Aggregate and hierarchical display of grouped items spanning multiple storage locations

• US 9,729,485 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mccann, Robert Emmett, Brauninger, Andrew, Edelen, James, Affronti, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Ruay
• Application Number:
  US14/194,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 715853, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• 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 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

Techniques for the aggregate and hierarchical display of grouped items spanning multiple storage locations are described. Some techniques may aggregate items in response to user input identifying a scope for item retrieval. The user input may identify a scope such as selection of a local storage location or a search query for retrieving items. The aggregated items may span multiple storage locations and include items within the identified scope and related items outside the identified scope. A group of aggregated items are presented in a hierarchical display within a user interface. The hierarchical display may visually differentiate items inside and outside of the identified scope, and may identify parent-child relationship between related items. An aggregate header for the group of aggregated items may be displayed indicating total items in the group and a status for items in the group within the identified scope. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executing on at least one processing circuit, comprising:

receiving user input identifying a scope for item retrieval, wherein scope comprises at least one of;

a local storage location for items, or a search query for retrieving one or more items, the items comprising at least one of;

electronic mail messages and electronic mail message attachments;

retrieving items according to the identified scope;

associating items related to the retrieved items with the retrieved items, wherein when the scope is a local storage location the items related to the retrieved items include items that are stored in a different storage location, and when the scope is a search query, the items related to the retrieved items include items that are related to the retrieved items that satisfy the search query;

aggregating items within the identified scope with the related items outside of the identified scope using graphical connections to maintain visual differentiation between the items within the identified scope with the related items outside of the identified scope; and

presenting a group of the aggregated items in a hierarchical display within a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an aggregate header for the group of aggregated items, the aggregate header indicating all of the message authors and message senders.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an aggregate header for the group of aggregated items, the aggregate header indicating a total number of items in the group of aggregated items and a status of items in the group that are within the identified scope.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an aggregate conversation header for a list of messages in a conversation.

5. The method of claim 4 further displaying the aggregate conversation header to indicate all of the message authors and message senders, a total number of electronic mail messages in the conversation and a number of unread electronic mail messages in the conversation that are within the identified scope.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising selectively expanding the aggregate conversation header to display at least a portion of the list of messages.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising displaying the list of messages comprising cross-folder messages.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising accessing a message in the list of messages in the expanded aggregate conversation header, the message having a different folder location.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising collapsing the aggregate conversation header to roll up the list of messages.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising presenting the conversation in a list pane comprising the hierarchical display of aggregated electronic mail messages, the hierarchical display identifying parent-child relationships between related electronic mail messages and visually differentiating electronic mail messages outside of the identified scope from electronic mail messages within the identified scope.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying the aggregate conversation header where at least one message of the list of messages is not in view.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying the aggregate conversation header where only a status of each message of the list of messages is in view, wherein a status of items includes at least one of:

a read/unread status, a category, and a flag.

13. A computer-implemented method executing on at least one processing circuit, comprising:

receiving user input identifying a scope for item retrieval, wherein scope comprises at least one of;

a local storage location for items, or a search query for retrieving one or more items, the items comprising at least one of;

electronic mail messages and electronic mail message attachments;

retrieving items according to the identified scope;

associating out-of-scope items related to the retrieved items with the retrieved items into an aggregate conversation header of the user interface; and

presenting a group of the aggregated items in a hierarchical display within the aggregate conversation header, the hierarchical display to identify relationships between the related out-of-scope items, the relationships being operative to visually differentiate the related out-of-scope items with the retrieved items within the identified scope.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising when the scope is a search query, the out-of-scope items related to the retrieved items include items that do not meet the search query and when the scope is a local storage location, the out-of-scope items related to the retrieved items include items that are stored in a different storage location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the related out-of-scope items include cross-folder items.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory unit communicably coupled to the at least one processor; and

an application, stored in the at least one memory unit and executed on the at least one processor, operative to;

receive user input identifying a scope for item retrieval, wherein scope comprises one of;

a local storage location for items, or a search query for retrieving one or more items, the items comprising at least one of;

electronic mail messages or electronic mail message attachments;

associate items related to the retrieved items with the retrieved items, wherein when the scope is a local storage location the items related to the retrieved items include items that are stored in a different storage location, and when the scope is a search query, the items related to the retrieved items include items that do not meet the search query;

aggregate items within the identified scope with related items outside of the identified scope, wherein at least one of the items within the identified scope is graphically connected to the related items outside of the identified scope; and

present a group of the aggregated items in a hierarchical display within a user interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application is further operative to present a conversation of aggregated electronic mail messages in the hierarchical display.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application is further operative to present the hierarchical display identifying parent-child relationships between related electronic mail messages and visually differentiating electronic mail messages outside of the identified scope from electronic mail messages within the identified scope.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising collapsing the group of the aggregated items in the user interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising expanding the group of the aggregated items in the user interface.