Displaying messages on handheld devices

• US 7,404,152 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Zinn, Scotte, Yach, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belousov; Andrey
• Application Number:
  US11/143,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 715/864, 715/786, 715/787
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

A method of displaying messages on handheld devices. The device displays messages in a scrollable viewport of vertically arranged fields. Date separators inserted into the vertically arranged list of messages to enable the user to associate the messages with a date. The date separators have “sticky” operation, meaning that the device ensures a date separator always appears within the viewport, even when the viewport has been scrolled to the middle of a long list of messages all associated with the same date. The device may ensure that the top field of the viewport always contains a date separator associated with the message immediately below.

Claims

1. A method of displaying messages on a display of a handheld device, the display including a scrollable viewport for displaying the messages, each message having an associated date, a group of messages associated with a same associated date comprising a first associated message and other associated messages, the viewport being divided into a plurality of fields arranged in a vertical list including a topmost field and a second field, the second field being immediately below the topmost field in the vertical list, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying one of said other associated messages for display in the second field;

displaying a date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said date separator item is based upon said same associated date of said one of said other associated messages;

receiving a scroll command;

determining whether a next date separator item appears in any fields of the viewport other than said topmost field after scrolling is applied, and

if so, displaying said one of said other associated messages in said topmost field in place of said date separator item, and

if not, determining a date associated with a next message for display in the second field and displaying a new date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said new date separator item is based upon said date associated with said next message.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said date separator items each include a date indicator, and wherein the messages associated with each date separator item are associated with a date shown by the corresponding date indicator.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein said date separator items each further include a message count indicator, said message count indicator being based upon messages associated with the corresponding date separator item.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein said message count indicator is based upon unread messages received within a predetermined period of time.

5. A handheld electronic device having a messaging application for reading and composing messages, each message having an associated date, a group of messages associated with a same date comprising a first message and other associated messages, the device comprising:

a display screen for displaying a scrollable viewport for displaying the messages, the viewport being divided into a plurality of fields arranged in a vertical list including a topmost field and a second field, the second field being immediately below the topmost field in the vertical list;

an input device for receiving a scroll command from a user;

a processor connected to the display screen for controlling operation of the display screen; and

a scrolling module for controlling the display of messages and the operation of the scrollable viewport, the scrolling module including a component configured to identify one of said other associated messages for display in the second field, and a component configured to display a date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said date separator item is based upon said associated date of said one of said other associated messages,

and wherein said scrolling module is configured to determine whether a next date separator item appears in any fields of the viewport other than said topmost field after scrolling is applied, and

if so, display said one of said other associated messages in said topmost field in place of said date separator item, and

if not, determine a date associated with a next message for display in the second field and display a new date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said new date separator item is based upon said date associated with said next message.

6. The device claimed in claim 5, wherein said date separator items each include a date indicator, and wherein the messages associated with each date separator item are associated with a date shown by the corresponding date indicator.

7. The device claimed in claim 6, wherein said date separator items each further include a message count indicator, said message count indicator being based upon messages associated with the corresponding date separator item.

8. The device claimed in claim 7, wherein said message count indicator is based upon unread messages received within a predetermined period of time.

9. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable instructions for displaying messages on a display of a hand held device, the display including a scrollable viewport for displaying the messages, each message having an associated date, a group of messages associated with a same associated date comprising a first associated message and other associated messages, the viewport being divided into a plurality of fields arranged in a vertical list including a topmost field and a second field, the second field being immediately below the topmost field in the vertical list, the computer executable instructions comprising:

computer executable instructions for identifying one of said other associated messages for display in the second field;

computer executable instructions for displaying a date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said date separator item is based upon said same associated date of said one of said other associated messages;

computer executable instructions for receiving a scroll command;

computer executable instructions for determining whether a next date separator item appears in any fields of the viewport other than said topmost field after scrolling is applied, and

if so, displaying said one of said other associated messages in said topmost field in place of said date separator item, and

if not, determining a date associated with a next message for display in the second field and displaying a new date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said new date separator item is based upon said date associated with said next message.

10. The computer program product claimed in claim 9, wherein said date separator items each include a date indicator, and wherein the messages associated with each date separator item are associated with a date shown by the corresponding date indicator.

11. The computer program product claimed in claim 10, wherein said date separator items each further include a message count indicator, said message count indicator being based upon messages associated with the corresponding date separator item, and wherein said message count indicator is based upon unread messages received within a predetermined period of time.

12. A method of displaying messages on a display of a handheld device, the display including a scrollable viewport for displaying the messages, each message having an associated date, a group of messages associated with a same associated date comprising a first associated message and other associated messages, the viewport being divided into a plurality of fields arranged in a vertical list including a topmost field and a second field, the second field being immediately below the topmost field in the vertical list, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying one of said other associated messages for display in the second field;

displaying a date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said date separator item is based upon said same associated date of said one of said other associated messages;

receiving a scroll command;

identifying a next message for display in the second field after scrolling is applied and determining whether the next message is associated with the same associated date as the date separator item, and

if so, maintaining display of the date separator item in the topmost field, and

if not, displaying a new date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said new date separator item is based upon a date associated with said next message.

13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the group of messages associated with the same date includes a last message and wherein the one of said other associated messages in the second field prior to receipt of the scroll command is the last message, and wherein the next message is a first message in a subsequent group of messages.

14. A handheld electronic device having a messaging application for reading and composing messages, each message having an associated date, a group of messages associated with a same date comprising a first message and other associated messages, the device comprising:

a display screen for displaying a scrollable viewport for displaying the messages, the viewport being divided into a plurality of fields arranged in a vertical list including a topmost field and a second field, the second field being immediately below the topmost field in the vertical list;

an input device for receiving a scroll command from a user;

a processor connected to the display screen for controlling operation of the display screen; and

a scrolling module for controlling the display of messages and the operation of the scrollable viewport, the scrolling module including a component configured to identify one of said other associated messages for display in the second field, and a component configured to display a date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said date separator item is based upon said associated date of said one of said other associated messages,

and wherein said scrolling module is configured to identify a next message for display in the second field after scrolling is applied and configured to determine whether the next message is associated with the same associated date as the date separator item, and

if so, maintain display of the date separator item in the topmost field, and

if not, display a new date separator item in said topmost field, wherein said new date separator item is based upon a date associated with said next message.

15. The device claimed in claim 14, wherein the group of messages associated with the same date includes a last message and wherein the one of said other associated messages in the second field prior to receipt of the scroll command is the last message, and wherein the next message is a first message in a subsequent group of messages.