Color coding and selection highlighting of e-mail item listing

• US 8,875,030 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Loverin, Darrell J., Coppinger, Jodi L., Raven, Mary Elizabeth, Moody, Paul B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/410,963
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/821, 715/823
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method for rendering an e-mail item listing within a graphical user interface of an e-mail application on a display device is disclosed. The method includes identifying a field of the e-mail item listing having a displayed value that matches a pre-determined value, applying a color coding to the identified field so that the color coding is visually distinguishable from a background color of the e-mail item listing, receiving an input from an input device to select either an item of the e-mail item listing that includes a color coded field or an item related to the item that includes the color coded field, and applying a selection highlighting to the item that includes the color coded field so that the applied selection highlighting is visually distinguishable from the color coded field and the background color.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

outputting, for display within a graphical user interface of an e-mail application on a display device, an e-mail item listing, wherein each item of the e-mail item listing corresponds to a respective e-mail message and includes a plurality of fields that are arranged adjacent to one another, and each field includes text that relates to the respective e-mail message displayed against a background color;

identifying one or more fields from the plurality of fields of the e-mail item listing in which the text in the field includes a displayed value that matches a pre-determined value;

applying a color coding to only the one or more identified fields by replacing the background color of the one or more identified fields with the color coding, wherein the color coding is visually distinguishable from the background color;

receiving an input from an input device to select either an item of the e-mail item listing that includes a color coded field or an item related to the item that includes the color coded field; and

applying a selection highlighting to all of the fields from the item that includes the color coded field except for the identified one or more fields having an applied color coded field by replacing the background color of all of the fields from the item except for the identified one or more fields having an applied color coded field with the selection highlighting so that the applied selection highlighting is visually distinguishable in color from the color coded field and the background color.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the color coding includes changing a text color of the one or more identified fields of the e-mail item.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the text color is visually distinguishable from the background color of the e-mail listing item.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the text color is based on the pre-determined value.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the pre-determined value includes identifying characteristics identifying at least one of an origin, a subject matter, and a priority of the e-mail item.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the color coding includes changing the background color of the one or more identified fields of the e-mail item.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the background color of the one or more identified fields of the e-mail item is visually distinguishable from the background color of the e-mail listing item.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the background color of the one or more identified fields of the e-mail item is based on the pre-determined value.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the pre-determined value includes identifying characteristics identifying at least one of an origin, a subject matter, and a priority of the e-mail item.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the color coding includes a first color and the selection highlighting includes a second color and the first color and second color are visually distinguishable from the background color of the e-mail listing item.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second color is a lighter shade of the first color.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the second color is a darker shade of the first color.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

output, for display within a graphical user interface of an e-mail application on a display device, an e-mail item listing, wherein each item of the e-mail item listing corresponds to a respective e-mail message and includes a plurality of fields that are arranged adjacent to one another, and each field includes text that relates to the respective e-mail message displayed against a background color;

identify one or more fields from the plurality of fields of the e-mail item listing in which the text in the field includes a displayed value that matches a pre-determined value;

apply a color coding to only the one or more identified fields by replacing the background color of the one or more identified fields with the color coding, wherein the color coding is visually distinguishable from the background color of the;

receive an input from an input device to select either an item of the e-mail item listing that includes a color coded field or an item related to the item that includes the color coded field; and

apply a selection highlighting to all of the fields from the item that includes the color coded field except for the identified one or more fields having an applied first color coded field by replacing the background color of all of the fields from the item except for the identified one or more fields having an applied color coded field with the selection highlighting so that the applied selection highlighting is visually distinguishable in color from the color coded field and the background color.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein applying the color coding includes changing the background color of the one or more identified fields of the e-mail item.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the background color of the one or more identified fields of the e-mail item is visually distinguishable from the background color of the e-mail item listing.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the background color of the one or more identified fields the e-mail item is based on the pre-determined value.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the pre-determined value includes identifying characteristics identifying at least one of an origin, a subject matter, and a priority of the e-mail item.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the color coding includes a first color and the selection highlighting includes a second color and the first color and second color are visually distinguishable from the background color of the e-mail item listing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second color is a lighter shade of the first color.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second color is a darker shade of the first color.