Interface for displaying electronic communications

• US 9,177,299 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Canfield, James Andrew, Carbone, Kenneth, Colburn, David Fairlie, Myers, Linda Nols, Van Lenten, Thomas E., Willis, Gregory Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/615,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

An interface enables perception of information regarding e-mail communications. The interface includes an e-mail application user interface that enables perception of e-mail message information for one or more e-mails received by an e-mail participant and that enables active display of one or more of the received e-mails selected by the e-mail participant, The interface also includes a mechanism that determines a request for e-mail message information for one of the e-mails from within a desired e-mail message that is not actively displayed. The interface further includes an informational tool tip that provides a temporary perceivable indication to the e-mail participant of at least a portion of the requested information for the desired e-mail message while maintaining active display of the one or more selected e-mails.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a communications system at a client device, an electronic message associated with an application on the client device, the application comprising a first user interface;

rendering, within a second user interface at the client device, an indicator that individually corresponds to the received electronic message and that provides a user with a perceivable indication that the electronic message has been received, wherein the second user interface is separate from the first user interface;

detecting, by at least one processor, a user interaction with the indicator;

rendering, in response to detecting the user interaction, an interface element comprising additional information related to the content of the electronic message; and

providing the interface element for display to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the indicator to the user for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising causing the indicator to cease being presented to the user after the predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the indicator to the user by way of a web page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises identifying information about a sender of the electronic message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises identifying information about a subject of the electronic message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the user interaction comprises detecting a mouse cursor positioned directly over the indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the mouse cursor positioned directly over the indicator comprises detecting a threshold period of time that the mouse cursor is positioned directly over the indicator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the user interaction comprises detecting a mouse cursor positioned proximate to the indicator.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the mouse cursor positioned proximate to the indicator comprises detecting a threshold period of time that the mouse cursor is positioned proximate to the indicator.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to:

receive, at a client device,

an electronic message associated with an application on the client device, the application comprising a first user interface;

render, within a second user interface at the client device, an indicator that individually corresponds to the electronic message and that provides a user with a perceivable indication that the electronic message has been received, wherein the second user interface is separate from the first user interface;

detect a user interaction with the indicator; and

render, in response to detecting the user interaction, an interface element comprising additional information related to the content of the electronic message.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions that enable rendering of the indicator comprise instructions to enable presentation of the indicator to the user for a predetermined period of time.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions that enable detection of the user interaction with the indicator comprise instructions to detect a mouse cursor positioned directly over the indicator for a threshold period of time.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions that enable detection of the user interaction with the indicator comprise instructions to detect a mouse cursor positioned proximate to the indicator for a threshold period of time.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the additional information related to the content of the electronic message comprises at least a portion of the electronic message.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the additional information related to the content of the electronic message comprises all of the electronic message.

17. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

receive, from a communications system at a client device, an electronic message associated with an application on the client device, the application comprising a first user interface;

render, within a second user interface at the client device, an indicator that individually corresponds to the received electronic message and that provides the user with a perceivable indication that the electronic message has been received, wherein the second user interface is separate from the first user interface;

detect a user interaction with the indicator;

render, in response to detecting the user interaction with the indicator, an interface element comprising additional information related to the content of the electronic message.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein rendering of the indicator comprises presenting the indicator using a web page.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the detecting the user interaction with the indicator comprises detecting a mouse cursor positioned directly over the indicator for a threshold period of time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the additional information related to the content of the electronic message comprises all of the electronic message.