Graphical user interface to facilitate selection of contacts and file attachments for electronic messaging

• US 8,146,004 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US12/024,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/769, 715/758, 715/789, 709/206, 345/473
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Selection of contacts and files for electronic messaging are facilitated by displaying a first set of graphical indicia for each of a plurality of contacts on a user contact list, displaying a second set of graphical indicia for each of one or more files stored in a data storage device, detecting a manipulation of a user interface device wherein a first graphical indicia from the first set of graphical indicia and a second graphical indicia from the second set of graphical indicia are made to at least partially overlap, and generating an electronic message for sending to a contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the electronic message includes a file associated with the second graphical indicia.

Claims

1. A method for providing a graphical user interface to facilitate selection of a contacts and a file for electronic messaging, the method including:

displaying a first graphical indicia for contacts on a user contact list, the contact having a plurality of electronic destination addresses;

displaying a second graphical indicia for a file stored in a data storage device;

detecting a manipulation of a user interface device wherein the first graphical indicia and the second graphical indicia are made to at least partially overlap; and

generating an electronic message for sending to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia, wherein the electronic message includes the file associated with the second graphical indicia;

wherein generating the electronic message includes determining a file type for the file and selecting one of the plurality of electronic destination addresses of the contact in response to the file type;

wherein generating the electronic message includes initiating an automated telephone call to a telephone number from the plurality of electronic destination addresses if the file type is an audio clip; and

,

generating the electronic message includes generating an email to an email address from the plurality of electronic destination addresses if the file type is a text file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a subject balloon in which a user can enter a subject.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a data entry field in which a user can enter a subject.

4. The method of claim 1 further including sending the generated electronic message as an email to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the email includes a file attachment associated with the second graphical indicia.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first graphical indicia includes a contact name associated with the electronic destination addresses.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second graphical indicia includes an icon representing a file on a computer desktop.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic message comprises a still image file.

8. A computer program product for providing a graphical user interface to facilitate selection of a contact and a file for electronic messaging, the computer program product including a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising:

displaying a first graphical indicia for contacts on a user contact list, the contact having a plurality of electronic destination addresses;

displaying a second graphical indicia for a file stored in a data storage device;

detecting a manipulation of a user interface device wherein the first graphical indicia and the second graphical indicia are made to at least partially overlap; and

generating an electronic message for sending to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia, wherein the electronic message includes the file associated with the second graphical indicia;

wherein generating the electronic message includes determining a file type for the file and selecting one of the plurality of electronic destination addresses of the contact in response to the file type;

wherein generating the electronic message includes initiating an automated telephone call to a telephone number from the plurality of electronic destination addresses if the file type is an audio clip; and

,

generating the electronic message includes generating an email to an email address from the plurality of electronic destination addresses if the file type is a text file.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for displaying a subject balloon in which a user can enter a subject.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for displaying a data entry field in which a user can enter a subject.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further including instructions for sending the generated electronic message as an email to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the email includes a file attachment associated with the second graphical indicia.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the first graphical indicia includes a contact name associated with the electronic destination addresses.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the second graphical indicia includes an icon representing a file on a computer desktop.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the electronic message comprises a still image file.

15. An apparatus for providing a graphical user interface to facilitate selection of a contact and a file for electronic messaging, the apparatus including:

a display mechanism for displaying a first graphical indicia for contact on a user contact list and displaying a second graphical indicia for a file stored in a data storage device, the contact having a plurality of electronic destination addresses;

a user interface device operatively coupled to the display mechanism;

a processing mechanism operatively coupled the a-user interface device wherein, in response to the processing mechanism detecting a manipulation of the user interface device such that the first graphical indicia and the second graphical indicia at least partially overlap, the processing mechanism generating an electronic message for sending to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia, wherein the electronic message includes a file associated with the second graphical indicia;

wherein generating the electronic message includes determining a file type for the file and selecting one of the plurality of electronic destination addresses of the contact in response to the file type;

wherein generating the electronic message includes initiating an automated telephone call to a telephone number from the plurality of electronic destination addresses if the file type is an audio clip; and

,

generating the electronic message includes generating an email to an email address from the plurality of electronic destination addresses if the file type is a text file.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the display mechanism displays a data entry field in which a user can enter a subject.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processing mechanism sends the generated electronic message as an email to the contact associated with the first graphical indicia wherein the email includes a file attachment associated with the second graphical indicia.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first graphical indicia includes a contact names associated with a corresponding electronic destination address.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second graphical indicia includes an icon representing a file on a computer desktop.