Method for secondary selection highlighting

• US 8,171,426 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Loverin, Darrell J., Coppinger, Jodi L., Conmy, Douglas M., Wilcox, Eric M., Moody, Paul B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/745,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,046 Days
• Field of Search: 715/712, 715/764, 715/772, 715/776, 715/822, 715/821, 715/823, 715/852, 715/855, 715/840, 715/747, 715/765, 715/790
• US Class Current: 715/823
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method is provided to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and handling email messages. A display of color coding and selection highlighting may be provided. A secondary highlighting color may be provided to indicate messages related to a selected message. One or more of the following may also be provided: an indicator that provides the user with a number of items that are off the screen for a particular category, a command that causes the first entry for a category to be scrolled into view, a label to indicate the number of items in a particular category matching a particular criteria, and/or a control for scrolling between next or previous categories.

Claims

1. A method for highlighting items in a list, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of items in a list in a graphical user interface, each item having a plurality of displayed fields;

in response to a user selecting an item in the list,

i) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the selected item in a first color;

ii) determining one or more related items in the list that are related to the selected item; and

iii) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the related items in a second color; and

in response to the user changing the first color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the selected item,

changing the second color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the related items in coordination with the first color.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second color is based on the first color.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second color is a lighter shade of the first color.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second color is a darker shade of the first color.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first color and the second color are complimentary colors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

categorizing the related items in the list according to pre-selected criteria; and

displaying at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of one or more categories of related items in a third color.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second color and the third color are based on the first color.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said items are email messages and said plurality of displayed fields are:

name, date, and subject.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the second color is changed in proportion to the change in the first color.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises determining one or more related items that are related to the selected item by one or more of the following:

identifying items with matching attribute values, and utilizing a threading service.

8. A method for highlighting items in a list, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of items in a list in a graphical user interface, each item having a plurality of displayed fields;

in response to a user selecting a first item in the list, i) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the first selected item in a first color;

ii) determining one or more related items in the list that are related to the first selected item; and

iii) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the related items in a second color;

in response to a user selecting a second item from one of the related items in the list, i) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields in the second selected item in the first color; and

ii) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the first selected item in the second color;

in response to the user changing the first color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the first selected item, changing the second color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the related items in coordination with the first color; and

in response to the user changing the first color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the second selected item, changing the second color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the first selected item in coordination with the first color.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second color is based on the first color.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second color is a lighter shade of the first color.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second color is a darker shade of the first color.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first color and the second color are complimentary colors.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

categorizing the related items in the list according to pre-selected criteria;

displaying at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of one or more categories of related items in a third color.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second color and the third color are based on the first color.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said items are email messages and said plurality of displayed fields are:

name, date, and subject.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the second color is changed in proportion to the change in the first color.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining comprises determining one or more related items that are related to the selected item by one or more of the following:

identifying items with matching attribute values, and utilizing a threading service.

21. A method for highlighting email messages in a list, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of email messages in a list in a graphical user interface, each email message having a plurality of displayed fields;

in response to a user selecting an email message in the list,

i) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the selected email message in a first color;

ii) determining one or more related email messages in the list that are related to the selected email message; and

iii) highlighting at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the related email messages in a second color; and

in response to the user changing the first color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the selected email message,

changing the second color used for highlighting the at least one field of the plurality of displayed fields of the related email messages in coordination with the first color.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining comprises determining one or more related email messages that are related to the selected email message by identifying email messages with matching attribute values or utilizing a threading service.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the second color is derived from the first color.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the second color is changed in proportion to the change in the first color.