Messaging device having a graphical user interface for initiating communication to recipients

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10901611-B2
Application number	US-201916455632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Apr 25, 2008
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A messaging device allows a user to initiate communication to recipients via a graphical user interface. In some embodiments, messages are composed by a user via a touchscreen display. Pre-existing messages may also be retrieved by the user via the display. Icons representing potential message recipients are displayed, and the user may deliver a message to a recipient by associating the message with the icon that represents the desired recipient, such as by a drag-and-drop or pop-and-hop motion. In addition, the user may indicate to which of the recipient's various electronic devices or services the message is to be delivered. In some embodiments, the user may deliver the message to a group of recipients.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method to communicate via a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
displaying, at a graphical user interface, recipient identifiers associated with one or more intended recipients;
receiving a message in a composition area that is displayed at the graphical user interface;
detecting a motion to associate the message received in the composition area with a selected recipient associated with one of the displayed recipient identifiers;
determining a set of delivery methods for sending the message received in the composition area to the selected recipient based at least on one or more of: delivery preferences of the selected recipient, availability information of the selected recipient, or a type of the composed message;
displaying, at the graphical user interface, the determined set of delivery methods,
wherein the determined set of delivery methods, the composition area, and the recipient identifiers are concurrently displayed;

detecting a selected delivery method from the determined set of delivery methods; and
transmitting the message to the selected recipient associated with the selected recipient identifier via the selected delivery method.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery preferences of the selected recipient comprise a rank associated with at least two delivery methods in the set of delivery methods.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery preferences of the selected recipient comprise ranks associated with delivery methods in the set of delivery methods, and wherein the delivery options are displayed at the graphical user interface in an order corresponding to the ranks.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery preferences of the selected recipient comprise ranks associated with delivery methods in the set of delivery methods, and wherein the delivery options are displayed at the graphical user interface with one or more of the following indicators corresponding to the ranks: numbering, color-coding, or highlighting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery preferences of the selected recipient comprise an indication of a preferred delivery method in the set of delivery methods.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery preferences of the selected recipient comprise an indication of a preferred delivery method in the set of delivery methods, and wherein the preferred delivery method is a delivery method most recently used by a user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery preferences of the selected recipient comprise an indication of a preferred delivery method in the set of delivery methods, and wherein the preferred delivery method is displayed in conjunction with one or more of the following indicators: numbering, color-coding, or highlighting.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising: displaying, at the graphical user interface, a visual indicator of the availability information of the selected recipient.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined set of delivery methods comprises delivery methods associated with devices on which the selected recipient is currently active.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying, at the graphical user interface, one or more selections of a delivery date and time at which the message is to be transmitted to the selected recipient; and
detecting a selected delivery date and time, wherein the message is transmitted to the selected recipient associated with the selected recipient identifier via the selected delivery method at the selected delivery date and time.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying, at the graphical user interface, one or more selections of a delivery urgency with which the message is to be transmitted to the selected recipient; and
detecting a selected delivery urgency, wherein the message is transmitted, with an indicator of the selected delivery urgency, to the selected recipient associated with the selected recipient identifier via the selected delivery method.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying, at the graphical user interface, one or more selections of a delivery urgency with which the message is to be transmitted to the selected recipient;
detecting a selected delivery urgency; and
determining a delivery date and time based on the selected delivery urgency, wherein the message is transmitted, with an indicator of the selected delivery urgency, to the selected recipient associated with the selected recipient identifier via the selected delivery method at the determined delivery date and time.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected recipient associated with the selected recipient identifier is a group of at least two recipients.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein recipient identifiers for an individual recipient is visually distinguishable from recipient identifiers for a group of recipients.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion includes at least one of the following:
dragging,
popping,
hopping,
tapping, or
any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed recipient identifiers include at least one of the following:
a photograph,
a predefined icon selected from a library, or
an electronic drawing created by a user via the graphical user interface.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of delivery methods comprise:
email,
Short Message Service (SMS),
Multimedia Message Service (MMS),
generating a visible electronic note, or
any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the message in the composition area further comprises at least one of the following:
receiving input from a virtual keyboard,
receiving handwriting input from a stylus,
receiving handwriting input from a finger,
receiving selection of a pre-existing message visible on the graphical user interface, or
any combination thereof.

19. A computer program product for communicating via a graphical user interface, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:
displaying, at a graphical user interface, recipient identifiers associated with intended recipients;
receiving a message in a composition area that is displayed at the graphical user interface;
detecting a motion to associate the message received in the composition area with at least one selected recipient associated with the displayed recipient identifiers;
determining, for each selected recipient, a set of delivery methods for sending the message received in the composition area based at least on one or more of: delivery preferences of the selected recipient, availability information of the selected recipient, or a type of the composed message;
displaying, at the graphical user interface, the determined set of delivery methods,
wherein the determined set of delivery methods, the composition area, and the recipient identifiers are concurrently displayed;

detecting at least one selected delivery method from the determined set of delivery methods; and
transmitting the message to the at least one selected recipient associated with the displayed recipient identifiers via the at least one selected delivery method.

20. A system for sending messages, the system comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one display to receive user input and display recipient identifiers,
wherein each of the recipient identifiers are associated with at least one of multiple recipients; and

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Assignees

• T Mobile Usa Inc

Inventors

• Ligh Ming
• Chow Paulo S T
• Goulart Valerie
• Giardini Anthony
• Gormley Georgiana
• Gough Jeff
• Carney Patrick

Classifications

• G06Q10/107 Primary

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• G06F3/0486

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title

• H04M2250/22

  including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector · CPC title

• H04M1/72436

  for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title