Device and method for filtering messages using sliding touch input

• US 9,342,228 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mohammed, Tawfik, Plestid, Thomas Leonard Trevor, Bos, Jeffrey Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONG H
• Application Number:
  US13/943,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20150026592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/863, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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

A device and method for filtering messages using sliding touch input are provided. The device comprises a processor; a memory storing messages of different types, at least a subset of the messages designated as unread messages; and a touchscreen including a display. A sliding touch input is detected at the touchscreen, the sliding touch input comprising a first portion in a first direction and a second portion in a second direction such that the sliding touch input includes a change in direction. In response, the messages are filtered according to one or more of a first filtering condition associated with the first portion and a second filtering condition associated with the second portion, to filter the messages according to one or more of type and a read status.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing messages of different types, at least a subset of the messages designated as unread messages; and

a touchscreen including a display;

the processor configured to;

provide message-type indicators in different areas of the touchscreen;

detect a sliding touch input at the touchscreen, the sliding touch input comprising a first portion in a first direction and a second portion in a second direction such that the sliding touch input includes a change in direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the different areas along the first portion;

determine that an end of the first portion is in an area that includes a given message-type indicator to identify an associated message-type filter condition associated with the first portion, the change in direction also in the area; and

, in response,

filter the messages according to the message-type filtering condition associated with the first portion and a second filtering condition associated with the second portion,

the processor further configured to filter the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition by;

determining one or more of;

a length of the first portion does not terminate in any of areas of the touchscreen associated with any of the types of the messages;

the change in direction at the touchscreen does not occur in any of the areas; and

a respective area of the change in direction does not include a given indicator associated with any of the types of the messages, including the message-type indicator; and

, in response, one or more of;

filtering the messages to include all the types of the messages; and

, filtering the messages according to a given previous filtering condition.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a length, and the processor is further configured to filter the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition by:

determining the length of the first portion; and

, in response to determining the length of the first portion,

filtering the messages according to the type on a basis of the length of the first portion, wherein a given length of the first portion is associated with one or more given types of the messages, as indicated by the message-type indicator.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the area of the message-type indicator includes a location of the change in direction, and the processor is further configured to filter the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition by:

determining that the area of the message-type indicator includes the location of the change in direction at the touchscreen; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the type on a basis of the area, wherein a given area of the touchscreen is associated with one or more given types of the messages, as indicated by the message-type indicator.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to filter the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition by:

providing, at the display, indicators associated with types of the messages, including the message-type indicator;

determining that the area includes the change in direction and the message-type indicator associated with a given type of the messages; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the given type.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to change the message-type indicator, at the display, when a current touch input of the first portion is in the area including the given indicator.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to filter the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition by:

determining that the second portion is received within a threshold time period; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the read status so that only one or more of the unread messages remain.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to filter the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition by:

determining that the second portion includes one or more of;

touch input at a bezel portion of the touchscreen, and static touch input greater than or equal to a given time period; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the read status so that only one or more of the unread messages remain.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to filter the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition by selecting only a most recent unread message.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to filter the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition by selecting only a most recent unread message of a given type, the given type selected based on one or more of:

a length of the first portion, an area of the change in direction at the touchscreen, and determining that the area of the change in direction at the touchscreen includes a given indicator associated with the given type.

10. A method comprising:

at a device comprising;

a processor;

a memory storing messages of different types, at least a subset of the messages designated as unread messages; and

a touchscreen including a display, providing message-type indicators in different areas of the touchscreen;

detecting, using the processor, a sliding touch input at the touchscreen, the sliding touch input comprising a first portion in a first direction and a second portion in a second direction such that the sliding touch input includes a change in direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the different areas along the first portion;

determining that an end of the first portion is in an area that includes a given message-type indicator to identify an associated message-type filter condition associated with the first portion, the change in direction also in the area; and

, in response,

filtering the messages at the processor according to the message-type filtering condition associated with the first portion and a second filtering condition associated with the second portion,

the filtering the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition further comprising;

determining one or more of;

a length of the first portion does not terminate in any of areas of the touchscreen associated with any of the types of the messages;

the change in direction at the touchscreen does not occur in any of the areas; and

a respective area of the change in direction does not include a given indicator associated with any of the types of the messages, including the message-type indicator; and

, in response, one or more of;

filtering the messages to include all the types of the messages; and

, filtering the messages according to a given previous filtering condition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first portion comprises a length of the first portion, and the filtering the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition further comprises:

determining the length of the first portion; and

, in response to determining the length of the first portion,

filtering the messages according to the type on a basis of the length of the first portion, wherein a given length of the first portion is associated with one or more given types of the messages, as indicated by the message-type indicator.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the area of the message-type indicator includes a location of the change in direction, and the filtering the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition further comprises:

determining that the area of the message-type indicator includes the location of the change in direction at the touchscreen; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the type on a basis of the area, wherein a given area of the touchscreen is associated with one or more given types of the messages, as indicated by the message-type indicator.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the filtering the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition further comprises:

providing, at the display, indicators associated with types of the messages including the message-type indicator;

determining that the area includes the change in direction and the message-type indicator associated with a given type of the messages; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the given type.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the filtering the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition comprises:

determining that the second portion is received within a threshold time period; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the read status so that only one or more of the unread messages remain.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the filtering the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition comprises:

determining that the second portion includes one or more of;

touch input at a bezel portion of the touchscreen, and static touch input greater than or equal to a given time period; and

, in response,

filtering the messages according to the read status so that only one or more of the unread messages remain.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the filtering the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition comprises selecting only a most recent unread message.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the filtering the messages according to the read status using the second filtering condition comprises selecting only a most recent unread message of a given type, the given type selected based on one or more of:

a length of the first portion, an area of the change in direction at the touchscreen, and determining that the area of the change in direction at the touchscreen includes a given indicator associated with the given type.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program is for:

at a device comprising;

a processor;

a memory storing messages of different types, at least a subset of the messages designated as unread messages; and

a touchscreen including a display, providing message-type indicators in different areas of the touchscreen;

detecting, using the processor, a sliding touch input at the touchscreen, the sliding touch input comprising a first portion in a first direction and a second portion in a second direction such that the sliding touch input includes a change in direction, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the different areas along the first portion;

determining that an end of the first portion is in an area that includes a given message-type indicator to identify an associated message-type filter condition associated with the first portion, the change in direction also in the area; and

, in response,

filtering the messages at the processor according to the message-type filtering condition associated with the first portion and a second filtering condition associated with the second portion,

the filtering the messages according to the associated message-type filter condition further comprising;

determining one or more of;

a length of the first portion does not terminate in any of areas of the touchscreen associated with any of the types of the messages;

the change in direction at the touchscreen does not occur in any of the areas; and

a respective area of the change in direction does not include a given indicator associated with any of the types of the messages, including the message-type indicator; and

, in response, one or more of;

filtering the messages to include all the types of the messages; and

, filtering the messages according to a given previous filtering condition.