User Interface and Method for Viewing Short Messages on a Wireless Device

• US 20110237280A1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Maguire, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• 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 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method is performed by an electronic communication device. The method includes storing electronic messages, and storing criteria for determining whether a stored message is related to a current message. A current electronic message is displayed to, a user of the communication device, including the current message'"'"'s outside address and message body. The relevance of each of the stored messages to the current message is assessed based on the previously-stored criteria. Those messages that meet the criteria are selected and displayed along with the current message.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless device, the method comprising

storing transmitted and received electronic messages in a memory of the wireless device;

operating on a current electronic message;

identifying at least one related message from the stored electronic messages having an outside address that matches an outside address of the current electronic message, the outside address of the current electronic message and the outside address of the select message comprising matching telephone numbers; and

displaying the at least one related message in context with the current electronic message in a message viewer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein operating on the current message comprises selecting the current message from a message list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current electronic message is a new message being composed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one related electronic message was stored after the current electronic message was transmitted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one related electronic message was stored after the current electronic message was received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one related electronic message and the current electronic message are incoming messages.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the outside address along with each of the displayed current electronic message and the displayed at least one related electronic message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the outside address only once along with the displayed current electronic message and the displayed at least one related electronic message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying further comprises assessing each stored electronic message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying further comprises appending the at least one related message to a related message list.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising optionally displaying a select number of related messages that were saved prior to the current electronic message.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising optionally displaying a select number of related messages that were saved after the current electronic message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the current electronic message and the at least one related electronic message are displayed in a scrollable message viewer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic messages are messages that are transmitted and received without context or history information.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic messages are short messages.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic messages are short messaging service (SMS) messages.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying and displaying are done automatically and without user input.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one related message is displayed directly below the current message.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the only messages displayed are the current message and the at least one related message.

20. A wireless device comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a message viewer; and

a message software interface module stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the message software interface module configured to;

store transmitted and received electronic messages in the memory;

operate on a current electronic message;

identify at least one related message from the stored electronic messages having an outside address that matches an outside address of the current electronic message, the outside address of the current electronic message and the outside address of the select message comprising matching telephone numbers; and

display the at least one related message in context with the current electronic message in the message viewer.

21. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the current message is operated on by selecting the current message from a message list.

22. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the current electronic message is a new message being composed.

23. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the at least one related electronic message was stored after the current electronic message was transmitted.

24. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the at least one related electronic message was stored after the current electronic message was received.

25. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the at least one related electronic message and the current electronic message are incoming messages.

26. The wireless device of claim 20, the message software interface module being further configured to display the outside address along with each of the displayed current electronic message and the displayed at least one related electronic message.

27. The wireless device of claim 20, the message software interface module being further configured to display the outside address only once along with the displayed current electronic message and the displayed at least one related electronic message.

28. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the identifying further comprises assessing each stored electronic message.

29. The wireless device of claim 28, wherein the identifying further comprises appending the at least one related message to a related message list.

30. The wireless device of claim 20, the message software interface module being further configured to optionally display a select number of related messages that were saved prior to the current electronic message.

31. The wireless device of claim 20, the message software interface module being further configured to optionally display a select number of related messages that were saved after the current electronic message.

32. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the current electronic message and the at least one related electronic message are displayed in a scrollable message viewer.

33. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the electronic messages are messages that are transmitted and received without context or history information.

34. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the electronic messages are short messages.

35. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the electronic messages are short messaging service (SMS) messages.

36. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the identifying and displaying are done automatically and without user input.

37. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the at least one related message is displayed directly below the current message.

38. The wireless device of claim 20, wherein the only messages displayed are the current message and the at least one related message.

39. A computer readable media comprising computer instructions executable by a processor for operating a wireless device, the computer instructions configured to:

store transmitted and received electronic messages in a memory of the wireless device;

operating on a current electronic message;

identify at least one related message from the stored electronic messages having an outside address that matches an outside address of the current electronic message, the outside address of the current electronic message and the outside address of the select message comprising matching telephone numbers; and

display the at least one related message in context with the current electronic message in a message viewer.