IP Library Granted Patent US 8,375,307
Granted Patent B2
US 8,375,307 · App. 12/813,384 · Granted Feb 12, 2013

Mobile terminal and method for managing e-mail thereof

Inventor: Taeyong Kim (Gyeonggi-Do, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,375,307
App. No.
12/813,384
Granted
Feb 12, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for controlling a mobile terminal, and which includes executing, via a controller on the mobile terminal, an e-mail function; displaying, via a display on the mobile terminal, a e-mail account list including at least first and second e-mail accounts, in which the first e-mail account uses a first e-mail service for processing e-mails and the second e-mail account uses a second e-mail service for processing e-mails that is different than the first e-mail account service; providing, via the controller, an e-mail service of the selected first e-mail account, when the first e-mail account on the e-mail account list is selected; receiving, via an input unit, an account changing request for changing from the first e-mail account to the second e-mail account while information within the first e-mail account is currently being displayed; changing, via the controller, from the first e-mail account to the second e-mail account according to the account changing request; and providing, via the controller, the second e-mail service for the second e-mail account.

Claims (31)

1. A method for a mobile terminal managing a plurality of e-mail accounts, the method comprising:

displaying an e-mail menu screen that contains a list of a plurality of e-mail accounts previously registered to the mobile phone in response to an input for executing an email function;

communicating with one or more e-mail servers related to the plurality of e-mail accounts to retrieve mail box information for each e-mail account;

displaying a total number of any newly received or not-yet-read e-mails of each said e-mail account as icons appearing next to each said e-mail account;

simultaneously displaying a list of e-mail messages listed for a first e-mail account and icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually when the first e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts;

generating a message writing screen of the first e-mail account for a return email to a particular e-mail message among the list of e-mail messages when an icon for replying to the particular e-mail message is selected from the icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually;

setting a second e-mail account among the plurality of e-mail accounts for transmitting the return email when the second e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts through an account changing interface displayed on the message writing screen; and

transmitting the return email via the second e-mail account in response to an input thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a back icon configured to go back to a previous screen or menu upon selection thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a polling e-mail service in which the e-mail servers are accessed periodically.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a push e-mail service in which e-mails are received from the e-mail servers whenever new e-mails are received at the e-mail servers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the e-mail account changing interface comprises a selectable icon in the shape of an arrow or triangular direction indicator.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account changing interface is configured to list the plurality of email accounts in a list format.

7. A mobile terminal for managing a plurality of e-mail accounts, the mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to support wireless communications;

a user input unit configured to receive an input from a user to execute an e-mail function;

an output unit configured to output information to the user;

a controller cooperating with the wireless communication unit, the user input unit, and the output unit, and configured to:

display, via the output unit, an e-mail menu screen that contains a list of a plurality of e-mail accounts previously registered by the user in response to an input for executing the email function; and

communicate, via the wireless communication unit, with one or more e-mail servers related to the plurality of e-mail accounts to retrieve mail box information for each e-mail account;

display, via the output unit, a total number of any newly received or not-yet-read e-mails of each said e-mail account next to each said e-mail account;

simultaneously display, via the output unit, a list of e-mail messages listed for a first e- mail account and icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually when the first e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts;

generate, via the output unit, a message writing screen of the first e-mail account for a return email to a particular e-mail message among the list of e-mail messages when an icon for replying to the particular e-mail message is selected from the icons for replying to the list of e-mail messages individually;

set a second e-mail account among the plurality of e-mail accounts for transmitting the return email when the second e-mail account is selected for processing among the plurality of e-mail accounts through an account changing interface displayed on the message writing screen; and

transmit, via the wireless communication unit, the return email via the second e-mail account in response to an input thereof.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to cooperate with the output unit to display a back icon that allows the user to go back to a previous screen or menu upon selection thereof.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7 wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a polling e-mail service in which the e-mail servers are accessed periodically.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein communicating with the one or more e-mail servers is based on a push e-mail service in which e-mails are received from the e-mail servers whenever new e-mails are received at the e-mail servers.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the e-mail account changing interface comprises a selectable icon in the shape of an arrow or triangular direction indicator.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate the account changing interface with the plurality of email accounts in a list format.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2010
From: KIM, TAEYONG
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 024941/0481 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2009-0052053 · Jun 11, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100318923A1 · Dec 16, 2010