Method and apparatus for dynamic session placeholder for message collection user interface

• US 8,868,044 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wisebourt, Shaul, Klassen, Gerhard Deitrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US13/756,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/466, 455418-420, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/203, 709/207, 709/218, 709/219, 709/213, 345/156, 345/169
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method and apparatus for representing a conversation of related messages is provided. In a message collection user interface for displaying messages sent and received by a communications device, a dynamic session placeholder is used for a respective conversation of related messages. The message collection user interface is displayed including any dynamic session placeholders in the list of messages. As messages from the conversation are occasioned, the dynamic session placeholder is updated. When the message collection is displayed, it is displayed in accordance with the updated session placeholder.

Claims

1. A method of representing a conversation of related messages in a message collection user interface displayed on a wireless communication device, the message collection user interface displaying a list of messages from one or more communications applications on the computing device, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of dynamic session placeholders, each dynamic session placeholder representing a respective conversation of related messages constituting a common messaging communication session;

displaying the plurality of dynamic session placeholders in the message collection user interface, each dynamic session placeholder presented as a single entry in a list of messages and ordered, within the list of messages, chronologically according to a corresponding time of action of a last message in the conversation of related messages represented by the respective dynamic session placeholder;

reordering the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages, upon either transmission or receipt of a new message in the conversation of related messages represented by any one of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders, based on a time of action of the new message; and

displaying the reordered list of messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic session placeholder comprises a portion of the last message, an opposite messaging party, and a timestamp representing the time of action of the last message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising updating the time stamp of the dynamic session placeholder, in response to sending or receiving a new message, to include the time of action of the new message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

removing a dynamic session placeholder in response to an interruption of a respective conversation of related messages.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising archiving a conversation of related messages in response to an interruption of a respective conversation of related messages.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message unrelated to any conversation represented by any of the displayed plurality of dynamic session placeholders; and

displaying the unrelated message in the list of messages.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message unrelated to any conversation represented by any of the displayed plurality of dynamic session placeholders; and

displaying the unrelated message in the list of messages.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking an application associated with a message type of the related messages, in response to a selection of the dynamic session placeholder.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically opening the respective conversation of related messages constituting a common messaging communication session upon invoking the application associated with a message type of the related messages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages are instant messages.

11. A non-transient machine readable medium or media comprising program code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device, causes the processor to:

define a plurality of dynamic session placeholders, each dynamic session placeholder representing a respective conversation of related messages constituting a common messaging communication session;

display the plurality of dynamic session placeholders in a message collection user interface, each dynamic session placeholder presented as a single entry in a list of messages and ordered, within the list of messages, chronologically according to a corresponding time of action of a last message in the conversation of related messages represented by the respective dynamic session placeholder;

reorder the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages, upon either transmission or receipt of a new message in the conversation of related messages represented by any one of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders, based on a time of action of the new message; and

display the reordered list of messages.

12. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 11, wherein the dynamic session placeholder comprises a portion of the last message, an opposite messaging party, and a timestamp representing the time of action of the last message.

13. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 12, further comprising code configured to cause the processor to update the time stamp of the dynamic session placeholder, in response to sending or receiving a new message, to include the time of action of the new message.

14. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 11, further comprising code configured to cause the processor to remove a dynamic session placeholder in response to an interruption of a respective conversation of related messages.

15. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 11, further comprising code configured to cause the processor to archive a conversation of related messages in response to an interruption of a respective conversation of related messages.

16. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 11, further comprising code configured to cause the processor to:

receive a message unrelated to any conversation represented by any of the displayed plurality of dynamic session placeholders; and

display the unrelated message in the list of messages.

17. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 11, further comprising code configured to cause the processor to:

transmit a message unrelated to any conversation represented by any of the displayed plurality of dynamic session placeholders; and

display the unrelated message in the list of messages.

18. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 11, further comprising code configured to cause the processor to invoke an application associated with a message type of the related messages, in response to a selection of the dynamic session placeholder.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 18, further comprising code configured to cause the processor to automatically open the respective conversation of related messages constituting a common messaging communication session upon invoking the application associated with a message type of the related messages.

20. The non-transient machine readable medium or media of claim 11, wherein the messages are instant messages.

21. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor;

a display electrically coupled to the processor; and

memory including machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, the instructions, when executed, causing the device to;

define a plurality of dynamic session placeholders, each dynamic session placeholder representing a respective conversation of related messages constituting a common messaging communication session;

display the plurality of dynamic session placeholders in a message collection user interface, each dynamic session placeholder presented as a single entry in a list of messages and ordered, within the list of messages, chronologically according to a corresponding time of action of a last message in the conversation of related messages represented by the respective dynamic session placeholder;

reorder the plurality of dynamic session placeholders within the list of messages, upon either transmission or receipt of a new message in the conversation of related messages represented by any one of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders, based on a time of action of the new message; and

display the reordered list of messages.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the dynamic session placeholder comprises a portion of the last message, an opposite messaging party, and a timestamp representing the time of action of the last message.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the instructions further cause the device to update the time stamp of the dynamic session placeholder, in response to sending or receiving a new message, in include the time of action of the new message.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the device to remove a dynamic session placeholder in response to an interruption of a respective conversation of related messages.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the device to archive a conversation of related messages in response to an interruption of a respective conversation of related messages.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

receive a message unrelated to any conversation represented by any of the displayed plurality of dynamic session placeholders; and

display the unrelated message in the list of messages.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

transmit a message unrelated to any conversation represented by any of the displayed plurality of dynamic session placeholders; and

display the unrelated message in the list of messages.

28. The device of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the device to invoke an application associated with a message type of the related messages, in response to a selection of the dynamic session placeholder.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the instructions further cause the device to automatically open the respective conversation of related messages constituting a common messaging communication session upon invoking the application associated with a message type of the related messages.

30. The device of claim 21, wherein the messages are instant messages.