Abstract:
A method for rendering an e-mail item listing within a graphical user interface of an e-mail application on a display device is disclosed. The method includes receiving an input from an input device to select a first item of the e-mail item listing, applying a first selection highlighting to the first item, wherein the applied first selection highlighting is visually distinguishable from a background color of the e-mail item listing, identifying a second item of the e-mail item listing based on a relation of the second item to the first item, and applying a second selection highlighting to the second item, wherein the applied second selection highlighting is visually distinguishable from the first selection highlighting and the background color.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/745,486, filed Dec. 29, 2003. This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/745,485 entitled “System and Method for Color Coding List Items,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/745,487 entitled “System and Method for Providing a Category Separator in a List of Documents,” now U.S. Pat. No. 7,421,664, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/745,482 entitled “System and Method for Scrolling Among Categories in a List of Documents.” Each of the above applications and/or patents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to features to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and handling items such as email messages. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Some conventional systems indicate that other items in a list are related to a selected message. One mechanism of indicating a relationship between items in a list highlights the selected items with a first color or “selection color” and the related items with a second color. Often, the second color may be specified by the developer, whereas the selection color may be a preference, for example, set by the user or system administrator. When the user changes colors for highlighting a selected message, (i.e. the selection color), the second color remains as specified. 
     What is needed is a mechanism to provide a highlighting feature that includes a secondary color derived from the selection color, such that the secondary color changes in accordance with changes to the selection color. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention relates to color selection features to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and handling items such as email messages. More particularly, the invention provides a secondary highlighting feature to indicate to a user a relationship between a selected message and one or more other messages. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, secondary highlighting is applied to a message when that message is related to a message selected by the user. Once a user selects a message, a selection color module determines if any other messages are related to the selected message. Items may be identified as related to the selected item through various mechanisms. One mechanism includes items with matching attribute values, such as subject matter or keywords included in the subject line or message itself. Another mechanism may utilize a threading system. Other mechanisms exist. Once the selection color module determines if there are any related messages, the related messages are indicated as such using secondary highlighting. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, a color for the secondary highlighting (i.e., the secondary color) is derived from a color for the selection highlighting (i.e., the selection color). Accordingly, when the selection color is changed, the secondary color is also changed in accordance with the selection color. In some embodiments of the invention, the secondary color is changed in proportion to the change in the selection color. In some embodiments of the invention, the secondary color is derived from the selection color. For example, a light blue color may be used for secondary highlighting, which is derived from a royal blue color of selection highlighting. 
     Coordinating the selection color and the secondary color is desirable for aesthetic reasons. This coordination also assists the user in readily identifying the various highlighted items, especially, when high contrast colors are used. 
     Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only and the invention is not limited to the particulars shown therein. Various alternatives and modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent from the description contained herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate various features provided by a selection color module according to various embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates features provided by a category navigation module according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a label that indicates a number of items in a particular category of items according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments of the invention are described below in terms of email systems that include one or more messages. However, it will become apparent from reading the following specification how various aspects of the invention may be used with other types of systems that include one or more items, such as, for example, file systems. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  100  that may be used in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. Accordingly to the invention, system  100  may provide various features, such as, for example, enhanced visual email features, to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and handling items, such as email messages. In some embodiments of the invention, system  100  includes one or both of a selection color module  130  and a category navigation module  140 . Selection color module  130  may provide the user with various color coordination features. Category navigation module  140  may assist the user in navigating the displayed messages. 
     In the embodiments illustrated in  FIG. 1 , selection color module  130  and category navigation module  140  may be utilized on or in conjunction with an email system  120  located at or operable with a user terminal  102 . Although various embodiments of the invention are described utilizing selection color module  130  and category navigation module  140  on user terminal  102 , it shall be understood by those skilled in the art that selection color module  130  and/or category navigation module  140  may be located on a  108  server or any machine or machines associated with user terminal  102 . 
     User terminal  102  is coupled to a server  108  over a network  106  via a communications link  104 . Examples of user terminal  102  may include any one or more of, for example, a desktop computer, a laptop or other portable computer, a hand-held computer device such as a Blackberry, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a web-enabled mobile phone, or a Palm Pilot, or any other computer device. 
     Network  106  may include any one or more networks. For instance, network  106  may include the Internet, an intranet, a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a SAN (Storage Area Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or other network. 
     Communications link  104  may include any one or more communications links. For instance, communications link  104  may include a copper telephone line, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection, a Digital Data Service (DDS) connection, an Ethernet connection, an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line, an analog modem connection, a cable modem connection, a wireless connection, or other communications link. 
     Server  108  may be or include, for instance, a workstation running Microsoft Windows™ NT™, Microsoft Windows® 2000, Unix, Linux, Xenix, IBM, AIX™, Hewlett-Packard UX®, Novell Netware™, Sun Microsystems Solaris™, OS/2™, BeOS™, Mach, Apache, OpenStep™, or other operating system or platform. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a database  110  may be operatively coupled to server  108 . Database  110  may store or otherwise include any information or data used by system  100 . Although database  110  is illustrated as operatively coupled to server  108 , it shall be understood by those skilled in the art that database  110  may be located on user terminal  102  or any machine or machines associated with user terminal  102  or operatively coupled to server  108  via a network as would be apparent. 
     Database  110  may store or otherwise include any type of data or information. Database  110  may include, or interface to, for example, the Oracle™ relational database sold commercially by Oracle Corporation, Informix™, DB2 (Database 2) or other data storage or query formats, platforms, or resources such as OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing), SQL (Standard Language Query), a SAN (storage area network), Microsoft Access™ or any other type of database. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates various color coordination selection features provided by selection color module  130  to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and/or handling email messages in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. Selection color module  130  provides for both a color coding  232  and a selection highlighting  234  of an item so that a user may distinguish between the two, as described below. 
     Some conventional email systems use color coding  232  to identify certain items that have a field or attribute with a particular value allowing these items to be easily identified. In  FIG. 2A , for example, a name “Laura Hanson” is color coded in green, a name “John Delay” is color coded in pink, and a name “Ben Fields” is color coded in yellow. As illustrated, color coding  232  is typically applied to the particular field or attribute (i.e., the name, date, subject), rather than the entire message that includes the particular attribute. 
     Some conventional email systems use selection highlighting  234  to indicate that a particular message has been selected. In conventional systems, selection highlighting  234  results in the entire line corresponding to a selected message to be highlighted with a particular color. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 2A , a message from “Mike Rowles” is highlighted in a royal blue color to indicate it as the selected message. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, selection highlighting  234  and color coding  232  are combined into a color coordination selection feature  236  with regard to a single message whereby a user may distinguish between them. In some embodiments of the invention, selection color module  130  implements a selection coloring mechanism or process that color codes one or more portions of the selected item that have a particular value(s) and highlights the remaining portions of the selected item. According to the invention, if both selection highlighting  234  and color coding  232  apply to the selected item, both may be distinguished by a user. As will be discussed in further detail below, selection highlighting  234  may be applied to a selected messages as well as messages related to the selected message. As would be appreciated, color coordination selection feature  236  may be applied to various messages—selected, related, or otherwise—to coordinate aspects of more than one color or highlighting operation applied to a single message. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2A , a message from “Ben Fields” entitled “6+Vulcan Presentation Review Thur at 4 pm” illustrates color coordination selection feature  236  that combines color coding  232  and selection highlighting  234 . Color coding  232  results in “Ben Fields” being color coded in yellow, while the remaining portions of the message are highlighted in light blue. 
     As will be discussed in further detail below with regard to other aspects of the invention, highlighting, such as selection highlighting  234 , may be applied to a selected messages as well as messages related to the selected message. As would be appreciated, color coordination selection feature  236  may be applied to various messages—selected, related, or otherwise—to coordinate aspects of more than one color or highlighting operation applied to a single message. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates another color coordination selection feature provided by selection color module  130  to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and/or handling email messages in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. Selection color module  130  provides for secondary highlighting features to indicate to a user a relationship between a selected message and one or more other messages. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, secondary highlighting is applied to a message when that message is related to a message selected by the user. Once a user selects a message, selection color module  130  determines if any other messages are related to the selected message. For example,  FIG. 2B  illustrates a selection highlighting  244  (similar to selection highlighting  234  in  FIG. 2A ), in which a selected message from “Mike Rowles” entitled “6+Re: Vulcan wants longer contact” is highlighted in a royal blue color. A message from “Ben Fields” entitled “6+Vulcan Presentation Review Thur at 4 pm” is related to the selected message. According various embodiments of the invention, a secondary highlighting  248  is applied to the related message (i.e., the message from “Ben Fields”). In this example, the related message is highlighted in a light blue color. As would be appreciated, various colors for secondary highlighting  248  may be used, including the same color applied for selection highlighting  244 . 
     Messages may be identified as related to the selected message through various mechanisms. One mechanism includes identifying items with matching attribute values, such as subject matter or keywords included in the subject line or message itself. Other mechanisms may utilize various threading services such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/334,087 (Publication No. U.S. 20030163537A1), entitled “Method and Apparatus for Handling Conversation Threads and Message Groupings as a Single Entity,” filed Dec. 30, 2002, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/995,151 (Publication No. U.S. 20030101065A1), entitled “Method and Apparatus for Maintaining Conversation Threads in Electronic Mail,” filed Nov. 27, 2001, the specifications of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to any particular mechanism for determining threads among a set of documents including email messages. Once the selection color module determines if there are any related messages, the related messages are indicated as such using secondary highlighting  248 . 
     As would be appreciated, various colors for secondary highlighting  248  may be used, including the same color applied for selection highlighting  244 . In some embodiments of the invention, the color of secondary highlighting  248  (i.e., “secondary color”) is based on or otherwise related to the color of selection highlighting  244  (i.e., “selection color”). In these embodiments, when the selection color is changed, the secondary color is changed in accordance with the selection color. In some embodiments of the invention, the secondary color is changed in proportion to the change in the selection color. In some embodiments of the invention, the secondary color is derived from the selection color. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 2B , a light blue color is used for secondary highlighting  248 , which is derived from a royal blue color of selection highlighting  244 . 
     Coordination the selection color with the highlighting color is desirable for aesthetic reasons. This coordination also assists the user in identifying the various highlighted items, especially, when high contrast colors are used. 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  illustrate various aspects of the invention provided via category navigation module  140 . Category navigation module  140  assists the user with navigating among displayed items, such as email messages. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an indicator  346  that provides a user with a number of items that are “off screen” for a particular category  344 . In some embodiments of the invention, off screen items may include those items “above” the first line on a display. In other embodiments of the invention, off screen items may include those items “below” the last line on a display. In still other embodiments, off screen items include both those above and below the first and last lines, respectively. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, category navigation module  140  displays items, such as email messages, by categories, such as a category  344 . For example, in  FIG. 3 , category  344  includes a date. As illustrated, these dates include: “Day 1,” “Day 2,” and “Day 3.” Messages may be separated into various categories as would be appreciated, including, but not limited to, author, subject matter, importance, or any other category. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, categories  344  are separated with a category separator bar  342 . Category separator bar  342  controls the display of categories  344  such that the user may expand or collapse the messages included therein. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , messages in “Day 1” and “Day 3” are expanded, whereas messages in “Day 2” are collapsed. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, when a user scrolls through the messages included in a particular category  344 , such that some messages of the particular category  344  are scrolled off screen above the first line, category separator bar  342  remains in view by becoming fixed in the first line of the display. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, while messages included in a particular category  344  are partially on-screen with some messages scrolled above the fixed category separator bar  342 , category navigation module  140  may display indicator  346  that provides the user with an indication of a number of messages that are off screen for that category  344 . For example, in  FIG. 3 , indicator  346  reads “12 items off screen” to illustrate to the user that 12 messages included in the category “Day 1” are not displayed on the screen. As would be appreciated, indicator  346  may refer to a number of items above the first line, a number of items below the last line, or a combination of the two. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, if all messages in a particular category  344  are displayed on the screen, indicator  346  may not be displayed. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , there is no indicator  346  for the category entitled “Day 3,” illustrating to the user that all messages in the category are displayed on the screen. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, category navigation module  140  provides a command  348  that causes the first entry of a particular category  344  to be scrolled into view. Accordingly, when indicator  346  illustrates to the user that a certain number of items of a particular category  344  are off screen, the user can invoke command  348  thereby causing the first message of the particular category  344  to be displayed. When the user selects command  348 , no items of the particular category  344  are located above category separator bar  342 . 
     In some embodiments of the invention, if all messages of a particular category  344  are displayed on the screen, command  348  is not displayed. Because all messages in the particular category  344  are displayed on the screen, the first message of the particular category  344  is already displayed and there may be no need to provide this functionality. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the category line separator for “Day 3” does not include a command  348  because all messages in the category are already displayed on the screen. If a message in such a category becomes displaced from the screen, command  348  would be included in this category line separator as would be appreciated. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, category navigation module  140  may provide a label  350  to indicate the number of items in a particular category  344  matching a particular criteria. The particular criteria may be directed toward any characteristic of the message including, but not limited to, a number of messages included in a particular category, a status of the messages (i.e., unread or read), a level of importance of the messages (i.e., urgent or high importance), or other characteristic of the message(s). 
     For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , label  350  corresponds to a number of messages included in the category “Day 2” as “36 items”. As illustrated, label  350  may be provided even when category separator bar  342  is collapsed and not showing any messages included in a particular category  344 . 
     A further example is illustrated in  FIG. 4  where a label  350  corresponds to a number of items unread (“4 Unread items”) in the category “Day 3.” Label  350  may be displayed when indicator  346  is not required (i.e., all messages in the category are displayed on the screen), when indicator  346  is not desired to be displayed (i.e., the user does not want indicator  346  to be displayed), when indicator  346  is not able to be displayed (i.e., email system  120  cannot display indicator  346 ), or in conjunction with indicator  346  (i.e., indicator  346  and label  350  may both be located in category separator line). Further, in some embodiments of the invention, category navigation module  140  may display multiple labels  350  to illustrate various characteristics of a particular category  344 . 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, category navigation module  140  may provide a control  352  on at least one category separator line  342  for scrolling between categories. As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , control  352  may include an “up” arrow symbol to correspond with, for example, a previous category, and a “down” arrow symbol to correspond with, for example, a next category. However, various symbols or indicators may be used to indicate scrolling between next or previous categories. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, control  352  changes the selected category from one category to either the next category or the previous category, depending on which symbol is invoked. If more than one category is displayed on the screen, these categories continue to be displayed while the selected category is changed via control  352 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a user wishing to display a category corresponding to Wednesday of the prior week may do so by invoking control  352  on category separator bar  342  for “Day 2” a number of times. More specifically, the user may click the up arrow symbol seven times, each of which would change the selected category to the previous day, ultimately changing to the same weekday in the prior week. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, when control  352  is invoked, the categories remain in their positions relative to one another, and the display scrolls back through each of the prior days. In other embodiments of the invention, only the category corresponding to the invoked control  352  is changed while the other categories displayed remain the same. Thus, in the example described above where the user invoked the up arrow symbol seven times, the display of  FIG. 3  would include the categories for “Day 1” and “Day 3” while the “Day 2” category will have been changed to “Day-5” (i.e., corresponding to the same weekday in the prior week). 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments descried herein. Other embodiments, uses and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification should be considered exemplary only, and the scope of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited by the following claims.