System and method for managing a message view

• US 7,296,241 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Oshiro, Marc Seiji, Wang, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US10/274,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/747, 715/748, 715/744, 715/716, 715/700, 715/778, 715/779, 715/805, 715/781, 715818-820
• US Class Current: 715/778
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Described is a system and method for managing a message view on a mobile device. The system includes a switch manager and a plurality of message stores. Message stores may include an email account, SMS account, and a MMS account. A message view may include a custom view of the message stores. An input is received that enables the switch manager to switch between one view of the message stores and another view. In one embodiment, the input is a left or right key entry. Continuous entry of the left or right key entry enables a user to switch through views of the message stores, in a deterministic approach.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing a message view for message stores, the method comprising:

displaying a current message view that displays a list of messages from a current message store;

receiving an input that is used to navigate between message stores, wherein the input is one member of a group comprising;

a next instruction and a previous instruction;

moving to a next message store directly from the current message store when the input is the next instruction and displaying a next message view that displays a list of messages from the next message store; and

moving to a previous message store directly from the current message store when the input is the previous instruction and displaying a previous message view that displays a list of messages from the previous message store, wherein the current message store, the next message store and the previous message store are different message stores that are selected from the message stores.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received input is at least one member of a group comprising:

a left key entry and a right key entry.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the left key entry is associated with displaying the previous message view and the right key entry is associated with displaying the next message view.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the message stores further comprises information associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

an email account, a Short Message Service (SMMS) account, and a Multimedia Message Service (MMMS) account.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the next message view and the previous message view further comprises a custom view of the message stores that includes a first message that is selected from a first message store and a second message from a second message store.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the previous message view and next message view cyclically switches through a pre-defined sequence of message views associated with the message stores.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a current message in the current message view when the received input is an action instruction.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

message stores, wherein each of the message stores are configured to store messages that are associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

an email account, a Short Message Service (SMS) account, and a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) account; and

a switch manager coupled to the message stores, and wherein the switch manager is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving an input that is used to navigate directly between the message stores, wherein the input is at least one member of a group comprising;

a next instruction and a previous instruction;

displaying a next message view that displays a list of messages from a first one of the message stores when the received input is the next instruction; and

displaying a previous message view that displays a list of messages from a second one of the message stores when the received input is the previous instruction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one of the next view and the previous view further comprises a custom view of the plurality of message stores.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the custom view further comprises a means for identifying a message from the plurality of message stores, wherein the identified message enables a message view.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the received input further comprises one member of a group comprising:

a left key entry and a right key entry.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the left key entry is associated with displaying the previous message view and the right key entry is associated with displaying the next message view of the plurality of message stores.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the previous message view and next message view cyclically switches through a pre-defined sequence of the message stores, wherein each switch displays messages from the associated message store.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising, receiving an action instruction and in response to receiving the action instruction, displaying a current message in the current message view.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for managing a message view, comprising:

receiving a user selection;

when the user selection is a next instruction, moving directly to a next message store from a current message store and displaying a next message view that displays a list of messages from the next message store; and

when the user selection is a previous instruction, moving directly to a previous message store from a current message store and displaying a previous message view that displays a list of messages from the previous message store, wherein the next message store and the previous message store are different message stores within the message stores.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user selection is at least one member of a group comprising:

a left key entry and a right key entry.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the left key entry is associated with displaying the previous message view and the right key entry is associated with displaying the next message view of the message stores.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein each of the message stores include information associated with at least one member of a group comprising:

an email account, Short Message Service (SMS) account, and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) account.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the next view and the previous view further comprises a custom view of the message stores.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the custom view further comprises a means for identifying a message from the message at ores, wherein the information enables viewing of the message.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the previous message view and next message view cyclically switches through a pre-defined sequence of message views associated with the message stores.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising, receiving an action instruction and displaying a current message in the current message view.