Stream navigation

FIELD: information technology.

SUBSTANCE: stream is accessed; the location of the header of each message in the stream is determined; the styling of each message in the stream is modified at least partly based on the location of the header of each message; a visual image of the stream is formed; and a navigation control element is displayed on the screen for navigation between all messages in the stream within at least one of the message headers in the visually displayed stream.

EFFECT: stream navigation with message identification from headers.

20 cl, 8 dwg

PRIOR art

Electronic communication has become an integral part of human life and in business and at home. Using electronic communication, such as email, instant messaging, SMS and other people can communicate, conduct business, and make appointments. For example, in some programs, personal information management (PIM) allows the user to manage and organize e-mail messages, schedules, tasks, notes, contacts and other information.

In order to help the user to more easily navigate their e-mail, they can group messages by attributes such as date, size, dialogue, theme, importance, and Many other users are reading their emails online. However, it is often very difficult to read a long e-mail conversation, given the amount of content and many answers are combined into one stream.

The INVENTION

This is a brief summary of the invention gives a view in simplified form of a few ideas, which are further described in detail. This is the summary of the invention is neither intended to identify key or essential characteristics of the claimed invention, nor to determine the amount of izopet the deposits.

The user can easily read, view and navigate between messages contained in the stream. The user interface elements to facilitate user identification of the messages contained in the stream. Different parts of the message can be selected so that they are easier to identify. The user can easily navigate the flow, choosing any user interface element, such as, for example, arrow button, to move to the next or previous message in the thread. The order flow can also be reversed so that the user can view the stream with the first message to the last or to view the stream from the last message before the first message. Messages in a thread can be marked, for example, XML tags, in order to ensure the identification of parts of messages in the stream.

LIST of FIGURES

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary computing device;

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating in General terms the navigation system flow;

Fig. 3 illustrates an illustrative flow;

Fig. 4 is an illustration of a user interface element to navigate through the messages in the thread;

Fig. 5 is an illustration of the change the order of messages in the opposite direction in the flow;

Fig. 6 - Il who ustralia razmechenija flows tags;

Fig. 7 is an illustration of an integrated flow; and

Fig. 8 is an illustration of a process for navigating the stream, in accordance with aspects of the invention.

DETAILED description of the INVENTION

Refer now to the drawings in which the same reference numbers represent the same elements, which will be described various aspects of the present invention. In particular, Fig. 1 and the corresponding discussion are intended to provide a brief, General description of a suitable computing environment in which embodiments of the invention may be implemented.

Generally, program modules include procedures, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement a separate abstract data types. Other configurations of the computer system can also be used, including handheld devices, multiprocessor systems, programmable consumer electronics or electronics with microprocessor control, minicomputers, universal computing machines (mainframes) and other Distributed computing environments may also be used where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment software fashion and can be found in local, and remote storage devices.

Reading the discussion of the procedures presented here, it should be noted that the logical operations of various embodiments are implemented (1) as a sequence implemented by the computer or software modules executing in a computer system, and/or (2) interconnected machine diagrams in logic or modules of schemes within the computing system. The implementation is a matter of choice, dependent on operational requirements in relation to a computer system that implements the invention. Accordingly, the logical operations illustrated and components of the described embodiments of, referred to variously as operations, structural devices, acts or modules. These operations, structural devices, acts and modules may be implemented in software, in hardware / software tools, digital logic circuits for special purposes and in any combination of the above.

For the purposes of this description, the term "message" refers to the length of the stream, which begins with a header of one message in a thread prior to the start of the header of the next message in the same thread.

Consider now Fig. 1, an illustrative computer architecture for a computer 2 that is used in different ways is sushestvennee, will be described. The computer architecture shown in Fig. 1 shows a conventional desktop or laptop PC that includes a Central processing unit ("CPU"), a system memory 7, including memory 9 ("RAM") and read-only memory ("ROM") 11, and a bus 12, which connects the memory and the CPU 5. The system basic input/output, containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer, such as during startup, is contained in the ROM 11. The computer 2 also includes a device 14 mass memory for storing an operating system 16, application programs and other software modules, which will be described in more detail below.

The device 14 mass memory connected to the Central processor 5 using the controller's mass memory (not shown)connected to the bus 12. The device 14 mass memory and its associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage for the computer 2. Although the description of computer-readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage device such as a hard drive, or CD-ROM, computer-readable media can be any available media that the computer 2 can access.

As an example, and not limitation, computer-readable the media may include computer storage media and communication environment. Computer storage media include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as Mashinostroenie team, structured data, program modules or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not in a restrictive sense, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, Flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical disk media, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and which computer 2 can access.

In accordance with various methods of carrying out the invention, the computer 2 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to remote computers through a network 18, such as, for example, the Internet. The computer 2 may be connected to the network 18 through the block 20 of the network interface connected to the bus 12. Unit 20 of the network interface can also be used to connect with other types of networks and remote computer systems. The computer 2 may also include a controller 22 I/o for receiving and processing input from a number of other is troist, including keyboard, mouse, or electronic stylus (not shown in Fig. 1). In a similar manner, the controller 22 I/o can provide data output on the monitor, printer, and other types of output devices.

As was briefly mentioned above, a number of program modules and data files may be stored in the device 14 mass memory and RAM 9 of the computer 2, including an operating system 16 suitable for controlling the operation of a networked personal computer, for example, the WINDOWS XP operating system from MICROSOFT CORPORATION, Redmond, Washington. The device 14 mass memory and RAM 9 may also contain one or more software modules. In particular, the device 14 mass memory and RAM 9 may contain program 24 e-mail and the application program 10 processing text. The application program 10 text processing is configured to provide functionality for creating and editing electronic documents, which, for example, as an e-mail for program 24 e-mail. In accordance with a variant embodiment of the invention, the application program 10 processing text is applied to the word processing program MICROSOFT WORD from MICROSOFT CORPORATION. Other applications of text processing can also be used.

The application program 24 e-mail made in what zmoznostjo provide the functionality related to e-mail. For example, the program 24 e-mail can be used to create, display, send and receive e-mail. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the application program 24 e-mail is an applied e-mail program MICROSOFT OUTLOOK from MICROSOFT CORPORATION. Other applications e-mail and/or messaging can also be used.

In combination with the on-screen display e-mail, Manager (management tool) 26 link e-mail messages can be used for formatting e-mail messages for easier navigation. Despite the fact that the Manager 26 layout of the e-mail message is shown separately from the program 24 e-mail, this functionality may be located in different places. For example, it can be included in the e-mail program, or is in some other place. Typically, Manager 26 layout of the e-mail message configures the flow so that it was easier to navigate.

Fig. 2 illustrates a navigation system flow 200 in accordance with aspects of the invention.

In General, the system 200 navigation flow is pomogaet the user to read, to view, navigate between messages that are contained in the stream.

Manager 26 layout provides service application program 24 e-mail. In accordance with one embodiment, documents, e-mail and related flows can be stored in the auxiliary storage device 34. To communicate with the Manager 26 layout, can be implemented in one or more callback procedures. Using codes callback Manager 26 composition may request, subject to additional information required to configure different parts of the threads.

Manager 26 layout provides tools for formatting e-mail and navigation flow. Manager 26 layout provides these tools in response to a request from an application program 24 e-mail. Program 24 e-mail and Manager 26 composition include tools navigation to provide reading, viewing, and navigation between the relevant parts of the flow of e-mail. Manager 26 composition may include user interface elements within the e-mail in order to facilitate user identification and navigation messages contained in the Oka. Manager 26 composition can also select different parts of the message so that they are easier to identify. When the UI element is contained in the stream, the user can easily navigate the stream, selecting a user interface element, for example, click the arrow to move to the next or previous message in the thread. Manager 26 composition can also change the order of messages in the thread before it is displayed; for example, the order flow can be rotated in the opposite direction so that the user can view the stream from the first message that was sent in the stream, until the last (most current), or view the thread with the most recent message to the first. Manager 26 composition may also mark the stream, for example, XML tags, in order to facilitate identification of different parts of a message in the stream.

Program 24 e-mail can communicate with the Manager of 26 link to request formatting at least part of the stream. Program 24 e-mail can also provide Manager 26 layout of text and other content of the e-mail message, which should be formatted. Razmeshenie parts of the e-mail message tags in the stream allows the e-p is city more easily identify the part of the stream. For example, the XML markup can be used to polecenia tags corresponding workpiece part e-mail message, so that it was easy to identify. The e-mail program 24 is also configured to generate a display of the document 40 e-mail.

Fig. 3 shows an illustrative flow. As shown, the flow 300 e-mail shows 5 different messages (320, 321, 322, 323 and 324) inside the flow 300 e-mail messages. In accordance with one embodiment, the header and/or beginning of each message shaded (see 310, 311, 312 and 313) so that the user can easily identify where the start and end of different messages. Any way to select individual messages in a thread can be used. For example, messages can be shown in one color, and header information can be displayed in a different color. In accordance with other variants of implementation, the headers can be shown in different ways. For example, they can be shown collapsed, polyurothane or fully deployed. Other information may also be contained in the header. For example, the header may contain a number (330), which specifies the number of the current message in the thread. In our example, the second header 310 indicates that this is the second message of the five (330).

The header may also be determined based on such characteristics as who sent the message, the date the other information. For example, the headers associated with one user can be highlighted in red (not shown), whereas the headers associated with another user, can be highlighted in green.

Fig. 4 illustrates a user interface element to navigate through the messages in the thread. The user interface element may provide the user a way to navigate from one message to the next within a thread without scrolling through the whole thread. In accordance with one embodiment, arrow 410 "Next" (Next) arrow 420 "Previous" ("Previous") allow the user to navigate to the next or previous message in the thread.

In accordance with one embodiment, when the user hovers the cursor over the shaded area of the header 430, there are two navigation arrows (410 and 420), and when selected, the display part of the flow skips to the next or previous title inside the thread. Thus, the user can position the cursor over the arrow and click to move the thread, without having to move the mouse to select another message. This allows the user to easily navigate through the messages in the stream of e-mail, moving quickly to each message in flux is E. For example, if a user searches for a specific answer someone, he has to click on one of the navigation buttons to navigate the flow of e-mail to the detection of the desired response.

Use the navigation arrows is an alternative to scrolling through a thread of email messages to search for something. The user can visually look at one part of the screen and continue to press on one of the navigation arrows to eventually lead to the message portion of the screen on which the user is looking. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the user may select a user interface element to move to the beginning or end of the stream of e-mail messages. Movement to the bottom of the e-mail message allows the user to read the e-mail message in chronological order. The user can read that he wrote the first man, and then either click on the upper arrow or scroll to move to the next thread.

Fig. 5 shows the change in the direction of messages in the thread on the back. There are some things that you might want to do, reading the stream. One of them is to read the thread in chronological order. Without changing the direction of flow, the floor the user would have to navigate to the bottom of the stream, and then read this thread from the bottom up.

The order of messages in a thread can be changed so that the thread started with the first message sent within a stream. In accordance with one embodiment, a button called "Start a dialogue with the original e-mail message" ("Start Conversation with Original Email"), can be used for changing the direction of flow so that the old response in the entire thread would have been in the first place. Threads usually start with the most recent messages sent and delivered to the oldest, which is the original message in a stream of e-mail messages. Changing the order on the back allows the user to read the whole thread in the order, which is often desirable for long threads.

Please refer to the original order 510, where the stream contains 3 messages. The first message (530) was sent on November 14, 2004 and is displayed on the last place in the stream 510. The second message (540) was sent November 15, 2004, at 9:59 PM and is displayed on the second place in the stream 510. The third message (550) was sent November 15, 2004, 11:13 PM and is displayed on the first place in the stream. Despite the fact that the sample flow can be easily seen as a whole, many threads are much longer and the user can be difficult to navigate the stream.

In the Oka 520 with the changed direction of the order of the messages contained in the stream, turned so that the user can now view the first message sent in the stream before you view the next message sent in the stream. When handling, message 530 is now displayed at the first location in the flow 520, followed by the message 540, followed by the message 550.

Fig. 6 illustrates razmeshenie streams tags. The threads are laid out tags so that part of the stream could be easily identified. In accordance with one embodiment, the stream is marked by a tag in accordance with the XML schema. Can be used many different partitioning schemes. In accordance with one embodiment, the markup is short to save space. Considering the sample message 610 e-mail, you can see that Roberto Taboada is the sender, Deborah Harris is the recipient, the subject is "Dinner" ("Dinner") and the message was sent on Friday, October 22, 2004 at 2:01 PM. The message text is "Where do you want to go to dinner? Roberto." ("Where do you to go for dinner? Roberto"). In accordance with one embodiment, each item in the message is the markup element. XML markup 620 message 610 e-mail illustrates an exemplary markup elements. The following table illustrates the approximate description of these cell battery (included) is tov:

Alternatively, only some of the elements in the e-mail message can be used to razmechenija tags. For example, all information in the header may be formatted using the tag as a single unit.

Fig. 7 shows an integrated flow 700. Messages in the stream 710 can come from many different e-mail programs. For example, the first message may be created by program 1, while the other messages within a thread can be created by the program 2. In accordance with one embodiment, when the flow is accepted, it is syntactically parsed to find the header information. Parsing identifies the header blocks for e-mail messages created using e-mail programs, do not use markup. In accordance with one embodiment, temporary tags are added to the stream before it is displayed. Tags can also be permanent. Razmeshenie temporary tags helps to provide navigation functionality, described herein, are utilized when the existing version of the compilation of e-mail (or other e-mail clients).

The XML markup that is used to razmechenija e-mail message is short, to avoid increasing the flow of the volume. As illustrated, using very simple tags to the XML markup 720 significantly influenced by e-mail. XML markup 720 is a markup sample message 710 e-mail.

Fig. 8 shows a process for the navigation of the stream, in accordance with aspects of the invention. After the operation start, the procedure goes to step 810, where access to the stream.

Turning to operation 820, the flow of syntactically parsed to locate items of interest. As discussed above, in accordance with one embodiment, the header of each message is of interest to element. Any item in the stream, however, can be characterized as interest. Parsing explores the stream for the presence of a tagged tag sites; identifies areas of the stream that have already been marked up with tags and then lays out the tags field, which were not marked. At this stage, the location of known headers.

Turning to operation 830, the appearance of a stream, for example, headers may be modified. For example, gradient shading can be applied to the headers; headers can be highlighted; collapsed/expanded, etc. In General, any specified action can be applied.

In Opera the AI 840 visual display of the flow is generated and provided to the user to navigate the stream. The display stream includes a modified external appearance so that the user can more easily navigate the stream.

Turning to operation 850, the interaction with the flow are tracked in order to determine not activated if the user any of the navigation functions described above. For example, the process may monitor, not made whether the user has the cursor on the header. The process can also monitor to determine when the selected button of the user interface.

Turning to operation 860, are any specific navigation actions. For example, in accordance with one embodiment, when the user hovers the cursor over the header, seem arrow "Next" and "Previous". The action can also change the output on the screen, based on the action selection control on the user interface. For example, can be selected, the control for changing the direction of flow in reverse, to move the up/down stream, move to the next/previous message in the thread, etc.

The process then proceeds to completion operations and continues to process other actions.

Given the above examples and data provide a complete description of the product and the use of components is subramania.

1. Implemented by computer navigation messages in the stream containing phases in which:
access to the stream;
determine the location of the header of each message in the stream;
modify the external appearance of each message in the stream, based at least in part, on the location of the header of each message;
form a visual display of the stream; and
display on the screen of the navigation control to navigate between all of the messages in the stream within at least one of the message headers in visual stream.

2. Implemented by the computer method of claim 1, wherein when the modification of appearance of each message in the thread executes at least one of changing the Shader header of each message; applying a gradient shading to the header of each message; change the color of the header of each message; coagulation, at least part of the message headers; deploying at least part of the message header; the inclusion of ID in the header of each message; and inclusion of selectable user interface element in at least one of the message headers, which, when selected, performs a navigation function on messages in thread.

3. Rea is Swamy computer method according to claim 1, where, when determining the location header of each message in the thread apply heuristics to the stream to identify the locations of message headers.

4. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 3, in which when determining the location of the header of each message in the stream determine the location of at least one of the fields "From"field, the "Subject" field and the field "Message".

5. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 1, additionally containing a stage, on which mark the thread using the markup language, while razmazanii flow mark, at least one element associated with each message.

6. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 5, in which the element is at least one element of the message header, message item, "item From the"item "Sent"; element "To"element "Copy", item, "BCC", "Subject" and "Significance".

7. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 5, in which razmeshenie temporarily associated with the stream.

8. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 5, in which the markup is XML markup.

9. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 1, additionally containing a stage before it is displayed on the screen of the navigation control, which determines when the user is aiming the Yong cursor on one of the messages.

10. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 9, in which the navigation control is displayed on the screen so that he remained approximately the same place on the screen as you navigate through the stream.

11. Implemented by the computer method according to claim 1, additionally containing a stage at which change the order of messages in the thread on the back.

12. Machine-readable media having executable computer commands to navigate through the messages in the thread that contains:
accessing the stream;
parsing the stream in order to identify the header of each message;
razmeshenie header of each message in accordance with the scheme;
modification of the exterior of the header of each message;
the formation of the visual stream; and
displaying on the screen of the navigation control to navigate between all of the messages in the stream within at least one of the message headers in visual stream.

13. Machine-readable media according to item 12, in which the schema is an XML schema.

14. Machine-readable media according to item 13, in which the parsing of the stream to identify the header of each message includes locating at least one of the fields "From", field, floor the "Subject" field "Message".

15. Machine-readable media according to item 12, in which razmeshenie header of each message in accordance with the scheme includes razmeshenie the "From"field field "Sent", field, field "CC", field "BCC" and the "Subject"field.

16. Machine-readable media according to item 12, which displays the navigation control contains the modification of the formation of the visual stream, when the navigation control is selected.

17. Machine-readable media according to clause 16, in which the selectable navigational control performs at least one transition to the next message, previous message, go to the top of the thread, go to the bottom of the flow and circulation of the stream.

18. A computer system for navigating a message flow that contains:
the means to access the stream;
means for determining the location of a header of each message in the stream;
means for modifying the appearance of each message based at least partially on the location header of each message;
the means for forming a visual display of the stream; and
means for displaying on the screen of the navigation control to navigate between all of the messages in the stream within, at m is re, one of the message headers in visual stream.

19. System p, in which the means for modifying the appearance of each message is made with the possibility of changing the Shader header of each message.

20. The system according to claim 19, further containing means for razmechenija flow in accordance with the XML schema.