Message preview control

• US 8,134,727 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Shmunis, Vladimir G., Vendrow, Vlad, Young, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, DOUGLAS Q
• Application Number:
  US11/998,150
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.13
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to computing devices and systems, as well as software, computer programs, applications, and user interfaces, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods to facilitate message preview control. For example, the method may include generating representations for messages to present on an interface, and detecting selection of the representation for the message. Further, the method can include presenting preview information for the message, which can be an electronic facsimile. The representations for the messages can include a representation for an electronic facsimile, as well as a voice message and an email.

Claims

1. A method of previewing messages comprising:

generating at a mobile phone representations for messages to present on a touch screen interface, the representations for the messages including a representation for an electronic facsimile;

initiating the generation of a preview window in a portion of the touch screen interface in response to detecting selection of the representation for the electronic facsimile;

facilitating the presentation of preview information for the electronic facsimile in the preview window, the preview information including message content;

causing the display of the message content in the preview window as a replica of at least a portion of the electronic facsimile;

receiving an interactive control signal indicative of an interaction with the portion of the touch screen interface including the replica, the interactive control signal identified as a first control input to modify the preview information to form modified preview information; and

facilitating the presentation of the modified preview information including a modified replica of at least the portion of the electronic facsimile.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

filtering components of the electronic facsimile to form filtered components; and

initiating the generation of the preview window to present the filtered components as the preview information.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein filtering the components of the electronic facsimile further comprises:

filtering the components of the electronic facsimile prior to detecting the selection of the representation for the electronic facsimile.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the interactive control signal further comprises:

identifying the first control input to modify the preview information as a control signal to change the size of the replica of the electronic facsimile; and

facilitating a change in the size of the replica of the electronic facsimile to change the size.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

facilitating the presentation of a representation of the first control input coextensive to presenting the preview information;

accepting the first control input to modify the resolution of an image constituting at least a portion of the preview information to form a modified image; and

facilitating the presentation of the modified image for the electronic facsimile as a modified depiction of the replica.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

filtering the components of the electronic facsimile subsequent to detecting the selection of the representation for the electronic facsimile to form real-time filtered components.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

initiating generation of the preview modification window to present a representation of the first control input to modify the preview information; and

facilitating the presentation of the first control input.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

facilitating the presentation of the representation of the first control input coextensive to presenting the preview information.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accepting a second control input as another interactive control signal to perform an action using a portion of the preview information that includes the replica of the electronic facsimile; and

facilitating the performance of the action including closing the preview window.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initiating the generation of a preview action window to present a second control input to perform an action using a portion of the preview information;

facilitating the presentation of the second control input in the preview window; and

accepting selection of the second control input to perform the action in association with the interface without accessing all of the message content of the electronic facsimile.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

facilitating the presentation of the second control input coextensive to presenting the preview information.

12. The method of claim 1 furthering comprising:

decomposing the messages into components;

associating the components with attributes of the messages; and

filtering the components as a function of the attributes to determine the preview information.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the representations for the messages further comprises:

initiating the generation of a representation for an email message;

receiving data indicating selection of the representation for the email message; and

facilitating the presentation of preview information for the email message including text and a representation for an associated electronic document.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

detecting selection of the representation for the associated electronic document; and

previewing the associated electronic document.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the representations for the messages further comprises:

initiating the generation of a representation for a voice message;

receiving data indicating selection of the representation for the voice message; and

facilitating the presentation of preview information for the voice message including audio that constitutes at least a portion of the voice message.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the interactive control signal further comprises:

identifying the first control input to modify the preview information as a control signal to navigate the replica up, down, left or right, with respect to preview window,

wherein navigating the replica facilitates scrolling through other replicas of other portions of the electronic facsimile.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the replica of the portion of the electronic facsimile that is in the preview window is a page or a portion thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating the presentation of the modified preview information further comprises:

facilitating the presentation of multiple pages, responsive to the interactive control signal to navigate through the electronic facsimile.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating the presentation of the modified preview information further comprises:

facilitating the presentation of multiple pages, responsive to the interactive control signal to reduce the size of a page of the electronic facsimile.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

compressing the message contents to display multiple pages of the electronic facsimile at a lower resolution.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining an area on the touch screen interface to form a defined area associated with the representation for the electronic facsimile.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining an area on the touch screen interface to form a defined area associated with the representation for the electronic facsimile; and

receiving a signal associated with the first control input to determine the interaction with the defined area for selecting the representation for the electronic facsimile.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein receiving the signal associated with the first control input further comprises:

determining a single interaction occurs in association with the defined area.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein receiving the signal associated with the first control input further comprises:

identifying the interaction is a mouse-over event in association with the defined area.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein receiving the signal associated with the first control input further comprises:

identifying the interaction is a user interaction via the touch screen interface in association with the defined area.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating the generation of the preview window further comprises:

invoking an application to form the preview window.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein invoking the application further comprises:

causing generation of the portion of the electronic facsimile in a PDF image format within the preview window.

28. A method of previewing messages comprising:

initiating the generation of representations for messages to present on a touch screen of a mobile phone, the representations for the messages including representations for an electronic facsimile and a voice message, the electronic facsimile and the voice message being received from a server;

initiating the generation of a preview window at the mobile phone in response to detecting an interaction with one of the representations;

receiving data as preview information from the server;

facilitating the presentation of the preview information at the mobile phone for either the electronic facsimile or the voice message in association with the preview window;

receiving a first subset of control inputs on the touch screen responsive to the presenting of the preview information the first subset of control inputs configured to modify a replica of an image of the electronic facsimile or an audio of the voice message to form a modified replica;

receiving a second subset of control inputs on the touch screen responsive to the presenting of the preview information, the second subset of control inputs configured to perform an action in association with the preview information for either the electronic facsimile or the voice message; and

receiving via the touch screen a selection of a control input from the first subset of control inputs and the second subset of control inputs to initiate presentation of the modified replica and initiate performance of the action, respectively, concurrent with presenting the preview information for the electronic facsimile or the voice message.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

facilitating the presentation of the modified replica, responsive to the first subset of control inputs, by displaying the replica with either an increased or a decreased size.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

facilitating the presentation of the modified replica, responsive to the first subset of control inputs, by displaying other replicas as other pages of the electronic facsimile in the preview window with either an increased or a decreased size.

31. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

identifying the first control input to modify the preview information as a control signal to navigate the replica up, down, left or right, with respect to preview window; and

causing the navigation of the replica to facilitate scrolling through other replicas of other portions of the electronic facsimile.

32. A mobile device configured to communicate via a network with a messaging system, the mobile device comprising:

a touch screen configured to provide an interface;

a memory including executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the executable instructions to;

generate representations for messages to present on the interface, the representations for the messages including a representation for an electronic facsimile received from the messaging system;

detect selection of the representation for the electronic facsimile;

receive data representing preview information that includes a replica of the electronic facsimile;

generate a preview window in response to the selection of the representation for the electronic facsimile;

present the preview information including the replica of the electronic facsimile in the preview window;

receive an interactive control signal indicative of an interaction with the portion of the touch screen including the replica, the interactive control signal configured to modify the preview information to form modified preview information; and

generate a resized replica.

33. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions to:

perform an action associated with the electronic facsimile concurrent with presentation of the preview information.

34. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions to:

perform the action to close the preview window.

35. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions to:

perform the action to navigate the replica of right, left, up or down relative to the preview window.

36. A method of previewing messages comprising:

initiating at a computing device generation of representations for messages to present on an interface, the representations for the messages including a representation for an electronic facsimile;

defining an area on the interface to form a defined area associated with the representation for the electronic facsimile;

determining an interaction with the defined area to select the representation for the electronic facsimile;

initiating generation of a preview window in a portion of the interface in response to determining the interaction;

facilitating presentation of preview information for the electronic facsimile in the preview window, the preview information including message content;

initiating display of the message content in the preview window as a replica of at least a portion of the electronic facsimile;

receiving an interactive control signal indicative of an interaction with the portion of the interface including the replica, the interactive control signal identified as a first control input to modify the preview information to form modified preview information; and

facilitating presentation of the modified preview information including a modified replica of at least the portion of the electronic facsimile.