Apparatus and method for managing message in mobile terminal

• US 8,725,116 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sung-Yeon, Maeng, Sun-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US12/764,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20100273454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 4554121-4141, 455/466, 455/456, 455/418, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for managing a message in a mobile terminal are provided. In the method, meta data of messages stored in the terminal are analyzed and items for filtering a message are generated. A user is allowed to select at least one item. Messages corresponding to the selected item are displayed.

Claims

1. A method for managing a message in an electronic device, the method comprising:

generating items for filtering a message using a meta data of messages stored in a storage unit;

selecting at least one item;

displaying messages corresponding to the selected item among the messages stored in the storage unit;

generating a message box comprising the displayed messages;

generating and displaying a name input box with a text input field; and

responsive to receiving inputted text in the text input field, storing the generated message box in the storage unit with the generated message box associated with a name corresponding to the inputted text;

wherein, when the message box is selected, the messages corresponding to the selected at least one item are displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the meta data comprises at least one of a transmission phone number, a reception phone number, a transmission time, a reception time, whether a message has been read, whether a protection is set, and an importance degree.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the items for filtering comprise at least one of a transmission phone number, a reception phone number, a transmission time, a reception time, whether a message has been read, whether protection is set, and an importance degree.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the messages corresponding to the selected item comprises:

searching for only messages having meta data corresponding to the selected item among the messages stored in the electronic device; and

displaying a message list representing the searched messages.

5. An electronic device comprising:

a storage unit for storing messages;

an input unit for receiving inputted text;

a controller for generating items for filtering a message using a meta data of messages stored in the storage unit, selecting at least one item, searching for messages corresponding to the selected at least one item among the messages stored in the storage unit, and generating a message box comprising the searched messages; and

a display unit for displaying the searched messages, and for generating and displaying a name input box with a text input field;

wherein the controller, responsive to receiving the inputted text in the text input field, stores the generated message box in the storage unit with the generated message box associated with a name corresponding to the inputted text; and

wherein, when the message box is selected, the messages corresponding to the selected at least one item are displayed.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the meta data comprises at least one of a transmission phone number, a reception phone number, a transmission time, a reception time, whether a message has been read, whether protection is set, and an importance degree.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the items for filtering comprise at least one of a transmission phone number, a reception phone number, a transmission time, a reception time, whether a message has been read, whether protection is set, and an importance degree.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the controller searches for only messages having meta data corresponding to the selected item among the messages stored in the electronic device, generates a message list representing the searched messages, and provides the message list to the display unit.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a storage unit for storing messages;

an input unit for receiving inputted text;

a controller for generating items for filtering a message using a meta data of messages stored in a specific message box of the storage unit, selecting at least one of the items, and searching for messages corresponded to the selected at least one of the items among the messages stored in the specific message box; and

a display unit for displaying the searched messages, and for generating and displaying a name input box with a text input field;

wherein the controller, responsive to receiving the inputted text in the text input field, stores the generated message box in the storage unit with the generated message box associated with a name corresponding to the inputted text.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the controller generates a new message box comprising the searched messages.