MOBILE TERMINAL AND MESSAGE-BASED CONVERSATION OPERATION METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20130179800A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JEONG, Jinhong, YANG, Dongjin, YEON, Jihyun, CHOI, Sunggyu
• Granted Patent: US 10,152,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A mobile terminal and message-based conversation operation method for the same are provided. The message-based conversation operation method includes generating message groups by classifying one or more messages exchanged during a message-based conversation according to preset conditions, storing the generated message groups, and outputting display items corresponding to the stored message groups in a dialog window for the message-based conversation.

Claims

1. A method for a message-based conversation operation, the method comprising:

generating message groups by classifying one or more messages exchanged during a message-based conversation according to preset conditions;

storing the generated message groups; and

outputting display items corresponding to the stored message groups in a dialog window for the message-based conversation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the message groups comprises at least one of:

classifying, when a preset date or time arrives, exchanged messages into message groups;

classifying, when a preset time duration expires without message transmission or reception in the conversation, exchanged messages into message groups;

classifying, upon reception of an input signal for ending the conversation, exchanged messages into message groups;

classifying, when the number of exchanged messages during the conversation exceeds a preset value, exchanged messages into message groups;

classifying, when a word or phrase indicating conversation termination is detected in the conversation, exchanged messages into message groups;

classifying, upon reception of an input signal corresponding to a message grouping request, exchanged messages into message groups; and

forming, upon reception of a message grouping request accompanied by selection of particular messages, a message group containing the selected messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the display items comprises at least one of:

outputting a display item of icon type that describes a corresponding message group; and

outputting a display item of quick view type that displays a number of messages of a corresponding message group in a given region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the outputting of the display item of icon type comprises at least one of:

outputting a background region of a given size;

outputting a side region at the boundary of the background region;

outputting a time region indicating a creation time of a corresponding message group;

outputting a priority region indicating a priority value assigned to the corresponding message group;

outputting a tag region providing tag information composed of meaningful words used in messages of the corresponding message group; and

outputting a subject region providing information regarding the corresponding message group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the outputting of the side region comprises changing the thickness of the side region or the number of layers at the side region according to the number of message groups.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the outputting of the background region comprises changing the color of the background region according to the priority assigned to the corresponding message group.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the outputting of the background region comprises changing the color of the background region according to the number of searches for the display item of icon type.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the outputting of the display item of icon type further comprises changing the position at which the corresponding message group is presented on a display unit according to a priority value given in the priority region.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the outputting of the subject region comprises at least one of:

outputting a portion of the longest message in the corresponding message group to the subject region;

outputting a portion of a message, which contains the largest number of words frequently used in messages of the corresponding message group, to the subject region;

outputting a short description entered through an input unit to the subject region; and

outputting a value indicating the number of messages in the corresponding message group to the subject region.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the outputting of the display item of icon type further comprises outputting, when multiple display items of icon type are stacked on the screen, an earmark region indicting presence of stacked display items of icon type for a search.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the outputting of the display item of icon type further comprises at least one of:

hiding, in response to a touch event occurring on the earmark region, the topmost one of the stacked display items of icon type, and displaying the second topmost one thereof; and

displaying, in response to a touch event occurring in the earmark region, a display item of quick view type showing a number of messages contained in a corresponding message group in sequence.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the outputting of the display item of icon type comprises:

outputting a background region of a given size and a rolled-up region of a winding shape at the boundary of the background region;

outputting a time region indicating a creation time of a corresponding message group;

outputting a priority region indicating a priority value assigned to the corresponding message group;

outputting a tag region providing tag information composed of meaningful words used in messages of the corresponding message group; and

outputting a subject region providing information regarding the corresponding message group.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the outputting of the display item of icon type further comprises adjusting the amount of rolling up or the thickness of the rolled-up region according to the number of messages in the corresponding message group.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the outputting of the display item of quick view type comprises:

outputting a view region showing a number of messages of a corresponding message group; and

outputting a side region at the boundary of the view region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the outputting of the display item of quick view type further comprises outputting, when multiple display items of quick view type are stacked on the screen, an earmark region indicting presence of stacked display items of quick view type for a search.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the outputting of the display item of quick view type further comprises:

moving, in response to a drag gesture on the earmark region, the topmost one of the stacked display items of quick view type in a direction and exposing the second topmost one thereof;

hiding, when the dragged display item of quick view type is moved more than a preset distance, the dragged display item of quick view type from the screen; and

placing the hidden display item of quick view type at the bottom of the stacked display items of quick view type.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the outputting of the display item of quick view type further comprises:

detecting a touch gesture for touching some layers of the side region and moving the touched side region in a direction;

moving a corresponding number of display items of quick view type in the direction of the touch gesture while bending the same and gradually exposing another display item of quick view type placed below the moved display items; and

restoring, when the touch gesture is released, the moved display items of quick view type to the original position and exposing the view region.

18. The method of claim 3, wherein the outputting of the display item of quick view type comprises:

outputting a view region showing a number of messages of a corresponding message group; and

outputting a rolled-up region of a winding shape in a direction at the boundary of the view region.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the outputting of the display item of quick view type further comprises at least one of:

detecting a scroll event on the view region;

scrolling, in response to the scroll event, messages of the corresponding message group in the view region; and

rolling, in response to the scroll event, the rolled-up region in a direction.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein the priority of a message group is given in multiple levels.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the display items comprises:

detecting a scroll event in a direction on a screen in which messages are displayed; and

outputting, in response to the scroll event, display items of icon type corresponding to message groups at a portion of the screen.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the outputting of the display items further comprises one of:

outputting, upon detection of a touch gesture for selecting one of the display items of icon type, a display item of quick view type showing a number of messages in a corresponding message group, and outputting, when the display item of quick view type is selected, messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item of quick view type in a full screen format; and

outputting, upon detection of a touch gesture for selecting one of the display items of icon type and for full screen view, messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item of icon type in a full screen format.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the outputting of the display items further comprises moving, upon detection of a touch gesture for selecting and dragging one of the display items of icon type, the selected display item of icon type in a direction of drag on the screen.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the display items;

selecting another one of the display items for a merge;

merging message groups corresponding to the two selected display items into a merger message group; and

generating a display item corresponding to the merger message group and outputting the generated display item.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the display items;

detecting a touch gesture for demarcating the selected display item;

dividing the message group corresponding to the selected display item into two split message groups according to the demarcation by the touch gesture; and

generating display items corresponding to the split message groups and outputting the generated display items.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the display items comprises at least one of:

increasing a region allocated to a selected display item according to the number of messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item; and

resizing messages of the message group corresponding to the selected display item in conformance with the increased region and outputting the resized messages.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the display items to initiate a new conversation;

outputting messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item in a full screen format; and

outputting messages exchanged during the new conversation in succession to the already output messages, and storing the newly exchanged messages in succession to the existing messages.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining whether the message group corresponding to the selected display item is shared by a counterpart user of the new conversation; and

transmitting, when the message group is not shared by the counterpart user, the message group to the counterpart user.

29. A mobile terminal capable of supporting a message-based conversation function, the mobile terminal comprising:

a communication unit for sending and receiving messages for the message-based conversation function;

a control unit for generating message groups by classifying one or more messages exchanged during a message-based conversation according to preset conditions;

a storage unit for storing the generated message groups; and

a display unit for outputting display items corresponding to the stored message groups in a dialog window for the message-based conversation.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the display unit outputs at least one of a display item of icon type that describes a corresponding message group and a display item of quick view type that displays a number of messages of a corresponding message group in a given region.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the display item of icon type comprises at least one of:

a background region of a given size, whose color is changed according to the number of searches for the display item of icon type or according to the priority assigned to the corresponding message group;

a side region formed at the boundary of the background region and whose thickness or number of layers is changed according to the number of message groups, or a rolled-up region whose amount of rolling up or thickness is adjusted according to the number of messages in the corresponding message group;

a time region indicating a creation time of the corresponding message group;

a priority region indicating a priority value assigned to the corresponding message group, wherein the position of the corresponding message group is changed on the display unit according to the priority value;

a tag region providing tag information composed of meaningful words used in messages of the corresponding message group;

a subject region recording at least one of a portion of a message of the corresponding message group, a description entered by a user, and the number of messages in the corresponding message group; and

an earmark region indicating, when multiple display items of icon type are stacked on the screen, presence of stacked display items of icon type for a search.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the priority region is displayed differently in shape, image, icon, text, color or brightness according to the assigned priority value.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein the display item of quick view type comprises at least one of:

a view region showing a number of messages of the corresponding message group;

a side region formed at the boundary of the view region or a rolled-up region of a winding shape in a direction at the boundary of the view region; and

an earmark region indicating, when multiple display items of quick view type are stacked on the screen, presence of stacked display items of quick view type for a search.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 33, wherein the control unit controls a process of moving, in response to a touch gesture on the earmark region, the topmost one of stacked display items of quick view type in a direction, exposing the second topmost one thereof and hiding, when the topmost display item of quick view type is moved more than a preset distance, the topmost display item of quick view type from the screen, or controls a process of displaying, in response to a touch gesture on the earmark region, a display item of quick view type showing a number of messages of a corresponding message group in sequence.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 33, wherein the control unit controls a process of detecting a scroll event on the view region, scrolling, in response to the scroll event, messages of the corresponding message group in the view region, and rolling, in response to the scroll event, the rolled-up region in a direction.

36. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the display unit outputs, upon detection of a touch gesture for selecting one of display items of icon type, one of a display item of quick view type showing a number of messages in a corresponding message group, and messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item of icon type in a full screen format, and outputs, when the display item of quick view type is selected, messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item of quick view type in a full screen format.

37. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the control unit controls a process of merging, when two output display items are selected, message groups corresponding to the two selected display items into a merger message group, generating a display item corresponding to the merger message group, and outputting the generated display item.

38. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the control unit controls a process of dividing, upon detection of a touch gesture for demarcating a selected one of output display items, a message group corresponding to the selected display item into two split message groups, generating display items corresponding to the split message groups, and outputting the generated display items.

39. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the control unit controls a process of increasing a region allocated to a selected display item or resizing messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item for display according to the number of messages of the message group corresponding to the selected display item.

40. The mobile terminal of claim 29, wherein the control unit controls a process of selecting one of the display items to initiate a new conversation, outputting messages of a message group corresponding to the selected display item in a full screen format, outputting messages exchanged during the new conversation in succession to the already output messages, and storing the newly exchanged messages in succession to the existing messages.

41. The mobile terminal of claim 40, wherein the control unit controls a process of determining whether the message group corresponding to the selected display item is shared by a counterpart user of the new conversation, and transmitting, when the message group is not shared by the counterpart user, the message group to the counterpart user.