Text messaging conversation user interface functionality

• US 7,519,381 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kuhl, Lawrence Edward, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Wisebourt, Shaul S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Application Number:
  US11/695,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/445, 455/566, 455/466, 455/418, 709204-206, 709/250, 715758-759, 715/752, 715/756, 715764-765, 719/328, 719/329
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 computer readable medium, method and user device for a user interface functionality for SMS and SMS-like message conversations is provided. A group of individual SMS messages is treated as a single entity by the SMS conversation UI, the SMS conversation history UI saves space by including the SMS editor within the conversation history panel, and displays a pop-up display with useful information regarding the SMS message being edited.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a wireless user device to process SMS messages, the method comprising:

automatically grouping a plurality of individual SMS (Short Message Service) messages into threads, each thread containing one or more messages between a respective pair of two addresses comprising an address of the wireless user device and another address, wherein each SMS message is grouped into one of the threads based on the another address of the SMS message;

for each thread, displaying a respective UI (User Interface) display element representing the thread;

receiving a selection of a UI display element representing a particular thread; and

performing an individual function upon each of the individual SMS messages of the particular thread;

wherein individual functions available comprise a thread open function, and performing the individual function respectively upon each of the individual SMS messages comprises displaying in a conversation history display listing each of the individual SMS messages of the thread.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each thread has a start time and an end time, and each SMS message between the respective pair of addresses that has a time stamp between the start time and the end time is assigned to that thread.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the individual function to be performed.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

saving individual SMS messages in response to user input;

grouping saved individual SMS messages that no longer belong to a thread; and

in response to a user input, displaying the saved individual SMS messages to/from a selected address in a display list.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the individual functions available further comprise at least one of:

a thread delete function, and performing the individual function respectively upon each of the individual SMS messages comprises deleting each individual SMS message of the thread; and

a thread save function, and performing the individual function respectively upon each of the individual SMS messages comprises saving each individual SMS message of the thread.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the conversation history display comprises an indication of a current radio signal strength and an indication of a number of unread SMS messages.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the conversation history display comprises a status for each text SMS message displayed.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

in response to a user input, displaying a display element in association with a particular text SMS message in the conversation history display, the display element providing an indication of an elapsed time since a status of the particular text SMS message last changed.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

displaying a message editor as part of the conversation history display.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying a display element indicating a number of allowed characters remaining for a SMS message being edited.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

automatically splitting a SMS message being composed into multiple SMS messages if the SMS message being composed is to long for a single SMS message;

while the SMS message is being composed, displaying a number of single SMS messages that will be sent.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the grouping, displaying are performed for messages for multiple different text messaging services to produce threads that are message threads of multiple different text messaging services.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein for each thread the respective UI element is a particular wireless text message that represents the thread.

14. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor so as to implement the method of claim 1.

15. A wireless device comprising;

a display screen;

an input panel; and

an SMS (Short Message Service) processing function operable to;

automatically group a plurality of individual SMS messages into threads, each thread containing one or more messages between a respective pair of two addresses comprising an address of the wireless device and another address, wherein each SMS message is grouped into one of the threads based on the another address of the SMS message;

for each thread, display via the display screen a respective UI (User Interface) display element representing the thread;

receive via the input panel a selection of a UI display element representing a particular thread; and

perform an individual function upon each of the individual SMS messages of the particular thread;

wherein individual functions available comprise a thread open function, and performing the individual function respectively upon each of the individual SMS messages comprises displaying in a conversation history display listing each of the individual SMS messages of the thread.

16. A method in a wireless user device comprising:

automatically grouping a plurality of SMS (Short Message Service) text messages between a pair of two addresses comprising an address of the wireless user device and another address into a thread wherein each SMS message is grouped into the thread based on the another address of the SMS message;

displaying a UI (User Interface) display item representing the thread;

accepting user input for selecting a function to be performed to each SMS text message of the thread, the function being selected from a plurality of available functions;

in response to the user input, performing the function to each SMS text message of the thread;

wherein the plurality of available functions comprises a thread open function, and performing the function to each SMS text messages of the thread comprises displaying in a display list each of the SMS text messages of the thread.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of available functions further comprises at least one of:

a delete function for deleting each SMS text message of the thread; and

a save function for saving each SMS text message of the thread.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein grouping comprises:

starting a new thread upon receipt of an SMS message from an address for which no thread has been started or upon transmission of an SMS message to an address for which no thread has been started;

adding each subsequent sent or received SMS message to an appropriate thread for the SMS message.

19. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor so as to implement the method of claim 16,

20. A wireless device comprising:

a display screen;

an input panel; and

an SMS (Short Message Service) processing function operable to;

automatically group a plurality of SMS text messages between a pair of addresses comprising an address of the wireless device and another address into a thread, wherein each SMS message is grouped into the thread based on the another address of the SMS message;

display via the display screen a UI (User Interface) display element representing the thread;

accept user input via the input panel for selecting a function to be performed to each SMS text message of the thread, the function being selected from a plurality of available functions;

in response to the user input, perform the function to each SMS text message of the thread;

wherein the plurality of available functions comprises a thread open function, and performing the function to each SMS text messages of the thread comprises displaying in a display list each of the SMS text messages of the thread.