VISUALIZATION METHOD FOR MESSAGES STORED IN AN INBOX

• US 20100273457A1
• Filed: 12/24/2007
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Freeman, Karen, Macphie, David Robert, Wallack, Timothy Foster, Short, Jason Edward, Sheppard, Nasahn Adam
• Granted Patent: US 9,537,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

A method for notifying a user of a computer having a display about incoming messages stored in an inbox. The method includes the steps of receiving attribute information describing attributes of a plurality of messages in the inbox and generating message visualization structures associated with the respective messages and determining at least one non-textual visual feature of each message visualization structure on the basis of an attribute of a respective message. The method also includes rendering on the display the visualization structures within a graphical environment in which the message visualization structures convey information about the messages and their respective attributes in a non-textual list manner.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a user of a computer having a display about incoming messages stored in an inbox, the 5 method comprising:

a) receiving attribute information describing attributes of a plurality of messages in the inbox;

b) generating message visualization structures associated with the respective messages and determining at least one non-textual visual feature of each message visualization structure on the basis of an attribute of a respective message;

c) rendering on the display the visualization structures within a graphical environment in which the message visualization structures convey information about the messages and their respective attributes in a non-textual list manner.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the visualization structures move in the graphical environment.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes the color of one of the visualization structures.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes the size of one of the visualization structures.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes a geometric feature of one of the visualization structures.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes movement imparted to one of the visualization structures.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the visualization structures includes a pictogram.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the visualization structures includes a text field for displaying text based information.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the graphical environment defines a virtual reality.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message being selected in the group consisting of the originator of the message, the size of the message, whether other messages have been left in the inbox by the same originator, a message personalization characteristic specified by the originator, the urgency of the message, the status of the voice mail message, the time at which the message was left, the subject of the voice mail message converted into textual format and the identification of the intended voice mail message recipient.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message including the originator of the message.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message including the size of the message.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message including an identification of the intended voice mail message recipient.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message being selected in the group consisting of the presence or the absence of an attachment, if the message is encrypted, the subject of the message, if the message is classified as junk mail, the intended recipient of the message, the sender of the message, the presence or absence of a calendar invite, the urgency of the message and whether the message is a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) message or a plain text message.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message including the sender of the message.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message including the intended recipient of the message.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message including the urgency of the message.

18. A method as defined in claim 1, including communicating with a message service that includes the inbox to gather the attribute information.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, including sending a 10 request to the message service to prompt the message service to generate the attribute information.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, including sending the request to the message service periodically.

21. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the request includes log-in credentials to allow the message service to authenticate the request.

22. A method as defined in claim 18, including receiving the attribute information pushed from the message service.

23. A computer readable storage medium containing a 25 program for execution by a computer having a display, the program implementing a message notification system to notify a user about incoming messages stored in an inbox, the notification system comprising:

a) an input interface to receive attribute information about attributes of a plurality of messages in the inbox;

b) a processing entity coupled to the input interface for generating message visualization structures associated with respective messages, the processing entity determining at least one non-textual visual feature of each message visualization structure on the basis of an attribute of a respective message;

c) an output interface for releasing output data to cause the display of the computer to render the visualization structures, the output data defining a graphical environment in which the message visualization structures are rendered on the display to and convey information about the messages and their respective attributes in a non-textual list manner.

24. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the output data defines a graphical is environment in which the visualization structures move.

25. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the visualization structures move randomly.

26. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 25, wherein the visualization structures move and simulate a physical effect.

27. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes the color of at least one of the visualization structures.

28. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes the size of at least one of the visualization structures.

29. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes a geometric feature of at least one of the 5 visualization structures.

30. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the non-textual visual feature includes a movement imparted to at least one of the 10 visualization structures.

31. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein at least one of the visualization structures includes a pictogram.

32. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein at least one of the visualization structures appear to the eye as two-dimensional structure.

33. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein at least one of the visualization structures appear as three-dimensional structure.

34. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein a plurality of visualization structures associated to different messages appear as being stacked.

35. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein at least one of the visualization structures includes a text field for displaying text based information.

36. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message being selected in the group consisting of the originator of the message, the size of the message, whether other messages have been left in the inbox by the same originator, a message personalization characteristic specified by the originator, the urgency of the message, the status of the voice mail message, the time at which the message was left in the inbox, the subject of the voice mail message converted into textual format and the identification of the intended voice mail message recipient.

37. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message including the originator of the message.

38. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message including the size of the message.

39. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming voice mail message, the attribute of the voice mail message including an identification of the intended voice mail 30 message recipient.

40. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message being selected in the group consisting of the presence or the absence of an attachment, if the message is encrypted, the subject of the message, if the message is classified as junk mail, the intended recipient of the message, the sender of the message, the presence or absence of a calendar invite, the urgency of the message and whether the message is a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) message or a plain text message.

41. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message including the sender of the message.

42. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message including the intended recipient of the message.

43. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the inbox has an incoming e-mail message, the attribute of the e-mail message including the urgency of the message.

44. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the graphical environment defines a virtual reality.

45. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the input interface includes a filter to perform filtering on the attribute information.

46. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 45, including a configuration module allowing a user to set a filtering behavior of the filter.

47. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, including an input interface for communicating with a message service that includes the inbox to gather the attribute information.

48. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 47, wherein the input interface sends a request to the message service to prompt the message service to generate the attribute information.

49. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 48, wherein the input interface sends the request to the message service periodically.

50. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 48, wherein the request includes log in credentials to allow the message service to authenticate the request.

51. A computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 47, wherein the input interface receives the attribute information pushed from the message service.

52. A computerized telephone, comprising:

a) a user interface having a display;

b) a message notification system to notify a user about incoming voice mail messages stored in an inbox, the notification system comprising;

an input interface to receive attribute information describing attributes of a plurality of the incoming voice mail messages;

ii) a processing entity coupled to the input interface for generating message visualization structures associated with respective voice mail messages, the processing entity determining at least one non-textual visual feature of each message visualization structure on the basis of an attribute of a respective voice mail message;

iii) an output interface for rendering on the display a graphical environment containing the visualization structures which convey information about the voice mail messages and their respective attributes in a non-textual list manner.

53. A computerized telephone as defined in claim 52, wherein said computerized telephone is a cordless telephone including a base station and at least one handset that is capable of wireless communication with the base station.

54. A computerized telephone as defined in claim 53, wherein the base station comprises the display.

55. A computerized telephone as defined in claim 53, wherein the handset comprises the display.

56. A computerized telephone as defined in claim 52, wherein the display is touch sensitive, wherein the graphical environment is responsive to user inputs made by touching an area of the display.

57. A computer readable storage medium containing a screen saver program for execution by a computer having a display, the screen saver program implementing a message notification system to notify a user about incoming messages stored in an inbox, the screen saver program comprising:

a) an input interface to receive information about messages in the inbox;

b) a processing entity coupled to the input interface for generating message visualization structures associated with respective messages;

c) an output interface for releasing output data to cause the display of the computer to render the visualization structures, the output data defining a graphical environment in which the message visualization structures are rendered on the display and convey information about the messages in a non-textual list manner.