E-mail interface having an informational tool tip
View Patent ↗An interface enables perception of information regarding e-mail communications. The interface includes an e-mail application user interface that enables perception of e-mail message information for one or more e-mails received by an e-mail participant and that enables active display of one or more of the received e-mails selected by the e-mail participant. The interface also includes a mechanism that determines a request for e-mail message information for one of the e-mails from within a desired e-mail message that is not actively displayed. The interface further includes an informational tool tip that provides a temporary perceivable indication to the e-mail participant of at least a portion of the requested information for the desired e-mail message while maintaining active display of the one or more selected e-mails.
1. A method of displaying information related to electronic mail messages in an interface, the method comprising:
rendering, in a display portion of an electronic mail user interface configured to display content from electronic mail messages, a display of content from a first electronic mail message included in a group of electronic mail messages received by a user;
rendering, in the electronic mail user interface, a control element configured to, upon selection, trigger display, in the display portion of the electronic mail user interface, of content from a second electronic mail message included in the group of electronic mail messages received by the user, the second electronic mail message being an electronic mail message included in the group of electronic mail messages immediately prior to or immediately subsequent to the first electronic mail message;
while content from the first electronic mail message is displayed in the display portion of the electronic mail user interface, determining that, for a threshold period of time, a position of an input device is maintained relative to the control element; and
in response to determining that, for the threshold period of time, the position of the input device is maintained relative to the control element:
rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message, and
maintaining display of content from the first electronic mail message in the display portion of the electronic mail user interface.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of lines included in the second electronic mail message.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of characters of content included in the second electronic mail message.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message, the multiple predetermined fields including at least a from field and a subject field.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message further include a portion of a message text field, wherein the portion of the message text field includes less than all of the text in the message text field.
6. A method of displaying information related to electronic mail messages in an interface, the method comprising:
rendering a new mail status indicator configured to provide a user with a perceivable indication that a new electronic mail message has been received;
determining that, for a threshold period of time, a position of an input device is maintained relative to the new mail status indicator; and
in response to determining that, for the threshold period of time, the position of the input device is maintained relative to the new mail status indicator, rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the new electronic mail message.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the new electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of lines included in the new electronic mail message.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the new electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of characters of content included in the new electronic mail message.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the new electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of multiple predetermined fields of the new electronic mail message, the multiple predetermined fields including at least a from field and a subject field.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the new electronic mail message further include a portion of a message text field, wherein the portion of the message text field includes less than all of the text in the message text field.
11. A method of displaying information related to electronic mail messages in an interface, the method comprising:
receiving a first command to display an electronic mail message;
in response to receiving the first command to display the electronic mail message, rendering a display of the electronic mail message;
receiving a second command to minimize the display of the electronic mail message;
in response to receiving the second command to minimize the display of the electronic mail message:
removing the display of the electronic mail message, and
causing an icon corresponding to the electronic mail message to be displayed
in an operating system task area;
determining that, for a threshold period of time, a position of an input device is maintained relative to the icon corresponding to the electronic mail message; and
in response to determining that, for the threshold period of time, the position of the input device is maintained relative to the icon corresponding to the electronic mail message, rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the electronic mail message.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of lines included in the electronic mail message.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of characters of content included in the electronic mail message.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of multiple predetermined fields of the electronic mail message, the multiple predetermined fields including at least a from field and a subject field.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the electronic mail message further include a portion of a message text field, wherein the portion of the message text field includes less than all of the text in the message text field.
16. A method of displaying information related to electronic mail messages in an interface, the method comprising:
rendering, in a display portion of an electronic mail user interface configured to display content from electronic mail messages, a display of content from a first electronic mail message included in a group of electronic mail messages that have been received by a user and organized in a folder;
rendering, in the electronic mail user interface, a display of a list of display items corresponding to electronic mail messages included in the group of electronic mail messages that have been received by the user and organized in the folder, each display item included in the list being configured to, upon selection, trigger display, in the display portion of the electronic mail user interface, of content from an electronic mail message corresponding to the display item;
while content from the first electronic mail message is displayed in the display portion of the electronic mail user interface, determining that, for a threshold period of time, a position of an input device is maintained relative to a particular display item included in the list of display items that correspond to electronic mail messages included in the group of electronic mail messages that have been received by the user and organized in the folder, the particular display item corresponding to a second electronic mail message that is different from the first electronic mail message; and
in response to determining that, for the threshold period of time, the position of the input device is maintained relative to the particular display item included in the list of display items:
rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message that corresponds to the particular display item, and
maintaining display of content from the first electronic mail message in the display portion of the electronic mail user interface.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of lines included in the second electronic mail message.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a predetermined number of characters of content included in the second electronic mail message.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of a portion of content from the second electronic mail message comprises rendering, in an informational tool tip, a display of multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message, the multiple predetermined fields including at least a from field and a subject field.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the multiple predetermined fields of the second electronic mail message further include a portion of a message text field, wherein the portion of the message text field includes less than all of the text in the message text field.