Enhanced message display

• US 8,782,156 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Coleman, Keith J., Fox, Kevin, Jacobs, Jared, Shamis, Zhanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Louie, Oscar
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELFERVIG, TAYLOR A
• Application Number:
  US13/616,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/231, 715/700, 715/738, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

Informational items are displayed in a scrollable area of a message display. The informational items may be any number of type of items (e.g., RSS feeds, new items, images, application tips, and so on). A user is provided the ability to scroll forward and backward through the informational items. A user may choose the informational item (e.g., by clicking) and more detailed information about the informational item is presented to the user. Depending on the display view of the message application (e.g., InBox, conversation), different informational item types will have different probabilities of display. A user may customize the types of informational items to be displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enhancing email message display, comprising:

at a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

sending email message information to a client device associated with an identified user for display at the client device;

selecting an informational item from among a set of respective information sources, the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user, the informational item including a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the selected informational item;

sending the informational item to the client device for concurrent display with the email message information, wherein the displayed informational item includes said user-selectable link; and

responding to a user-initiated request for a next information item by concurrently displaying the email message information and the next informational item, wherein the displayed next informational item is selected from among the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user and includes a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the next informational item.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

transmitting an email message to the client device; and

embedding in the email message client device executable instructions for displaying the informational item in the display area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the informational item includes identifying an informational item corresponding to content of one or more email messages sent to the client device for display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user comprises one or more information sources selected or identified by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to sending, formatting the informational item for display at the client device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selecting an informational item from among a set of respective information sources is in accordance with a probability of display associated with the informational item.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selecting an informational item from among a set of respective information sources is in accordance with a probability of display associated with each respective information source within the set of respective information sources.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein sending the informational item to the client device for concurrent display with the email message information includes sending a type, associated with the informational item, for concurrent display with the informational item and the email message.

9. A computer-implemented method for enhancing email message display, comprising:

on a client device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving from a server system email message information, associated with an identified user, for display at the client device;

obtaining an informational item selected from among a set of respective information sources, the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user, the informational item including a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the informational item;

concurrently displaying the informational item with the email message information, wherein the displayed informational item includes said user-selectable link; and

responding to a user-initiated request for a next information item by concurrently displaying the email message information and the next informational item, wherein the displayed next informational item is selected from among the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user and includes a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the next informational item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining the informational item includes obtaining an informational item corresponding to content of one or more email messages sent to the client device for display.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user comprises one or more information sources selected or identified by the user.

12. The method of claim 9 further including:

determining that the next informational item is not stored on the client device;

in accordance with the determination that the next informational item is not stored on the client device, requesting the next informational item from another server system.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to a user-initiated request for a previously displayed informational item, concurrently displaying the previously displayed informational item with the email message information, wherein the previously displayed informational item includes a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the previously displayed informational item.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processing units at a server system comprising:

instructions for sending email message information to a client device for display at the client device;

instructions for selecting an informational item from among a set of respective information sources, the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user, the informational item including a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the selected informational item;

instructions for sending the informational item to the client device for concurrent display with the email message information, wherein the displayed informational item includes said user-selectable link; and

instructions for responding to a user-initiated request for a next information item by concurrently displaying the email message information and the next informational item, wherein the displayed next informational item is selected from among the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user and includes a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the next informational item.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further including

instructions for transmitting email message to the client device;

and

instructions for embedding in email message client device executable instructions for displaying the informational item at the client device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for selecting the informational item include instructions for identifying an informational item corresponding to content of one or more email messages sent to the client device for display.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user comprises one or more information sources selected or identified by the user.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further including:

instructions for formatting the informational item for display prior to sending the informational item to the client device.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processing units at a client device, the one or more programs comprising:

instructions for receiving from a server system email message information, associated with an identified user, for display at the client device;

instructions for obtaining an informational item from among a set of respective information sources, the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user, the informational item including a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the informational item;

instructions for concurrently displaying the informational item with the email message information, wherein the displayed informational item includes said user-selectable link; and

instructions for responding to a user-initiated request for a next information item by concurrently displaying the email message information and the next informational item, wherein the displayed next informational item is selected from among the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user and includes a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the next informational item.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein instructions for obtaining the informational item includes instructions for obtaining an informational item corresponding to content of one or more email messages sent to the client device for display.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user comprises one or more information sources selected or identified by the user.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 further including:

instructions for determining that the next informational item is not stored on the client device;

instructions for requesting the next informational item from a server system in accordance with the determination that the next informational item is not stored on the client device.

23. A computer system for enhancing client message display, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory to store;

a plurality of informational items;

a plurality of messages associated with a user; and

one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising;

instructions for sending email message information to a client device for display at the client device;

instructions for selecting an informational item from among a set of respective information sources, the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user, the informational item including a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the selected informational item;

instructions for sending the informational item to the client device for concurrent display with the email message information, wherein the displayed informational item includes said user-selectable link; and

instructions for responding to a user-initiated request for a next information item by concurrently displaying the email message information and the next informational item, wherein the displayed next informational item is selected from among the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user and includes a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the next informational item.

24. The computer system of claim 23, the one or more programs including:

instructions for transmitting an email message to the client device; and

instructions for embedding in the email message client device executable instructions for displaying the informational item at the client device.

25. The computer system of claim 23, the one or more programs including:

instructions for identifying an informational item corresponding to content of one or more email messages sent to the client device for display.

26. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user comprises one or more information sources selected or identified by the user.

27. The computer system of claim 23, the one or more programs including:

instructions for formatting the informational item for display prior to sending the informational item to the client device.

28. A computer system for enhancing client message display on a client device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory to store;

at least one informational item; and

one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising;

instructions for receiving from a server system email message information, associated with an identified user, for display at the client device;

instructions for obtaining an informational item from among a set of respective information sources, the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user, the informational item including a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the informational item;

instructions for concurrently displaying the informational item with the email message information, wherein the displayed information includes said user-selectable link; and

instructions for responding to a user-initiated request for a next information item by concurrently displaying the email message information and the next informational item, wherein the displayed next informational item is selected from among the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user and includes a user-selectable link to additional information corresponding to the next informational item.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein instructions for obtaining an informational item comprise instructions for obtaining an informational item corresponding to content of one or more email messages sent to the client device for display.

30. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the set of respective information sources corresponding to the identified user comprises one or more information sources selected or identified by the user.

31. The computer system of claim 28 the one or more programs further comprising instructions for :

determining that the next informational item is not stored on the client device;

requesting the next informational item from another server system in accordance with the determination that the next informational item is not stored on the client device.