Patent ID: 7953431
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: G06F,H04M

Abstract:
1. A message display method in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising: receiving a message from a specific party; displaying the received message from the specific party on a first display portion of a display of the terminal; displaying a message editing interface on a second display portion of the terminal to enable editing a response message to the received message from the specific party via user contact with the second display portion of the terminal, wherein the first display portion and the second display portion are displayed on at least one touch screen of the terminal; transmitting the response message to the specific party; storing previously received messages and previously transmitted messages, the previously received messages including the message received from the specific party and messages received from other parties, and the previously transmitted messages including the response message transmitted to the specific party and messages transmitted to other parties; displaying a list comprising distinct names or distinct telephone numbers of sources of the previously received messages and recipients of the previously transmitted messages, the list including the name or telephone number of the specific party, wherein a message previously received from one source of the list is displayed simultaneously with the displaying of the list; selecting the specific party from the list to retrieve only messages received from the specific party among the previously received messages and messages previously transmitted to the specific party among the previously transmitted messages; displaying a first message list on the display of the terminal; displaying a second message list on the display of the terminal, wherein the first message list includes the previously received messages of only a single party, which is the specific party, and wherein the second message list includes the previously transmitted messages of only a single party, which is the specific party, and wherein the first message list is distinct from the second message list; displaying simultaneously, on the display, message received dates and message transmission dates, wherein the message received dates and the message transmission dates are displayed to be aligned vertically, relative to each other, and at locations within the first message list and the second message list; providing a message input mode responsive to user input, wherein the message input mode permits user entry of a message for sending to the specific party, wherein the message input mode is provided after the first message list and the second message list have been displayed for a period of time, and wherein during the period of time, no message editing interface is displayed; displaying, while in the message input mode, content associated with a message of the first message list on the first display portion of the terminal; and displaying, while in the message input mode, the message editing interface on the second display portion of the terminal, wherein the message editing interface includes a soft keypad.