Customizable controls provided by a messaging application for performing selected actions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192660-A1
Application number	US-201715412703-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Mar 11, 2008
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for providing users of a messaging application with controls that perform one or more selected actions with a message. A request to create a new custom action control is received. In response, a graphical user interface (“GUI”) is provided comprising a plurality of action options corresponding to actions to be taken with respect to a designated active message upon selection of the new custom action control. A selection of one of a plurality of action options indicated in the GUI is received. The new custom action control is associated with the selected action option from the GUI such that a subsequent selection of the new custom action control initiates at least one action option. The new custom action control is saved to a network server configured to provide the new custom action control to one or more instances of a messaging application.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method comprising:
receiving a request to create a new custom action control; in response to the request to create the new custom action control, providing a graphical user interface (“GUI”) comprising a plurality of action options corresponding to actions to be taken with respect to a designated active message upon selection of the new custom action control; receiving a selection of one of a plurality of action options indicated in the GUI; associating the new custom action control with the selected action option from the GUI such that a subsequent selection of the new custom action control initiates at least one action option; and saving the new custom action control to a network server configured to provide the new custom action control to one or more instances of a messaging application.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein providing the new custom action control comprises providing the new custom action control in a gallery on the GUI adjacent to a message window comprising the designated active message.

23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the GUI further comprises a text entry field for receiving text to be displayed when a mouse hovers over the new custom action control and an icon control for selecting an icon from a plurality of icons to be associated with the new custom action control.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the gallery comprises a quantity of custom action controls fewer than a total number of available custom action controls and wherein the gallery further comprises an expand control that when selected, is operative to expand the gallery to display all the available custom action controls.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the gallery is configured to group custom action controls into categories when expanded.

26 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
receiving a right-click selection of the new custom action control; and in response to receiving the right-click selection of the new custom action control, providing, by the application, a menu comprising a plurality of commands corresponding to the new custom action control, the plurality of commands comprising a command to apply the new custom action control to the designated active message and a command to modify the new custom action control.

27 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
importing the new custom control based on providing the new custom action control to the network server; and using the new custom control in a second instance of the messaging application.

28 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
selecting an email message as the designated active message; providing on a second GUI, the new custom action control comprising an icon corresponding to the selected action option to be performed with respect to the designated active message; receiving a single user input comprising a selection of the new custom action control; in response to receiving the selection of the new custom action control, performing the selected action option with respect to the designated active message.

29 . One of an optical disk, a magnetic storage device or a solid-state storage device having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
receive a request to customize a custom action control for performing actions on a subsequently selected email message; in response to the request to customize the custom action control, provide a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of selectable actions corresponding to actions to be taken upon the subsequently selected email message upon selection of the custom action control; receive a selection of at least one action to be taken with respect to the subsequently selected email message, the at least one action indicated in the graphical user interface; associate the custom action control with the at least one action selected such that a subsequent selection of the custom action control initiates the at least one action on the subsequently selected email message; provide the custom action control comprising an icon for display on the graphical user interface in a gallery adjacent to a message window comprising an active message; receive a selection of the custom action control; in response to receiving the selection of the custom action control, perform the at least one action associated with the custom action control; and store the custom action control to a network server configured to provide the custom action control to one or more other instances of a messaging application.

30 . The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid-state storage device of claim 29 , wherein the request to customize the custom action control comprises a type of custom action control, and wherein the graphical user interface is configured according to the type of custom action control requested.

31 . The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid-state storage device of claim 29 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a text entry field for receiving text to be displayed when a mouse hovers over the custom action control and a shortcut key field for receiving a keyboard shortcut key identification corresponding to a combination of keyboard keys to be assigned to the custom action control.

32 . The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid-state storage device of claim 29 , wherein the request to customize the custom action control comprises a request to create a new custom action control.

33 . The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid-state storage device of claim 29 , wherein the request to customize the custom action control comprises a request to edit an existing custom action control.

34 . The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid-state storage device of claim 29 , further comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
determine that the request to customize the custom action control comprises a request to transmit an email message to a recipient having a title; retrieve an address corresponding to the title of the recipient from a global address book; and pre-populate a field of the graphical user interface corresponding to the address with the address retrieved from the global address book.

35 . The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid-state storage device of claim 29 , wherein the computer executable instructions when executed by a second computer, cause the second computer to:
import the custom control based on providing the custom action control to the network server; and use the custom control in a second instance of the messaging application executing on the second computer.

36 . A system comprising:
a memory that stores computer executable instructions thereon; and a computer processor that executes the stored computer executable instructions in the memory causing the computer processor to,
display a gallery on a graphical user interface (“GUI”) comprising a plurality of custom action controls each comprising an icon adjacent to a message window comprising an active message, the active message comprising a selected email message, each custom action control defining a plurality of actions previously indicated to be taken with respect to the active message,
provide a manage custom actions control with the gallery,
receive a selection of the manage custom actions control,
in response to receiving the selection of the manage custom actions control, provide a manage custom action

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Macbeth Melissa Rodden Morrell
• Gregg Ryan Edward
• Satterfield Jesse Clay
• Coates Andrew Mark
• Yada Kumiko
• Grutzmacher Richard P
• Affronti Michael Anthony
• Braun Owen C

Classifications

• H04L51/18 Primary

  Commands or executable codes · CPC title

• G06Q10/06311

  Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group · CPC title

• G06F3/04847 Primary

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06Q10/107

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

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title