E-mail interface having an informational tool tip

• US 7,370,277 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Myers, Linda Nols, Carbone, Kenneth, Willis, Gregory Alan, Van Lenten, Thomas E., Canfield, James Andrew, Colburn, David Fairlie
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/326,548
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/711, 715/821, 345/752
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

An interface enables perception of information regarding e-mail communications. The interface includes an e-mail application user interface that enables perception of e-mail message information for one or more e-mails received by an e-mail participant and that enables active display of one or more of the received e-mails selected by the e-mail participant, The interface also includes a mechanism that determines a request for e-mail message information for one of the e-mails from within a desired e-mail message that is not actively displayed. The interface further includes an informational tool tip that provides a temporary perceivable indication to the e-mail participant of at least a portion of the requested information for the desired e-mail message while maintaining active display of the one or more selected e-mails.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface, stored in a computer readable storage medium, that enables perception of information regarding electronic mail messages, the interface comprising:

an electronic mail message display area configured to display information included in a first electronic mail message received by a user, the first electronic mail message being included in a list of electronic mail messages, received by the user;

a next-interface control configured to, upon activation, enable progress through the list of electronic mail messages received by the user to cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a second electronic mail message that subsequent to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user;

a first informational tool tip configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the information included in the second electronic mail message, the informational tool tip being activated in response to a determination that, for a threshold period of time, a position of an input devices in maintained relative to the next-interface control;

a previous-interface control configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a third electronic mail message that is prior to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user, the third electronic mail message being different than the first electronic mail message and the second electronic mail message; and

a second informational tool tip configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the information included the third electronic mail massage, the second informational tool tip being activated in response to a determination that, for a threshold period of time, a position of the input device is maintained relative to the previous-interface control.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein:

the next-interface control is configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in the second electronic mail message that is immediately subsequent to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user, and

the previous-interface control is configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in the third electronic mail message that is immediately prior to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the third electronic mail message was received prior to receipt of the first electronic mail message and the second electronic mail message was received subsequent to receipt of the first electronic mail message.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein a sender of the first electronic mail message is different than a sender of the second electronic mail message and the sender of the first electronic mail message is different than a sender of the third electronic mail message.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein:

the first informational tool tip is rendered proximate to the next-interface control, and

the second informational tool tip is rendered proximate to the previous-interface control.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein information related to the second electronic mail message is absent from display other than through activation of an interface control or the first informational tool tip.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to display information included in the second electronic mail message while otherwise maintaining display of the first electronic mail message.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a predetermined number of lines included in the second electronic mail message.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a predetermined number of characters of content included in the second electronic mail message.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of all the second electronic mail message.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to display multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 11 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message include a from field and a subject field.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message further include a portion of a message text field, wherein the portion of the message text field includes less than all of the text in the message text field.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message further include only the from field and the subject field.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to activate as soon as the position of the input device is proximate to the next-interface control.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the threshold period of time is predetermined.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 1 in which the first informational tool tip is rendered in a pop up window.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 1 in which the first informational tool tip is rendered as an overlay.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 1 further comprising automatically closing the first informational tool tip.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19 in which the first informational tool tip is automatically closed based upon an expiration of a predetermined length of time.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 19 in which the first informational tool tip is automatically closed based upon an inferred intent to close the tool tip.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 21 in which the intent to close the first informational tool tip is inferred based upon a positive of a user input device.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 21 in which the intent to close the first informational tool tip is inferred based upon a movement of a user input device.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 21 in which the intent to close the first informational tool tip is inferred based upon a position of a user input device and an expiration of a predetermined length of time.

25. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the next-interface control provides no information related to the second electronic mail message other than through activation of the first informational tool tip.

27. The medium of claim 1 wherein:

the next-interface control is configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in the second electronic mail message that is immediately subsequent to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user, and

the previous-interface control is configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in the third electronic mail message that is immediately prior to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user.

28. The medium of claim 1 wherein the third electronic mail message was received prior to receipt of the first electronic mail message and the second electronic mail message was received subsequent to receipt of the first electronic mail message.

26. A computer readable storage medium, storing a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for:

rendering an electronic mail message display, area, configured to display information included in a first electronic mail message received by the user, first electronic mail message being included in a list of electronic mail messages received by the user;

rendering a next-interface control configured to, upon activation, enable progress through the list of electronic mail messages received by the user to cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a second electronic mail message that is subsequent to the first electrode mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user;

rendering a first information tool tip configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the information included in the second electronic mail message, the first informational tool tip being activated in response to a determination that, for a threshold period of time, a position of an input device is maintained relative to the next-interface control;

rendering a previous-interface control configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a third electronic mail message that is prior to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user, the third electronic mail message being different than the first electronic mail message and the second electronic mail message; and

rendering a second informational tool tip configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the information included the third electronic mail massage, the second informational tool tip being activated in response to a determination that, for a threshold period of time, a position of the input device is maintained relative to the previous-interface control.

29. The medium of claim 26 wherein a sender of the first electronic mail message is different than a sender of the second electronic mail message and the sender of the first electronic mail message is different than a sender of the third electronic mail message.

30. The medium of claim 26 wherein:

the first informational tool tip is rendered proximate to the next-interface control, and

the second informational tool tip is rendered proximate to the previous-interface control.

31. The medium of claim 26 wherein information related to the second electronic mail message is absent from display other than through activation of an interface control or the first informational tool tip.

32. The medium of claim 26 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to display information included in the second electronic mail message while otherwise maintaining display of the first electronic mail message.

33. The medium of claim 26 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a predetermined number of lines included in the second electronic mail message.

34. The medium of claim 26 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a predetermined number of characters of content included in the second electronic mail message.

35. The medium of claim 26 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of all the second electronic mail message.

36. The medium of claim 26 wherein the first informational tool tip is configured to display multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message.

37. The medium of claim 36 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message include a from field and a subject field.

38. The medium of claim 37 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message further include a portion of a message text field, wherein the portion of the message text field includes less than all of the text in the message text field.

39. The medium of claim 37 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message further include only the from field and the subject field.

40. A system comprising:

means for rendering an electronic mail message display area configured to display information included in a first electronic mail message received by a user, the first electronic mail message being included in a list of electronic mail messages received by the user;

means for rendering a next-interface control configured to, upon activation, enable progress through the list of electronic mail messages received by the user to cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a second electronic mail message that is subsequent to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user;

means for rendering a first informational tool tip configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the information included in the second electronic mail message, the first informational tool tip being activated in response to a determination that, for a threshold period of time, a position of an input device is maintained relative to the next-interface control;

means for rendering a previous-interface control configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a third electronic mail message that is prior to the first electronic mail message in the list of electronic mail messages received by the user, the third electronic mail message being different than the first electronic mail message and the second electronic mail message; and

means for rendering a second informational tool tip configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the information included in the third electronic mail message, the second informational tool tip being activated in response to a determination that, for a threshold period of time, a position of the input device is maintained relative to the previous-interface control.

41. A graphical user interface, stored in a computer readable storage medium, that enables perception of information regarding electronic mail messages, the interface comprising:

an electronic mail message display area configured to display information included in a first electronic mail message received by a user;

a next-interface control configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a second electronic mail message received by the user subsequent to receipt of the first electronic mail message;

a previous-interface control configured to, upon activation, cause the electronic mail message display area to display information included in a third electronic mail message received by the user prior to receipt of the first electronic mail message; and

an informational tool tip configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the second electronic mail message in response to a position of an input device being maintained, for a threshold period of time, relative to the next-interface control and configured to provide a perceivable indication to the user of a portion of the third electronic mail message in response to a position of the input device being maintained relative to the previous-interface control for a threshold period of time.