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

• US 20120015676A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Maguire, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,777 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:

in relation to a current message corresponding to an outside address, identifying a previous message, the previous message corresponding to the outside address; and

displaying at least part of the previous message along with at least part of the current message in a message viewer based on the correspondence of the outside address of the current message and the previous message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outside address is a telephone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current and previous messages are short messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the current and previous messages are short messaging service (SMS) messages.

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the current and previous messages are incoming messages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least part of the previous message is displayed along with at least part of the current message in a scrollable message viewer.

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the only messages displayed are the current message and the previous message.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the current message is displayed directly above the previous message.

11. A wireless device comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a viewing screen; and

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

in relation to a current message corresponding to an outside address, identify a previous message, the previous message corresponding to the outside address; and

display at least part of the previous message along with at least part of the current message on the viewing screen in a message viewer based on the correspondence of the outside address of the current message and the previous message.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the outside address is a telephone number.

13. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the current and previous messages are short messages.

14. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the current and previous messages are short messaging service (SMS) messages.

15. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the current message is a new message being composed.

16. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the current and previous messages are incoming messages.

17. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the at least part of the previous message is displayed along with at least part of the current message in a scrollable message viewer.

18. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the identifying and displaying are done automatically and without user input.

19. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the only messages displayed are the current message and the previous message.

20. The wireless device of claim 19 wherein the current message is displayed directly above the previous message.

21. A computer program product encoded on a tangible, non-transitory storage medium, the product comprising computer readable instructions for causing one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

in relation to a current message corresponding to an outside address, identify a previous message, the previous message corresponding to the outside address; and

display at least part of the previous message along with at least part of the current message in a message viewer based on the correspondence of the outside address of the current message and the previous message.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the outside address is a telephone number.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the current and previous messages are short messaging service (SMS) messages.