprising:

a network interface coupled to the processor and configured to communicate with a message provider, wherein the list of messages include messages stored by the message provider.

11. The client device of claim 10 wherein the message provider includes at least one of a messaging service or a message management service.

12. The client device of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured such that performing the identified action includes sending a message update instruction to the message provider via the network interface.

13. The client device of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured such that the identified action includes moving the message to a destination message collection, the destination message collection being determined based at least in part on a distance and a direction from the starting cursor location to the current cursor location.

14. The client device of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to present, at the display, a user interface that further includes one or more other panes in addition to the message-list pane.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program code instructions that, when executed by a processor of a client device, causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

presenting a user interface including a message-list pane that displays a list of messages including a first message;

receiving a user input from a user input device that controls a location of an on-screen cursor, the user input indicating a drag operation on the first message from a starting cursor location to a current cursor location, the current cursor location being variable during the drag operation;

while the user input continues to indicate the drag operation, providing a visual indicator identifying an action that will be performed on the first message if the user ends the drag operation, the visual indicator being selected based on the current cursor location relative to the starting cursor location; and

in response to a further user input ending the drag operation, performing the identified action on the message.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein performing the identified action includes moving the message from a current message collection to a destination message collection, the destination message collection being determined based on the current cursor location relative to the starting cursor location.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the destination message collection is determined based on a direction and a distance of the current cursor location relative to the starting cursor location.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the visual indicator includes one or both of a glyph corresponding to the destination message collection or a color corresponding to the destination message collection.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein performing the identified action includes:

presenting, at the user interface, a selection menu including a plurality of options for the identified action, the selection menu being presented at a location determined based on the current cursor location;

receiving a user input indicating a selection of one of the options; and

performing the action using the selected option.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein in the event that the identified action corresponds to deferring a message, the selection menu includes a list of options for a deferral period for the message.