Mobile terminal and method for managing e-mail thereof

• US 8,375,307 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Taeyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US12/813,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/702, 715/751, 715/753, 715/864, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A method for controlling a mobile terminal, and which includes executing, via a controller on the mobile terminal, an e-mail function; displaying, via a display on the mobile terminal, a e-mail account list including at least first and second e-mail accounts, in which the first e-mail account uses a first e-mail service for processing e-mails and the second e-mail account uses a second e-mail service for processing e-mails that is different than the first e-mail account service; providing, via the controller, an e-mail service of the selected first e-mail account, when the first e-mail account on the e-mail account list is selected; receiving, via an input unit, an account changing request for changing from the first e-mail account to the second e-mail account while information within the first e-mail account is currently being displayed; changing, via the controller, from the first e-mail account to the second e-mail account according to the account changing request; and providing, via the controller, the second e-mail service for the second e-mail account.

Claims

1. A method for a mobile terminal managing a plurality of e-mail accounts, the method comprising:

displaying an e-mail menu screen that contains a list of a plurality of e-mail accounts previously registered to the mobile phone in response to an input for executing an email function;

communicating with one or more e-mail servers related to the plurality of e-mail accounts to retrieve mail box information for each e-mail account;

displaying a total number of any newly received or not-yet-read e-mails of each said e-mail account as icons appearing next to each said e-mail account;

simultaneously displaying a list of e-mail messages listed for a first e-mail account and icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually when the first e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts;

generating a message writing screen of the first e-mail account for a return email to a particular e-mail message among the list of e-mail messages when an icon for replying to the particular e-mail message is selected from the icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually;

setting a second e-mail account among the plurality of e-mail accounts for transmitting the return email when the second e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts through an account changing interface displayed on the message writing screen; and

transmitting the return email via the second e-mail account in response to an input thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a back icon configured to go back to a previous screen or menu upon selection thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a polling e-mail service in which the e-mail servers are accessed periodically.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a push e-mail service in which e-mails are received from the e-mail servers whenever new e-mails are received at the e-mail servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the e-mail account changing interface comprises a selectable icon in the shape of an arrow or triangular direction indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the account changing interface is configured to list the plurality of email accounts in a list format.

7. A mobile terminal for managing a plurality of e-mail accounts, the mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to support wireless communications;

a user input unit configured to receive an input from a user to execute an e-mail function;

an output unit configured to output information to the user;

a controller cooperating with the wireless communication unit, the user input unit, and the output unit, and configured to;

display, via the output unit, an e-mail menu screen that contains a list of a plurality of e-mail accounts previously registered by the user in response to an input for executing the email function; and

communicate, via the wireless communication unit, with one or more e-mail servers related to the plurality of e-mail accounts to retrieve mail box information for each e-mail account;

display, via the output unit, a total number of any newly received or not-yet-read e-mails of each said e-mail account next to each said e-mail account;

simultaneously display, via the output unit, a list of e-mail messages listed for a first e- mail account and icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually when the first e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts;

generate, via the output unit, a message writing screen of the first e-mail account for a return email to a particular e-mail message among the list of e-mail messages when an icon for replying to the particular e-mail message is selected from the icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually;

set a second e-mail account among the plurality of e-mail accounts for transmitting the return email when the second e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts through an account changing interface displayed on the message writing screen; and

transmit, via the wireless communication unit, the return email via the second e-mail account in response to an input thereof.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to cooperate with the output unit to display a back icon that allows the user to go back to a previous screen or menu upon selection thereof.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7 wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a polling e-mail service in which the e-mail servers are accessed periodically.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a push e-mail service in which e-mails are received from the e-mail servers whenever new e-mails are received at the e-mail servers.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the e-mail account changing interface comprises a selectable icon in the shape of an arrow or triangular direction indicator.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the account changing interface with the plurality of email accounts in a list format.