Systems, methods, and graphical user interfaces for concurrent display of reply message and multiple response options

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9395865-B2
Application number	US-201213727493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2012
Priority date	Mar 31, 2004
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Systems, methods, and graphical user interfaces for concurrent display of a reply message and two or more response options are disclosed. In some implementations, a method includes, at a computer, maintaining the display of a reply message associated with a plurality of response options. Each respective response option in the plurality of response options is independently associated with one or more recipient addresses for the reply message. While maintaining the display of at least a portion of the reply message, at least one recipient address for the reply message is updated in accordance with a selected response option. In some implementations, the maintaining of the display of at least a portion of the reply message includes maintaining the display of at least a portion of a message body of the reply message. In some embodiments, the selected response option is one of: reply, reply to all, and forward.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at a computer:
displaying a web mail reply form that includes a plurality of address fields, an input area for a reply message, and a plurality of response options selectable by a user, wherein each respective response option in the plurality of displayed response options is independently associated with a respective set of recipient addresses for reply messages;
receiving user selection of a first response option of the plurality of displayed response options;
in response to receiving user selection of the first response option, displaying the respective set of recipient addresses in the address fields, wherein the respective set of recipient addresses corresponds to the first response option;
while maintaining display of the plurality of response options:
receiving user input in the input area to create a reply message;
receiving user input to select a second response option of the plurality of response options, wherein the second response option is distinct from the first response option; and
in response to the user selection of the second response option, updating at least one of the recipient addresses in the address fields according to the respective set of recipient addresses corresponding to the second response option while maintaining display of the reply message in the input area;

receiving user input on the web mail reply form to send the reply message; and
in response to receiving the user input on the web mail reply form to send the reply message:
sending the reply message to the recipients identified in the address fields;
deleting the reply message from the input area; and
continuing to display the web mail reply form using the second response option, including displaying the respective set of recipient addresses corresponding to the second response option.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first response option and the second response option are selected from the group consisting of: reply, reply to all, and forward.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a tear-off mechanism; and
responsive to a user selection of the tear-off mechanism:
displaying a second reply form separately from the first reply form;

wherein the second reply form includes:
the plurality of response options; and

the reply message.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second reply form further includes:
an option to edit a recipient address associated with a response option, in the plurality of response options, for the reply message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the web mail reply form comprises:
displaying a plurality of email messages in an email thread as a list, each email message having a respective reply link;
receiving user selection of a first reply link corresponding to a first email message of the plurality of email messages; and
in response to receiving user selection of a first reply link, displaying the web mail reply form in-line in the list below the first email message.

6. A computer system having one or more processors, memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors, and a display device, wherein the display device displays a graphical user interface, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
displaying a web mail reply form that includes a plurality of address fields, an input area for a reply message, and a plurality of response options selectable by a user, wherein each respective response option in the plurality of displayed response options is independently associated with a respective set of recipient addresses for reply messages;
receiving user selection of a first response option of the plurality of displayed response options;
in response to receiving user selection of the first response option, displaying the respective set of recipient addresses in the address fields, wherein the respective set of recipient addresses corresponds to the first response option;
while maintaining display of the plurality of response options:
receiving user input in the input area to create a reply message;
receiving user input to select a second response option of the plurality of response options, wherein the second response option is distinct from the first response option; and
in response to the user selection of the second response option, updating at least one of the recipient addresses in the address fields according to the respective set of recipient addresses corresponding to the second response option while maintaining display of the reply message in the input area;

receiving user input on the web mail reply form to send the reply message; and
in response to receiving the user input on the web mail reply form to send the reply message:
sending the reply message to the recipients identified in the address fields;
deleting the reply message from the input area; and
continuing to display the web mail reply form using the second response option, including displaying the respective set of recipient addresses corresponding to the second response option.

7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the first response option and the second response option are selected from the group consisting of: reply, reply to all, and forward.

8. The computer system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a tear-off mechanism,
wherein, responsive to a user selection of the tear-off mechanism:
a second reply form separately from the first reply form is displayed; and

wherein the second reply form includes:
the plurality of response options; and
the reply message.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the second reply form further includes:
an option to edit a corresponding recipient address for the reply message that is obtained from the first reply form.

10. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein displaying the web mail reply form comprises:
displaying a plurality of email messages in an email thread as a list, each email message having a respective reply link;
receiving user selection of a first reply link corresponding to a first email message of the plurality of email messages; and
in response to receiving user selection of a first reply link, displaying the web mail reply form in-line in the list below the first email message.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing at least one program configured for execution by at least one processor of a computer system, the at least one program comprising instructions for:
displaying a web mail reply form that includes a plurality of address fields, an input area for a reply message, and a plurality of response options selectable by a user, wherein each respective response option in the plurality of displayed response options is independently associated with a respective set of recipient addresses for reply messages;
receiving user selection of a first response option of the plurality of displayed response options;
in response to receiving user selection of the first response option, displaying the respective set of recipient addresses in the address fields, wherein the respective set of recipient addresses corresponds to the first response option;
while maintaining display of the plurality of response options:
receiving user input in the input area to create a reply message;
receiving user input to select a second response option of the plurality of response options, wherein the second response option is distinct from the first response option; and
in response to the user selection of the second response option, updating at least one of the recipient addresses in the address fields according to the respective set of recipient a

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Chang Bay-Wei
• Lim Jing Yee
• Singh Sanjeev

Classifications

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06F3/048 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• H04L51/00

  User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail · CPC title

• G06Q10/107

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