The present disclosure relates to electronic mail and to the control of a display of messages in an electronic device.
Portable electronic devices including, for example, smart telephones and wireless PDAs are becoming increasingly common and typically integrate functions of personal information management such as calendaring, data communications such as email, World Wide Web browsing and telecommunications in a single device. Such devices run on a wide variety of networks from data-only networks such as Mobitex and DataTAC to complex voice and data networks such as GSM/GPRS, CDMA, EDGE, UMTS AND CDMA2000 networks.
Portable electronic devices include a visual display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen for presenting information to the user of the device. Of course, for many portable electronic devices, the size of the LCD screen is small so that the portable electronic device is handheld and is easily transported in, for example, a user's pocket. The displays of these handheld devices are used for displaying information to the user in the form of, for example, menus, lists and text displays. Many devices with electronic mail functionality provide a list of email message headers representing email messages sent from and/or received at the portable electronic device upon user selection of an email option from a menu screen. Each email header in these lists typically provides, for example, an indication of the status of the message to which the header relates, the time of the message, an address field and a subject field for the message. Of course with the limited size of the display screen, it is common that only portions of the address and subject fields are displayed.
The display of content on these devices is often customizable such that display attributes including font type and font size is user-selectable. To ensure that sufficient characters of the address and subject fields are displayed in an email header list so that the user is provided with some context relating to the message, the user is left to reduce the font size for display. With the reduction of font size, more characters can be displayed in each line of the list. For users who desire larger font sizes, often very little information regarding individual messages can be determined from the email header list.
The embodiments described herein will be better understood with reference to the following Figures, in which:
Reference is first made to
For the purpose of illustration, the communication system 20 is functionally represented in
Wireless networks and infrastructures include, for example, data-centric wireless networks, voice-centric wireless networks, or dual-mode wireless networks. For the purpose of the present exemplary embodiment, the wireless network and infrastructure 28 includes a dual-mode wireless network that supports both voice and data communications over the same physical base stations.
The wireless network and infrastructure 28 is connected through the Internet 30 to a message server 32, to thereby provide a link between the message server 32 and the portable electronic device 22. An email message is sent by an email sender connected somewhere to the Internet 30. Such email messages typically use traditional Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), RFC 822 headers and Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) parts to define the format of the email message. These techniques are known and are well understood by those skilled in the art. The email message arrives at the message server 32 and is stored in a message store 34. Many messaging systems rely on a “pull” system in which the portable electronic device requests that stored messages be forwarded by the message server 32 to the portable electronic device 22. On the other hand, in some systems, such messages are automatically forwarded by the message server 32 to the portable electronic device. Regardless of the system, the email is delivered to the portable electronic device 22 (either by automatic forwarding or by request).
Similarly, an email message sent from the portable electronic device 22 is sent to the message server 32, through the wireless gateway, network and infrastructure and the Internet. The message server 32 receives the email message and forwards the email message on based on the addressee.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In the present embodiment, the portable electronic device 22 is a two-way RF communication device having voice and data communication capabilities for communication with the communications system 20 as referred to above. Two-way RF communication is facilitated by a communications device 66 that is used to connect to and operate with the communication system 20, via the antenna 68.
For data communication, signals are received, for example, an email message, at the communications device 66, processed and sent to the microprocessor 58 where the signals are further processed for display on the LCD display 44. Data, such as an email message can also be composed using one or more of the input devices such as the key pad 54 or the trackwheel 50. The data is sent through the communications device 66 to the network to which the portable electronic device 22 connects.
Although not shown, a battery provides power to all active elements of the portable electronic device 22.
The persistent storage device 62 also stores a plurality of applications executable by the microprocessor 58 that enable the portable electronic device 22 to perform certain operations including the communication operations referred to above. Other applications software is provided including, for example, an email application, a Web browser application, an address book application, calendar applications, a profiles application, and others.
It will be appreciated that email messages are received at the portable electronic device 22 by data communication through the communication system 20 referred to above. Email messages are also sent from the portable electronic device 22 by data communication through the communication system 20 referred to above. Each email message that is received and that is sent includes a variety of information including a date, a time, address information, subject information, a priority indication, and an email body.
Referring to
Selection of the email messaging application causes execution of the email messaging application by the microprocessor 58 and a list of email messages is displayed including previously sent and received, opened and unopened email messages that remain stored on the portable electronic device 22. It will be appreciated that the list of email messages displayed on the portable electronic device 22 is not limited to all messages sent and received that remain on the portable electronic device 22. It is possible that the list of sent email messages and received email messages are displayed in separate lists and that only one of these lists, such as the list of email messages received at the portable electronic device 22, is displayed upon selection of the email message application. The list of email messages is referred to as the list of email headers. Each email message that is sent from the portable electronic device 22 and received at the portable electronic device 22 is represented by a header in the list. An exemplary list of email messages sent and received is shown in
Reference is now made to
According to the present embodiment, the priority, the status and the time for each email are always displayed in full on the portable electronic device 22. Thus, the columns designated for the priority, the status and time for each email in the header list varies depending on font size chosen for the display. Therefore the space remaining for display of the address field and the subject field also varies. Clearly the width of each designated space for each field is dependent on the size of the font chosen. With large fonts, the column widths for the address and subject fields are smaller as the column width for the time field, for example, is larger to show the time in full.
Upon selection of the “Other” option of the exemplary menu screen of
With changes to any one of these options of font family, font size and font style, the microprocessor 58 executes a process to determine the display characteristics for the email header list. First, the boundaries for each column of the email headers are determined based on the user-selected font attributes chosen for display (step 70). The process can also be executed by the microprocessor 58 at any other suitable time, such as at start up of the portable electronic device 22.
Next, the microprocessor 58 determines the width of a test case string for the address column (step 72). Any suitable string can be used for a test case. For example, the string chosen can be “Suitable?”. The width of the test case string for the email message is then compared to the width of the address column based on the boundaries determined at step 70, and a decision as to how to display the email message header is made (step 74). In other words, it is determined whether the column width is sufficient for the test case, “Sufficient?”, to fit within the column provided. If the width of the test case string is smaller to or equal to the width of the address column, then the decision is made to display the email message headers in a single line of the email message header list (step 76). Thus, when the test case string fits within the designated column space, the email message header is displayed on a single line in the list. On the other hand, if the width of the test case string is larger than the width of the address column, a decision is made to display each of the email message headers on two lines in the list (step 78). Thus, if the test case string does not fit within the designated column space, each of the email message headers is displayed on two lines in the list.
When a decision is made to display each of the message headers on two lines in the list, the subject column is moved to the second line for each of the email headers while the priority, the status, the time and the address are displayed in the first line of the email header. Thus, the width of the designated space for display of the address field is effectively increased to the remainder of the width of the display 44 (full width minus the width of the columns for priority, status, and time). Thus, the address column left edge remains the same, while the address column right edge on the display 44 is extended to the right edge of the display 44.
In the present embodiment, the subject column is indented on the second line of the display. This allows the user to more clearly distinguish between email message headers in the list. The left edge of the second line of each email message header is determined based on the left edge of the address column in the first line of the email message header. The left edge of the address column in the first line of the email message header is compared to the full display width, and a determination is made based on this comparison (step 80). If the left edge of the address column falls within a first predetermined portion of the display 44, the left edge of the subject field space is aligned with the left edge of the address field space (Step 82). In the present embodiment, the left edge of the subject field space is aligned with the left edge of the address field space if the left edge of the address field space falls within, for example, the first (left) 30 percent of the display 44. It will be appreciated that 30 percent is used for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable percentage or a measurement in pixels can be used.
If, on the other hand, the left edge of the address field space does not fall within the first predetermined portion of the display 44, the left edge of the subject field space is, for example, aligned with the midpoint of the time field column in the first line of the message header (step 84). It will be appreciated that user selection of a very large font for display results in the left edge of the address field space failing outside the first predetermined portion of the display 44. Thus, the left edge of the subject field space is shifted left to provide more space for the subject field for each message header.
When the email message header list is provided to the user, for example, upon selection of the email messaging application from the menu screen shown in
Reference is now made to
Referring now to
Referring now to
While the embodiments described herein are directed to particular implementations of the method for displaying an electronic message in a list on a display of an electronic device and to the electronic device, it will be understood that modifications and variations to these embodiments are within the scope and sphere of the present application.
In one exemplary embodiment, the user of the device is provided with user-selectable attribute options for display of the second line of the header list when the device is in Auto or 2 lines header mode. Thus, the user can select an alternative attribute such as an alternative font family, font size, font style, or colour for email headers when the subject field appears on a second line. Referring to
In the first described embodiment, the decision as to whether or not to display the subject field on the next line is made based on a comparison of the test case string width with the designated width of the address column. In another embodiment, the decision as to whether or not to display the subject field on the next line is made based on a comparison of a test case string width with the designated width of the subject column. In still another embodiment, the subject field is returned to the first line of the display when all email messages in said list have been opened by the user.
It will be appreciated that the portable electronic device of
Thus, according to one aspect, there is provided a method of controlling a display of an electronic device for displaying a list of electronic messages. The method includes comparing a width of a designated space for a field of the electronic messages to a minimum width to determine if the width is sufficient, and if the width is determined to be sufficient, maintaining the width of the designated space, otherwise increasing the width of the designated space.
According to another aspect, there is provided an electronic device. The electronic device includes a memory for storage of electronic messages, a communications device for receiving and sending the electronic messages, a display device for displaying the electronic messages in a list, a user input device for user selection and manipulation of the electronic messages, and a processor for comparing a width of a designated space for a field of the electronic messages to a minimum width to determine if the width is sufficient. If the width is determined to be sufficient, the width of the designated space is maintained, otherwise the width of the designated space is increased.
According to yet another aspect, there is provided a computer program product for displaying an electronic message in a list on a display of an electronic device. The computer program product includes a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for comparing a width of a designated space for a field of the electronic messages to a minimum width to determine if the width is sufficient and if the width is determined to be sufficient, maintaining the width of the designated space, otherwise increasing the width of the designated space.
Advantageously, when there is not enough room for one of the fields of a message header, more room is made available for this field. This is accomplished by automatically switching from a single line in the display to multiple lines. This switching provides a larger space for address and subject fields of the message header. When a message header is switched to multiple lines of the display, a large portion of the screen width is provided for displaying an address field on the first line of the message header. Similarly, a large portion of the screen width is provided for displaying a subject field on a second line of the message header. In another advantage, the address and subject fields can be aligned when it is determined that sufficient space is provided and can automatically be switched such that the subject field is provided more space, thereby moving the subject field to the left, out of alignment with the address field if the subject field does not fit in the space provided when in alignment.
Many alternatives and variations to the above-described embodiments are possible, for example, many of the options provided in the submenus and the displayed details in the screens shown in the Figures are provided for exemplary purposes and such options and details can vary.
Still many other modifications and variations may occur to those skilled in the art. All such modifications and variations are believed to be within the sphere and scope of the present application.
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