Presentation of messages in multi-sectioned views

• US 8,793,591 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cornwell, Jason Briggs, McDonald, Paul Morell, Chen, Annie, Coleman, Keith Jonathan, Moedinger, Andrew Ward, Lauterbach, Debra Joy, Aberdeen, Douglas Alexander, Kretzschmar, Klaus Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/165,767
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/752, 715/753, 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a computer-implemented method including generating first instructions for presenting, on a computing device, a first view of an inbox that lists multiple electronic messages and for presenting a control, concurrently with the first view of the inbox, that indicates one or more alternate views available for the inbox. Each of the alternate views separate the electronic messages within the inbox into two or more concurrently displayed sections. The method further includes providing the first instructions to the computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating first instructions for;

(A) presenting, on a computing device, a first view of an inbox that lists multiple electronic messages in a single section and for presenting a control, concurrently with the first view of the inbox, that indicates one or more alternate views available for the inbox, wherein

a first alternative view in the one or more alternate views separates the multiple electronic messages listed within the single section of the first view of the inbox into two or more concurrently displayed sub-sections based on a message sorting type having one or more criteria for that alternative view,

at least one criterion in the one or more criteria categorizes each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages into one of a plurality of partitions based on a first property of the respective electronic messages, wherein electronic messages in each respective partition in the plurality of partitions are arranged into a corresponding sub-section in the two or more concurrently displayed sub-sections, and

a first icon is displayed for each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages satisfying a second property, and a second icon is displayed for each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages not satisfying the second property, the first property being other than the second property; and

(B) maintaining the first alternate view of the inbox in accordance with a predefined time requirement by automatically hiding the control from display to a user; and

providing the first instructions to the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first instructions for the control further present individual controls for switching to each of the alternate views.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, in response to a user selection of one of the individual controls, a request for one of the alternate views;

generating, in response to receiving the request, second instructions for presenting the requested alternate view of the inbox including the two or more sections for the requested alternate view; and

providing the second instructions to the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating third instructions for presenting one of the alternate views of the inbox; and

providing the third instructions to the computing device, wherein a threshold amount of time has elapsed since a last user selection of one of the individual controls, and wherein the third instructions no longer present the control that indicates the alternate views available for the inbox.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alternate views include two or more of a view wherein the first sub-section includes read messages and the second sub-section includes unread messages, a view wherein the first sub-section includes starred messages and the second sub-section includes non-starred messages, and one or more views wherein the first sub-section includes important messages and the second sub-section includes non-important messages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each entry in each alternate view represents a conversation that includes one or more messages, at least one of which satisfies one or more criteria for inclusion in a section of the alternate view.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first instructions for the control further present a close control, the method further comprising:

generating, in response to a user selection of the close control, fourth instructions for presenting one of the alternate views of the inbox; and

providing the fourth instructions to the computing device, wherein the fourth instructions no longer present the control that indicates the alternate views are available for the inbox.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the control does not overlap with the first view of the inbox.

8. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

(A) presenting, on a computing device, a first view of an inbox that lists multiple electronic messages in a single section; and

presenting, concurrently with the first view of the inbox, a control that indicates one or more alternate views are available for the inbox, wherein

a first alternative view in the one or more alternate views separates the multiple electronic messages listed within the single section of the first view of the inbox into two or more concurrently displayed sub-sections based on a message sorting type having one or more criteria for the alternative view,

at least one criterion in the one or more criteria categorizes each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages into one of a plurality of partitions based on a first property of the respective electronic messages, wherein electronic messages in each respective partition in the plurality of partitions are arranged into a corresponding sub-section in the two or more concurrently displayed sub-sections, and

a first icon is displayed for each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages satisfying a second property, and a second icon is displayed for each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages not satisfying the second property, the first property being other than the second property

(B) maintaining the first alternate view of the inbox in accordance with a predefined time requirement by automatically hiding the control from display to a user.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein presenting the control further comprises presenting individual controls for switching to each of the alternate views.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, in response to a user selection of one of the individual controls, a request for one of the alternate views; and

presenting, in response to receiving the request, the requested alternate view of the inbox including the two or more sections for the requested alternate view.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting one of the alternate views of the inbox; and

determining that a threshold amount of time has elapsed since a last user selection of one of the individual controls and, in response to determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed, no longer presenting the control.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the alternate views include two or more of a view wherein the first sub-section includes read messages and the second sub-section includes unread messages, a view wherein the first sub-section includes starred messages and the second sub-section includes non-starred messages, and one or more views wherein the first sub-section includes important messages and the second sub-section includes non-important messages.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each entry in each alternate view represents a conversation that includes one or more messages, at least one of which satisfies one or more criteria for inclusion in a section of the alternate view.

14. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a computer-readable medium that stores multiple electronic messages for an inbox;

an interface for receiving, from a computing device, a request for a first view of the inbox;

one or more processors that generate, in response to receiving the request, first instructions, which when processed by the computing device,

(A) present the first view of the inbox that lists multiple electronic messages in a single section and present a control, concurrently with the first view of the inbox, that indicates one or more alternate views available for the inbox, wherein

a first alternative view in the one or more alternate views separates the multiple electronic messages listed within the single section of the first view of the inbox into two or more concurrently displayed sub-sections based on a message sorting type having one or more criteria for that alternative view;

at least one criterion in the one or more criteria categorizes each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages into one of a plurality of partitions based on a first property of the respective electronic messages, wherein electronic messages in each respective partition in the plurality of partitions are arranged into a corresponding sub-section in the two or more concurrently displayed sub-sections, and

a first icon is displayed for each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages satisfying a second property, and a second icon is displayed for each respective electronic message in the multiple electronic messages not satisfying the second property, the first property being other than the second property; and

(B) maintain the first alternate view of the inbox in accordance with a predefined time requirement by automatically hiding the control from display to a user; and

wherein the one or more processors provide the first instructions to the computing device through the interface.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first instructions for the control, which when processed by the computing device, further present individual controls for switching to each of the alternate views.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interface receives, in response to a user selection of one of the individual controls, a request for one of the alternate views;

wherein the one or more processors generate, in response to receiving the request, second instructions, which when processed by the computing device, present the requested alternate view of the inbox including the two or more sections for the requested alternate view; and

wherein the one or more processors provide the second instructions to the computing device through the interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors generate third instructions, which when processed by the computing device, present one of the alternate views of the inbox;

and

wherein the one or more processors provide the third instructions to the computing device through the interface, wherein a threshold amount of time has elapsed since a last user selection of one of the individual controls, and wherein the third instructions no longer present the control that indicates the alternate views are available for the inbox.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the third instructions, which when processed by the computing device, present a menu item that can be selected by a user to request that the control be presented again.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the alternate views include two or more of a view wherein the first sub-section includes read messages and the second sub-section includes unread messages, a view wherein the first sub-section includes starred messages and the second sub-section includes non-starred messages, and one or more views wherein the first sub-section includes important messages and the second sub-section includes non-important messages.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each entry in each alternate view represents a conversation that includes one or more messages, at least one of which satisfies one or more criteria for inclusion in a section of the alternate view.