E-MAIL INTERFACE HAVING AN INFORMATIONAL TOOL TIP
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 . An interface that enables perception of information regarding e-mail communications, the interface comprising:
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;
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; and
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.
2 . The interface of claim 1 in which the tool tip is activated in response to participant selection of the desired e-mail message.
3 . The interface of claim 2 in which the participant selection is inferred based upon a position of an input device relative to a user interface.
4 . The interface of claim 3 in which the participant selection is inferred based upon maintaining the input device in a position relative to the user interface for a predetermined threshold period of time.
5 . The interface of claim 2 in which the participant selection comprises an overt selection activity using a user input device.
6 . The interface of claim 1 in which the informational tool tip is rendered in a pop up window.
7 . The interface of claim 1 in which the informational tool tip is rendered as an overlay.
8 . The interface of claim 1 in which a perceivable indication comprises a perceivable indication of less than all of the e-mail message information.
9 . The interface of claim 1 further comprising automatically closing the tool tip.
10 . The interface of claim 9 in which the tool tip is automatically closed based upon an expiration of a predetermined length of time.
11 . The interface of claim 9 in which the tool tip is automatically closed based upon an inferred intent to close the tool tip.
12 . The interface of claim 11 in which the intent to close the tool tip is inferred based upon a position of a user input device.
13 . The interface of claim 11 in which the intent to close the tool tip is inferred based upon a movement of a user input device.
14 . The interface of claim 11 in which the intent to close the tool tip is inferred based upon a position of a user input device and an expiration of a predetermined length of time.
15 . The interface of claim 1 in which the interface comprises a visual interface.
16 . The interface of claim 1 in which the interface comprises an audible interface.
17 . The interface of claim 1 in which the desired e-mail message comprises a text message and the temporary perceivable indication comprises at least a portion of the text message.
18 . The interface of claim 1 in which the desired e-mail message comprises an audio message and the temporary perceivable indication comprises at least a portion of the audio message.
19 . The interface of claim 1 in which the desired e-mail message comprises a video message and the temporary perceivable indication comprises at least a portion of the video message.
20 . A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, comprising instructions for:
rendering 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;
determining 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; and
rendering 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 email message while maintaining active display of the one or more selected e-mails.