GB2557576A

GB2557576A - Improvements relating to messaging applications

Info

Publication number: GB2557576A
Application number: GB1617386.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Planeta Dawid; Keane Steve
Original assignee: Joivy Ltd
Current assignee: Joivy Ltd
Priority date: 2016-10-13
Filing date: 2016-10-13
Publication date: 2018-06-27
Also published as: WO2018069728A1; GB201617386D0

Abstract

From a group of messages received by the messaging application, a first and second set of message items are generated. Each message item of the second set is generated from a corresponding message of the group that comprises an attachment. A message history pane 40 displays a browsable arrangement of the first set of message items, and an attachment pane 70 displays a browsable arrangement of the second set of message items, including images thereof. The second set of message items are moveable during browsing relative to the first set of message items. Thus, the navigational control of one pane affects the other. A user browsing action, such as an up or down drag gesture applied within the region of either the message history pane 40, or the attachment pane 70 allows the user to designate that pane for scrolling. In addition to this, the positions of the message items within the non-designated pane are continuously updated in response to the positions of the message items in the designated pane. Aspects include displaying a link indicator 91 that visually indicates an association between items in each pane that derive from a common message.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Joivy Ltd

Fore Street, London, EC2Y 5EJ, United Kingdom (72) Inventor(s):

Dawid Pianeta Steve Keane (56) Documents Cited:

US 20160283051 A1 US 20090319618 A1 (58) Field of Search:

INT CL G06F, H04L, H04M Other: EPODOC, WPI

US 20120284639 A1 US 20060069990 A1 (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Keltie LLP

No. 1 London Bridge, LONDON, SE1 9BA, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Improvements relating to messaging applications

Abstract Title: Browsing messages comprising attachments received via a messaging application (57) From a group of messages received by the messaging application, a first and second set of message items are generated. Each message item of the second set is generated from a corresponding message of the group that comprises an attachment. A message history pane 40 displays a browsable arrangement of the first set of message items, and an attachment pane 70 displays a browsable arrangement of the second set of message items, including images thereof. The second set of message items are moveable during browsing relative to the first set of message items.

Thus, the navigational control of one pane affects the other. A user browsing action, such as an up or down drag gesture applied within the region of either the message history pane 40, or the attachment pane 70 allows the user to designate that pane for scrolling. In addition to this, the positions of the message items within the non-designated pane are continuously updated in response to the positions of the message items in the designated pane. Aspects include displaying a link indicator 91 that visually indicates an association between items in each pane that derive from a common message.

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Figure 1

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Electronic device

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Figure 2

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MESSAGE CONVERSATION X

HAT PARTICIPANT A NAME message text composed by chat participant A sent to ail the participants of conversation X including chat participant B ¹12c_t 40 c

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CHAT PARTICIPANT B NAME message text composed by chat participant B responding to participant A

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CHAT PARTICIPANT C NAME chat participant C message text, responding to participants

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MESSAGE CONVERSATION X i i ikjjjuykj ιολι k/Ui i k> y iui participant B responding to participant A

09.54

CHAT PARTICIPANT C NAME chat participant C message text responding to participants A and B

10.00

CHAT PARTICIPANT B NAME even more message text composed by chat participant B directly following chat participant C's message sent at ten o'clock, and responding to both participant A and participant B but not including any attachments

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CHAT PARTICIPANT C NAME

Add message here

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MESSAGE CONVERSATION X

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CHAT PARTICIPANT C NAME some additional message text sent by chat participant C 10.04

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MESSAGE CONVERSATION X

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MESSAGE CONVERSATION X

CHAT PARTICIPANT A NAME message text composed t participant A sent to all the participants of conversatic including chat participant

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CHAT PARTICIPANT B NAME message text composed b participant B responding tc participant A

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MESSAGE CONVER

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Improvements relating to messaging applications

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to methods, devices and systems for browsing messages received, for example, via a messaging application. In particular, the present invention relates to the browsing of a group of messages comprising attachments.

Background to the invention

Instant messaging applications are widely-used by parties wishing to communicate in a conversational style. Electronic portable device, such as smartphones, have contributed to the popularity of messaging applications, and facilitated messaging between individuals, or groups of individuals.

Whilst the messaging interface supported by such electronic devices used to be solely text-based, advances have enabled message display and composition to be supported by graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

Accordingly, messaging applications have evolved to support the transmission and display of media such as images. These are generally displayed within a message history pane together with message items that are absent of media, and are ordered sequentially and chronologically within the message history pane, to form a part of a message thread or conversation. Furthermore, other attachments may be sent between messaging participants, a representation of the attachment being displayed within the message history pane, the representation being user-selectable to activate the attachment, either within the messaging application, or via invoking another application executable on the electronic device. For example, attachments may be videos or sound files that, on selection, may be played to the user within the application. Alternatively, attachments may be documents to be opened by word-processing or spreadsheet applications separate to the messaging application.

Media or other attachments, whilst not forming part of the text of a conversation conducted via a messaging application, can nonetheless be an important part of the conversation. For example, attachments may catalyse a new topic to be discussed within an ongoing message thread, and so often represent milestones within a message thread. Moreover, attachments are inherently more self-contained than the text of a message thread, and so are in a form that can be more readily shared, for example with other individuals via other message threads. A photograph, for example, may be shared between with an individual's various social circles.

Accordingly, attachments that have formed part of a message history are often specifically sought by users, so that they may be viewed or shared. Thus, a user wanting to access an attachment that resides within the history of a particular conversation often needs to browse through the message history to find it. This is relatively slow and time-consuming.

Moreover, on electronic mobile devices that have relatively small display screens, a message history pane is able only to simultaneously display a limited number of message items. Message items within a message history pane are typically arranged in a stack that can be scrolled through by a user. To do this, the user typical performs a navigation gesture, such an downward drag gesture on a touch-sensitive display screen of the electronic mobile device, to initiate a corresponding movement of the message stack. If the message history is large, such a navigation gesture will need to be repeated many times by the user to navigate to the desired portion of the message history that contains the attachment that the user is searching for. Such repetition i\s inconvenient, and the user's finger that performs the gesture will typically occlude a portion of the screen for most of the browsing operation. Additionally, such a browsing operation demands the user's attention for the entire duration of the browsing operation. A momentary lapse in attention or an inopportune occlusion of the screen may cause the user to accidentally scroll past the item of interest, significantly hindering the browsing operation.

Search functions are provided in existing messaging applications in an attempt to alleviate some of these problems. However, searching tends to be practically limited to text-based searches. If a user is searching for an image, then there is often no practical way to define the search parameter for that image, and so browsing is necessary to find the relevant image.

Some messaging applications allow the media that has been sent via the messaging application to be viewed in a different application. Specifically, media sent via the messaging application is stored within a region of the memory of the electronic device that is readily accessible by other applications such as media browsers or gallery applications. Accordingly, a media browser or the like can access the media independently to the messaging application, and present it to the user in isolation, without the additional message information that would otherwise be provided by the messaging application.

This is useful to a degree, in that the user is able to quickly browse through the media only, and so does not need to scroll through potentially large quantities of message text.

However, the drawback of this approach is that the user needs to switch between the messaging application and the media browsing application.

Additionally, as the media is stored separately, there is no link to the originating message, or messages set directly before or after transmission of the media, which may be important to understand the context of the image, and may contain additional information that the user is searching for (e.g. the author of an item of media, names, addresses, location that a photograph was taken, a comment associated with the item of media, etc).

It is against this background that the present invention has been devised.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a computerimplemented method of browsing messages received via a messaging application. In general, the method comprises at least one of:

o displaying a message history pane configured to display an ordered browsable arrangement of a first set of message items corresponding to a group of messages;

o displaying an attachment pane, the attachment pane being configured to display an ordered browsable arrangement of a second set of message items corresponding to messages of the group having attachments;

o receiving from a user a browsing action that designates either the message history pane or the attachment pane; and o moving the message items of the designated pane in accordance with the browsing action and, in response, moving the message items within the nondesignated pane such that the first and second set of message items move relative to one another.

For the avoidance of doubt, the invention may encompass variations wherein the method comprises:

a. receiving from a user a browsing action that designates the message history pane, moving the message items of the message history pane in accordance with the browsing action and, in response, moving the message items within the attachment pane such that the first and second set of message items move relative to one another; and/or

b. receiving from a user a browsing action that designates the attachment pane, moving the message items of the attachment in accordance with the browsing action and, in response, moving the message items within the message history pane such that the first and second set of message items move relative to one another.

In other words, the invention may encompass three possible variations:

i) user-controlled movement of the message attachment pane causes responsive movement of the attachment pane, but not the other way around;

ii) user-controlled movement of the attachment pane causes responsive movement of the message history pane, but not the other way around;

iii) user-controlled movement of one pane causes responsive movement in the other, and vice-versa.

More specifically, the first aspect of the present invention provides a computerimplemented method of browsing messages received via a messaging application, the method comprising at least one of:

o generating, from a sequenced group of messages received by the messaging application, a first set of message items for display in a message history pane, and a second set of message items for display in an attachment pane, with each message item of the second set optionally:

being generated from a corresponding message of the group that comprises an attachment;

having a counterpart in the first set of message items; and/or comprising an image associated with the attachment of the corresponding message;

o displaying a message history pane configured to display a browsable arrangement of the first set of message items which are optionally ordered with respect to the sequence;

o displaying an attachment pane configured to display a browsable arrangement of the second set of message items, optionally including each of the images thereof, the second set of message items optionally being ordered with respect to the sequence, and optionally being moveable during browsing relative to the first set of message items;

o receiving from a user a browsing action that designates either the message history pane or the attachment pane;

o moving the position of message items within the designated pane in accordance with the browsing action; and/or o updating the position of the message items within the non-designated pane in response, and ideally to prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the designated pane.

Again, for the avoidance of doubt, the invention may therefore encompass variations in which the method comprises:

o receiving from a user a browsing action that designates the message history pane, moving the position of message items within the message history pane in accordance with the browsing action, and updating the position ofthe message items within the attachment pane in response, prioritising within the attachment pane the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the message history pane; and/or o receiving from a user a browsing action that designates the attachment pane, moving the position of message items within the attachment pane in accordance with the browsing action, and updating the position of the message items within the message history pane in response, prioritising within the message history pane the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the attachment pane.

Advantageously, this method allows a user to find a particular message item in the message history pane more quickly using the message items of the attachment pane as a visual prompt. This is quicker than having to read the text of the message items in the message history.

Additionally, navigation controlled via the attachment pane can lead to the message history being traversed more quickly by jumping to the relevant content rather than scrolling through the entire message history progressively.

Furthermore, relative scrolling movement of the message history pane and the attachment pane provides the user with additional information about the scrolling position relative to points of interest, as indicated by the second set of message items.

Additionally, as the message items are ordered, the context of an attachment, within a messaging conversation is provided more readily: message items that directly precede or following a message item associated with an attachment are readily presented.

Preferably, the number of message items in the first set are greater than the number of message items in the second set.

Preferably, updating the position of message items within the non-designated pane comprises displaying movement of those message items along a first path from a start position to an end position.

Preferably, moving the position of message items within the designated pane comprises displaying movement of those message items along a second path from a start position to an end position.

Preferably, the first and second paths are separated from one another. Moreover, the first and second paths may be parallel to one another.

Preferably, the first and/or second path along which message items are moved is substantially linear. Preferably, the first and/or second path along which message items are moved is vertically-oriented.

Preferably, the or each displayed movement is controlled to ramp up the speed of movement at the start of the movement away from the start position.

Preferably, the or each displayed movement is controlled to ramp down the speed of movement at the end of movement approaching the end position.

Preferably, the message history pane and the attachment pane are simultaneously displayable.

Preferably, the message history pane and the attachment pane are simultaneously displayed side-by-side with at least one pair of counterpart message items being positioned and displayed alongside one another.

Preferably, the method further comprises displaying a link indicator that visually indicates an association between message items in each pane that derive from a common message. Preferably, the link indicator bridges the message history pane and the attachment pane.

Preferably, each message is composed of a plurality of message data elements, each message data element belonging to a respective predetermined message data element class. Each predetermined message data element class may be one of: sender identifier; recipient identifier; message text; attachment; message timestamp; and tags. Each message of the group may comprise a common message data element that belongs to a common predetermined message data element class.

The first set of message items may include graphical items generated from the message data elements belonging to a first set of predetermined message data element classes. The second set of message items may include graphical items generated from the message data elements belonging to a second set of predetermined message data element classes. Preferably, the first and second set of predetermined message data element classes are different from one another. Moreover, the second set of predetermined message data element classes ideally comprises an attachment message data element class.

Preferably, the method further comprises receiving a user input to display and/or hide the attachment pane.

Preferably, one of the message items displayed in the designated pane is chosen as a driver that is used to control which message items in the non-designated pane are shown in preference. The driver may be chosen on the basis of the position of the message item within the designated pane.

Preferably, the browsing action comprises a browsing vector which has an extent of movement and a direction of movement, the message items within the designated pane moving consistently with the extent and direction of movement of the browsing vector, and the message items within the non-designated pane moving consistently with the direction of movement, but not the extent of movement of the browsing vector.

Preferably, moving the position of message items within the designated pane comprises scrolling them.

Preferably, the browsing action is a touch gesture applied to a touch-sensitive display screen.

Preferably, the image associated with the attachment of a message is generated from the content of the attachment.

Preferably, the method further comprises updating the position of the message items within the non-designated pane to primarily prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the designated pane and secondarily prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart in proximity to message items that are displayed in the designated pane. Preferably, a closer proximity corresponds to a higher priority. Proximity, may be quantified as one or a combination of chronological proximity, sequential proximity and proximity as a graphical distance. Furthermore, the extent to which a message item of the non-designated pane is displayed may be relative to proximity.

Naturally, other aspects of the present invention may extend to an electronic device arranged to carry out the method of the first aspect of the present invention.

According to a second aspect of the present there is provided an electronic device for browsing messages and message attachments. Ideally, the electronic device is an electronic communications device. The device may comprise at least one of: a display unit, an input interface, a data communication module, a memory and a processor. The memory may comprise a messaging application. Moreover, the processor may be operatively connected to the display unit, the input interface, the data communication module and/or the memory. Accordingly, the processor may be arranged to execute the messaging application so that the electronic device may be configured to:

o receive a group of messages ideally via the data communication module o stored the received group of messages ideally in the memory;

o display, ideally on the display unit, a message history pane and an attachment pane; and/or o generate a first and second set of message items from the group of messages.

Preferably, the first set of message items are displayable via the display unit in the message history pane, the second set of message items are displayable via the display unit in the attachment pane.

Preferably, each message item of the second set is generated from a corresponding message of the group that comprises an attachment. Ideally, each message item of the second set has a counterpart in the first set of message items. Furthermore, each message item of the second set ideally comprises an image associated with the attachment of the corresponding message.

Ideally, via the display unit, the electronic device may be configured to display within the message history pane a browsable arrangement of the first set of message items

Ideally via the display unit, the electronic device may be configured to display within the attachment pane a browsable arrangement of the second set of message items, preferably including each of the images thereof. The second set of message items may be moveable during browsing relative to the first set of message items. This can lead to a pleasing and intuitive parallax movement of the message items of respective panes.

Ideally, via the input interface, the electronic device may be configured to receive from a user a browsing action that designates either the message history pane or the attachment pane. Responsively, the electronic device may be configured to move the position of message items within the designated pane in accordance with the browsing action, and/or update the position of the message items within the non-designated pane to prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the designated pane.

Preferably, the electronic communications device may be in the form of a portable electronic communication device having a touch-sensitive display screen that comprises the display unit and an input interface. Alternatively, the electronic device may be in the form of a desktop computer.

Naturally, a third aspect of the present invention may comprise a system comprising a plurality of such electronic devices. Furthermore, an aspect of the present invention may relate to a computer program adapted to perform the method of the first aspect of the present invention, ideally when executed on any such electronic device. A computerreadable storage medium may comprise such a computer program.

It will be understood that features and advantages of different aspects of the present invention may be combined or substituted with one another where context allows. For example, the features of the message items, panes, or other GUI components described in relation to the first aspect of the present invention may be provided as part of the electronic device described in relation to the second aspect of the present invention.

Furthermore, such features may themselves constitute further aspects of the present invention. For example, the features of the GUI components may themselves constitute further aspects of the present invention. For example, a further aspect of the present invention may reside in the link indicator. Thus, an aspect of the present invention may provide a computer-implemented method of browsing messages received via a messaging application, the method comprising:

o moving the message items of the designated pane in accordance with the browsing action; and o displaying a link indicator that visually indicates an association between message items in each pane that derive from a common message.

Naturally, the present invention may extend to an electronic device arranged to carry out said method.

Brief description of the drawings

In order for the invention to be more readily understood, embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a system comprising electronic devices according to embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic device according to embodiments of the present invention; and

Figures 3 to 10 are various schematic screenshots of a graphical user interface of a messaging application, as displayed by an electronic device according to embodiments of the present invention.

Specific description

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a system 1 comprising a first and second user electronic device 10, 20, a messaging server 2, and a communications network 3 through which the user electronic devices 10, 20 and the messaging server 3 communicate with one another. In the present embodiment, the communications network 3 is the Internet.

The first user electronic device is in the form of a desktop computer 10 and the second user electronic device 20 is in the form of a portable telecommunications device 20 hereafter generally referred to as a smartphone 20. The first and second user electronic devices 10, 20 are embodiments of the present invention, in that they each run a version of a messaging application embodying the present invention. In practice, a large number of different user electronic devices, each running their own version of the messaging application, will be part of the system 1, but these are omitted in Figure 1 in the interests of clarity. Rather, all the electronic devices of the system 1 are represented by either the smartphone 20 or the desktop computer 10, the smartphone 20 being representative of a portable type of user electronic device, and the desktop computer 10 being representative of a non-portable type of user electronic device.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the smartphone 20 of Figure 1, but is equally applicable to any of the electronic devices of the portable type exemplified by the smartphone 20. Moreover, many of the features of the smartphone 20 have a functional equivalent in the desktop computer 10 as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The smartphone 20 of Figure 2 comprises components such as a display unit 21, an input interface 22, a memory 23, a camera 24, a battery 26, communications modules 28, and other modules 27 (e.g. a GPS positioning module, orientation modules, acceleration modules, and others well-known in existing smartphones). The smartphone 20 also comprises a processor 25, that operatively and communicatively connects the components of the smartphone 20 together.

The display unit 21 and the input interface 22 together define a touch-sensitive electronic display screen 12 which functions both as an information input device and an information output device. Specifically, the display unit 21 provides an information output device, and so a means by which a graphical user interface of the messaging application can be shown to the user. The input interface 22 provides a means by which the user can provide an input to the graphical user interface of the messaging application. Specifically, the input interface 22, is able to detect parameters of a touch input provided on the display screen 12, such as the number of touch contact points (multi-touch), an X-Y position of each touch, touch pressure, speed, acceleration, and the like. Such parameters are received and processed by the processor 25, and interpreted as touch gestures, including single-touch gestures such as tap, double tap, touch and hold, hold and drag, drag, and multi-touch gestures such as pinch and spread - the latter two typically being used to zoom out and in. Such gestures can be used to input a variety of different types of information, including commands to control a graphical user interface running on the smartphone 20, and gestures to input text, for example via typing on an electronic keyboard presented via the display screen 12. In particular, these gestures are used to control the elements of the graphical user interface of the messaging application as will be described in greater detail below.

The memory 23 of the smartphone 20 stores information associated with an operating system 29 of the smartphone 20, and this information is passed to the processor 25 when the smartphone 20 is switched on to initiate and maintain the running of the operating system 29. Smartphone operating systems are well-known, two prolific examples being the iOS and Android operating systems.

The operating system 29 functionally contains many different applications or apps that can be used to access other components of the smartphone. For example, one of the apps is a camera app which interfaces with the camera 24 of the smartphone 20, and is operable to allow a user of the smartphone 20 to take photographs and film videos, and thereby generate media which is also stored in the memory 23 of the smartphone 20. In particular, the media may be stored in a region of the memory 23 that is accessible to other applications such as the messaging application. Accordingly, such media may be shared via the messaging application as will be described further below.

Another app is an address book app. This presents to the user a listing of contacts (i.e. other users) with which the user may communicate. The address book app is arranged to access and manage contact data stored within the memory 23, such that each contact entry may have associated with it many different contact data elements, for example a contact name, a contact image, one or more telephone numbers and email addresses. Moreover, such contact data is stored in a region of the memory 23 that is accessible to other applications such as the messaging application 30, and so can be retrieved by the messaging application 30 for the purpose of presenting to a user a list of contacts that can be messaged via the messaging application 30.

Many apps are not pre-loaded on the memory 23 of the smartphone 20, but rather can be downloaded to the smartphone 20 on-demand by the user. The messaging application 30 according to a present embodiment of the invention is one example of such an app that can be downloaded, for example, from a digital distribution platform such as the Apple® App Store, or Google® Play Store. Alternatively, the messaging application 30 may be downloaded from the server 2. The downloading of such an application is carried out via one of the communication modules 28 of the smartphone 20 with the data being acquired over a wireless connections such as a WiFi® connection, or a mobile data connection. Once downloaded, the messaging application software can be installed, and then executed on the smartphone 20.

Referring back to Figure 1, during the first use ofthe messaging application 30, a user generates a user account via a registration process conducted with the messaging server 2 during which account credentials, such as a username and password, are provided by the server, or chosen by a user. Additionally, each user account is associated with a unique user identifier. To guarantee that user identifiers remain unique, these user identifiers may be issued by the server 2 upon user account generation. Thus, each user account has a unique user identifier associated with it so that messages sent to or by a particular user from an associated user electronic device 10, 20 can be securely and uniquely attributed to that user.

The server 2 acts as a message router, and so further credentials information, beyond sign in, may be sent as part of further communication between a user electronic device 10, 20, and the messaging server 2. This may be achieved by providing credentials information in every message that is transmitted between a user electronic device 10, 20, and the server 2, effectively as part of a token-based authentication system. Alternatively, session-based authentication may be used. Irrespective, each user electronic device 10, 20 is securely distinguished from another, and messages can be appropriate routed by the server 2 from the electronic device of one user, via the server 2 to the respective device(s) of one or more other users.

As mentioned, each messaging application 30 is arranged to access contact data stored on the memory 23 of the corresponding electronic device 20. Accordingly, elements of such contact data can be presented to the user of that electronic device 20 by the respective messaging application 30 to allow that user to select one or a group of other users to communicate with via the messaging application 30. Each messaging application may filter the contacts so presented depending on whether those contacts have a corresponding user account held on the server 2, and so whether the contacts are able to receive a message intended for display using a corresponding version of the messaging application 30. Upon user-selection of a one or a group of users, a message conversation is defined by the messaging application 30, with the selected one or group of users being participants of the message conversation. Accordingly, by default, a message sent as part of such a predefined message conversation is sent to all participants of that message conversation.

It should be noted that reference to terms such as user and participant herein are generally interchangeable. Furthermore, these terms are, in the appropriate context, more precisely a reference to a user electronic device 10, 20 associated with that user. Thus, for example, a message sent to a user is, more precisely, a message that is sent to a user electronic device 10, 20 that is operable by that particular user, with the message typically being displayable to that user on that user electronic device 10, 20.

This also applied in a similar way to terms such as originator, sender and recipient.

Each message received at an electronic device 10, 20 is composed of a plurality of message data elements, each belonging to a predetermined message data element class. Examples of predetermined message data element classes include:

• Sender identifier. A message data element of this class generally corresponds to a user identifier, and so uniquely identifies the user that originates a message.

• Recipient identifier. Message data elements of this class identify a user or a group of users of a message conversation to which the message is to be sent.

• Message text. Message data elements of this class predominantly comprise textbased content that is composed by the originator of a message.

• Attachment. An attachment is generally a self-contained message data element that forms part of the content of a message, but is separate from the message text. Examples of attachments include media files such as image files and video files.

• Message timestamp. Messages almost always contain message data elements in the form of message timestamps. There may be subclasses of message timestamps, for example:

o A transmission timestamp that indicates the time of transmission from the user electronic device sending the message;

o A reception timestamp that indicates the time of receipt at the user electronic device receiving the message; and o A routing timestamp that indicates one of receipt and transmission at/from the server routing the message.

It should be noted that a message timestamp generally indicates an absolute time, and so provides a capability of ordering messages chronologically.

• Tags. Messages may optionally also include tags that indicate an association between a message that contains them and a particular category, topic or user, as identified by the tag. Messages may be filtered on the basis of tags.

For the avoidance of doubt, when referring to a particular message, the value or content of a message data element belonging to one of these classes is generally referred to by the same name. i.e. a message's timestamp is the value of the message data element of that message belonging to the class message timestamp.

The following example illustrates the use of an exemplary messaging application according to an embodiment of the present invention, running on the smartphone 20 of Figure 2 to enable a user of that smartphone 20 to communicate with a group of other users as part of a message conversation. Each user that is a party to the message conversation may be hereinafter referred to as a chat participant.

Figures 3 to 10 are schematic screenshots of a graphical user interface (GUI) ofthe messaging application, as shown by the display unit 21 of the smartphone 20. The GUI displays message items of a message conversation X to which three users, specifically chat participants A, B and C, are party. In this example, a sequence of messages have been exchanged between the participants of the message conversation X, with chat participant C being the current user of the messaging application.

Moreover, a group of messages, already received by the messaging application and stored in the memory 23 of the smartphone 20, are retrieved and processed under action of the messaging application 30 for graphical display of those messages as will be described. Naturally, the memory 23 is updated to accommodate additional messages directed to the group as they are received during the real-time use of the messaging application.

The message group to which the present example relates is defined by a common recipient identifier. Specifically, every message of the group has the same recipient identifier, namely one that identifies the message conversation X (including participants A,

B and C) as the destination.

Whereas messages are grouped by having a common recipient identifier, they are differentiated from one another by virtue of their other message data elements.

The following Table 1 indicates what these other message data elements are, with each column header representing a different message data element class. Each subsequent row is representative of an distinct message, the message being composed of message data elements belonging to one of those classes. Naturally, message data elements that belong to a particular class are listed in the column under the relevant header:

Timestamp	Sender	Message text	Attachment
00.55	A	text not visible in Figures...	Yes - attachmentOName.png
09.53	A	message text composed by chat participant A sent to all the participants of conversation X including chat participant B	Yes - attachmentl Name.png
09.54	B	message text composed by chat participant B responding to participant A	No
10.00	C	chat participant C message text responding to participants A and B	No
10.01	B	even more message text composed by chat participant B directly following chat participant C’s message sent at ten o’clock, and responding to both participant A and participant B but not including any attachments	No
10.04	C	some additional message text sent by chat participant C	No
10.13	B	text and an attachment:	Yes - attachment2Name.png
10.44	C	even more additional message text sent by chat participant C after the attachment sent by participant B	No

17.00

A

more text not visible in Figures...

Yes - attachment3Name.png

Table 1

It should be noted that Table 1 doesn't necessarily show the exact content or value of each message data element, but rather is an indication of that content.

In this example, the group of messages that are received by the messaging application are received within the same day. Therefore, for conciseness, the timestamp values shown in the first column on Table 1 above have been simplified; they illustrate a time of day only, as denoted by a standard four-digit 24-hour time notion. However, it will be understood that a message timestamp, as a message data element, normally provides an indication of absolute time (i.e. date, as well as time of day) so that all messages can be chronologically ordered relative to one another. Additionally, the precision of the timestamp is actually greater than that illustrated. Thus, timestamps, as message data elements, are actually recorded with a precision measured in seconds, or milliseconds, rather than minutes as illustrated.

For example, a message timestamp may be in the generic form as will be known to those skilled in the art: YYYY-MM-DD-hh-mm-ss-z. Thus a message timestamp may indicate the year (YYYY), month (MM), day (DD), hour (hh), minute (mm), second (ss), and timezone (z).

Similarly, a simplified notion is used to indicate sender identifiers listed in the second column of Table 1 (A, B, C). In actuality, sender identifier values will be more sophisticated. For example, a longer string of characters may be used. As the sender identifier generally corresponds to a unique user identifier, a relatively longer string of characters will be necessary to ensure that a unique sender identifier is available as the number of individual users of the system 1 grow.

Message text as indicated in the third column on Table 1, again for conciseness, shows only basic alphanumerical characters. However, it will be appreciated that message text may contain encodings of more sophisticated types of information. For example, emojis and other icons may be encoded within the message data element falling under the message text class.

Lastly, the fourth column of Table 1 indicates whether an attachment exists as part of a message (Yes) or not (No), and if so, the file name of the attachment (e.g.

attachmentOName) including a file extension (e.g. png, jpg etc) of that attachment as appropriate. The actual content cannot be practicable depicted in Table 1.

As mentioned, the smartphone 20 is operable under action of the messaging application 30 to generate message items from message data elements of each message. Message items are then displayed as part of the GUI of the messaging application 30.

It should be noted that whilst message items can be generated in respect of every message, only a limited number of message items are generally viewable at any one time. Naturally, this is dependent on the size of the display unit of the electronic device, and the relative size of the message items.

Referring to Figure 3, the GUI of the messaging application 30 displays a message conversation view. Here a message history pane 40, a message composition field 31, an attachment pane display icon 32, and a navigation menu item 33 of the messaging application are displayed by the GUI. The text of the navigation menu item 33 identifies to the user that the particular conversation displayed is Message Conversation X.

In Figure 3, only three 51, 52, 53 of a possible nine message items are shown within the message history pane 40. The message items shown in Figure 3 corresponding to the three messages of the group sent respectively at times: 09.53, 09.54 and 10.00.

Each message item 51, 52, 53 includes a respective user image item 51a, 52a, 53a and user name item 51b, 52b, 53b, both being associated with the respective sender of the message. It should be noted that information relating to such user images and names are not necessarily sent with each message but rather are retrieved from the memory 23 of the smartphone 20. Specifically, the sender identifier in each message is crossreferenced with the contact data on the memory 23 of the smartphone 20 such that user image and name items are derived from the contact image and name of the contact data.

Each message item 51, 52, 53 shown in Figure 3 also includes a respective message text item 51c, 52c, 53c and a respective timestamp item 51 d, 52d, 53d generated from a corresponding message data element.

In addition, the first shown message item 51 originating from chat participant A further includes an attachment item 60. The attachment item 60 includes a graphical container 61, a thumbnail image item 62 and an attachment filename item 63. As the second and third message items 52, 53 shown in Figure 3 derive from messages not having an attachment, they accordingly do not include an attachment item.

As mentioned, only a limited number of message items are viewable within the message history pane 40 at any one time, and so the message history pane 40 is configured to display a scrollable stack of message items. As is illustrated by referring progressively from Figure 3 to Figures 4, 5 and 6, an upward shift in the stack of message items relative to the message history pane 40 (which remains static relative to the display screen 12) causes message items to scroll beyond an upper boundary 40a of the message history pane 40 and disappear. As seen, the message items are ordered chronologically with respect to the message timestamp accorded to each message item, with the older message items being above the more recent message items. Accordingly, such an upward shift in the stack of message items causes more recent message items to move into view from a lower boundary 40b of the message history pane 40. The lower boundary 40b is not delimited visually in the GUI and as indicated schematically only in Figure 3 as a light dotted line just above the message composition field 31.

Naturally, the messaging application is arranged to receive a user input via the input interface 22 to control the GUI. Thus, scrolling ofthe message items can be usercontrolled by performing a upward or downward drag touch gesture on the display screen 12 within the region defined by the message history pane 40 with the extent of movement of the message items within the message history pane 40 matching the extent of movement of the drag touch gesture. In general, a browsing action such as that provide by such a touch gesture applies a browsing vector to message items within a designated pane. The browsing vector has an extent of movement, and a direction of movement, and the message items are moved consistently with the extent and direction of movement applied within the designated pane.

Various touch gestures applied at different regions can be used to navigate through various views presented by the GUI of the messaging application. For example, a tap gesture applied to the display screen 12 in the region of the navigation menu item 33 changes the view to listing of different message conversations, as is typical with many known messaging applications.

As mentioned, touch gestures can also be used to control the elements ofthe GUI. Referring to Figure 3, a tap gesture applied in the region of the attachment pane display icon 32 invokes the display of an attachment pane 70 of the messaging application 30 - as shown in Figure 9. Alternatively, the attachment pane 70 may be invoked by a tap gesture applied to the display screen 12 within the graphical container 61 associated with the first shown message item 51 originating from chat participant A. Alternatively, a drag gesture starting from a right extremity 40c of the message history pane 40 (which coincides with a right extremity 12c of the display screen 12) moving leftward also invokes the display of the attachment pane 70. The extent of movement of such a drag gesture controls whether the attachment pane 70 is partially deployed as shown in Figure 8, or fully deployed as shown in Figure 9. In any case, a user input to display fully, display partially, or hide the attachment pane is provided accordingly.

Different sets of message items can be generated from the same group of messages.

The message history pane 40 is configured to display a first set of message items. As shown in Figure 9, the attachment pane 70 is configured to display a second set of message items.

The first and second set of message items are thus generated from the same group of messages. However, the second set of message items relate to only messages within the group having an attachment. Furthermore, not all message data element classes are represented within this second set of message items. This is in contrast with the first set of message items that include graphical items corresponding to each message and also each of the message data element classes shown in Table 1.

Specifically, four message items 71, 72, 73, 74 of the second set are shown within the attachment pane 70. These correspond to the messages identified in Table 1 as having been sent, respectively, at times: 00.55, 09.53, 10.13 and 17.00. Notably, these are the only messages that comprise an attachment. The messages that do not have an attachment are not displayed as message items in the attachment pane 70.

With reference to the third message item 73 of the second set shown in Figure 9 as exemplary, each message item of this second set comprises a border item 80, an image item 81, a timestamp item 82, and a filename item 83. The image item 73 is generated from the original attachment accompanying the message from which the message item is derived. In this case, the attachment is that identified as attachment2Name, the image item 81 is a scaled-down version of the original image file attachment2Name.png, scaled and cropped to fit within the border item 80 which is of a predetermined size and shape for all message items of the second set. The timestamp item 82 and filename item 83 of each of these messages are superimposed over the image item 81 at a predetermined position near to an edge of the border item 80 so as to avoid overly obscuring the image.

In alternatives, the image item 81 may be generated based on the content of the attachment in another way. For example, if the attachment is a text file, the text file may be parsed to extract a particular word (ideally a noun) that can be used to look up an associated image for use as the image item 80. Also in alternatives, the context as provided by the timestamp item 82 and the filename item 83 may appear only in a particular set of circumstances, for example, during designation of the attachment pane, whether for browsing or otherwise. For the avoidance of doubt, the timestamp item 82 may depict a date as well as a time of day.

In any case, the message timestamps are used to order the second set of message items chronologically in a similar manner to the first set of message items, with the older message items being above the more recent message items.

Again, only a limited number of the second set of message items are viewable within the attachment pane 70, and so the attachment pane 70 is configured to display a browsable arrangement of the second set of message items in a similar way to how the message history pane 40 is configured to display a browsable arrangement of the first set of message items. Specifically, an upward or downward drag touch gesture applied to the display screen 12 within the region defined by the attachment pane 70 scrolls the second set of message items up and down in response within the attachment pane 70. An upward shift in the stack of the second set of message items relative to the attachment pane causes the older message items to progressively disappear from view as they scroll beyond an upper boundary 70a of the attachment pane 70, and more recent message items appear into view as they scroll in from a lower boundary 70b of the attachment pane

70. A downward shift causes the reverse, with the more recent message items disappearing from view, and the older message items appearing into view. As shown in Figure 9, the first and last message items 71, 74 in the attachment pane 70 are not shown in their entirety, but rather only a portion of them are visible due to them being scrolled partway beyond the extremities of the attachment pane 70. The centre two message items 72, 73 are shown in their entirety in Figure 9, due to the attachment pane 70 being fully deployed. However, the attachment pane 70 itself may be moved relative to the message history pane 40 such that it is only partially deployed by the user applying a slow drag gesture, right to left on the attachment pane 70. This results in the view changing from that shown in Figure 9, to that shown in Figure 8. Here, the centre two message items 72, 73 of the attachment pane 70, are not shown in their entirety, but a greater proportion of them are shown than of the first and last message items 71, 74. Such a configuration is useful, in that it allows the user to see more of the message history pane 40, and so the message text of the message items of the message history pane 40. It will also be noted that the timestamp item 82 and the filename item 83 are removed from the view shown in Figure 8.

Other views are also possible. For example the message history pane 40 and the attachment pane 70 may be displayed side-by-side as shown in the view shown in Figure

10. This view relates to the messaging application being represented on the display screen 12 of the smartphone 20 when oriented in a landscape mode. Shifts between views can be triggered by an input from the orientation module 27 of the smartphone 20. The most optimal view provided also depends on the display unit size and resolution. For example, desktop computers generally have displays that are of a bigger size and of a higher resolution. Accordingly, message items can be relatively smaller, as compared to the size of the panes within which they are displayed, without a user suffering from not being able to properly see or control the message items.

Referring back to Figure 9, if the user applies a quick drag gesture (a flick) left to right, on the attachment pane 70, this causes the attachment pane 70 to move right beyond the right extremity of the display screen 12 and so entirely out of view such that the view of Figure 3 is restored.

The attachment pane 70 and the message history pane 40 are not independent, in that they are presented and controlled to emphasise associations between message items in each pane that derive from a common message.

Referring back to Figure 8, one way that this is done is via a link indicator which is a visual element that acts as an interface or bridge between the message history pane 40 and the attachment pane 70 so as to indicate a link between message items displayed in each that are derived from a common message. In the view shown in Figure 8, a link indicator 90 is provided as a dotted line that spans between the graphical container 61 of the message item 51 in the message history pane 40, and the border item 80 of the message item 72 in the attachment pane 70 that both correspond to the message having timestamp 09.53. The link indicator 90 has circular nodules at its ends which overlap with the graphical container 61 and the border item 80 thereby visually reinforcing the associated between the corresponding message items of the first and second set.

The link indicator 90 appears when both message items 51, 72 deriving from a common message are visible in their respective pane 40, 70. Accordingly, the appearance on the display screen 12 of the link indicator signals to the user that an association exists between message items in different panes that derive from a common message. This makes it easier for a user to locate either a message item that corresponds to an attachment (or vice-versa) during browsing.

Referring to Figure 7, the message item 51 in the message history pane 40 that corresponds to the message having timestamp 09.53 is no longer visible - having being scrolled beyond the upper boundary 40a of the message history pane 40. Accordingly, the link indicator 90 previously shown in Figure 8 is also no longer visible. Instead, in Figure 7, a different link indicator 91 is shown bridging the message items 56, 73 in the message history pane 40 and the attachment pane 70 that derive from the common message having the timestamp 10.13. It will be noted, nonetheless, that the message item 72 in the attachment pane 70 associated with the message having the timestamp 09.53 is still visible in the attachment pane 70. Thus, the extent of movement, during browsing, of the message items in the message history pane 40 do not match the extent of movement of the message items in the attachment pane 70.

Moreover, and of particular significance to the present invention, is that navigational control of one pane affects the other. A user browsing action, such as an up or down drag gesture applied within the region of either the message history pane 40, or the attachment pane 70 allows the user to designate that pane for scrolling as described. In addition to this, the positions of the message items within the non-designated pane are continuously updated in response to the positions of the message items in the designated pane.

In particular, the update primarily prioritises the display of message items in the nondesignated pane that have a counterpart message item being displayed in the designated pane. Counterpart message items, in this context, are message items that are generated or otherwise derive from a common message. Thus, if two message items of different panes that derive from a common message exist, and one is displayed during browsing of the designated pane, the non-designated pane is updated so that the other is displayed therein - and so they are both displayed simultaneously within their respective panes.

Additionally, the update secondarily prioritises the display of message items in the nondesignated pane that have a counterpart message item that is not displayed in the designated pane but is in proximity to message items that are displayed in the designated pane.

Naturally, only a limited number of message items can be displayed within the nondesignated pane, and so those that are displayed, and the extent to which they are displayed is relative to proximity of their counterpart to being displayed in the designated pane. Specifically, a closer proximity (relative to other counterpart messages that are not displayed in the designated pane) corresponds to a particular message item being given a higher priority for display in the non-designated pane. Proximity, in this case, can be quantified as one or a combination of chronological proximity, sequential proximity and proximity as a graphical distance.

Chronological proximity can be computed from the timestamps of the messages from which each of the message items are derived. Thus, where proximity is quantified using chronological proximity, the positions of the message items within the non-designated pane are dependent on the timestamps associated with the message items that are displayed in the designated pane. Message items of the non-designated pane that have timestamps accorded to them that are chronologically closest to the timestamps associated with the message items displayed in the designated pane are displayed to a greater extent.

Sequential proximity can be computed from the relative order of the message items, and is proportional to the number of message items between two given message items in a sequence. By way of example, two sequential message items do not have any other message items between them, and so this represents the smallest unit of sequential proximity between two distinct message items. Thus, when proximity is quantified using sequential proximity, the extent to which a message item of the non-designated pane is displayed is linked to the number of message items of the designated pane between the corresponding counterpart message item (which is not displayed) and the sequentiallynearest message item of the designated pane (which is displayed). If there are no message items of the designated pane which form counterparts to message items of the non-designated pane, the message item of the non-designated pane that is shown to the greatest extent will be that which has a counterpart message item of the designated pane which is the fewest message items away from those currently displayed in the designated pane.

Proximity as a graphical distance relates to the notional distance from a non-displayed message item to a boundary of a pane within which it is to be displayed. In other words, in the present context, the notional distance that a counterpart message items is to move in order to become visible within a pane. As message items tend to move in tandem with one another, another way of expressing graphical distance, is the extent and direction of movement of the message items of a particular pane. Graphical distance can be expressed, for example, in pixels, or a percentage of the height of the pane within which a message item is displayed.

Additionally, it should be generally noted that panes have first and second boundaries between which the message items are displayed, beyond which those message items are not displayed, and across which message items are moveable to bring them progressively into or out of view.

Accordingly, another way to express how the positions of the message items within the non-designated pane are updated in response to the positions of the message items in the designated pane is in relation to such first and second boundaries. Primarily prioritised for the display in the non-designated pane are message items that have a counterpart between the first and second boundaries of the designated pane. Secondarily prioritised for the display in the non-designated pane are message items that have a counterpart beyond the first and second boundaries of the designated pane, with the level of priority being higher for counterparts closer to the first or second boundary of the designated pane. When proximity is quantified as a graphical distance, it is the notional distance to said first or second boundary of the designated pane.

In any case, as stated, the positions of the message items within the non-designated pane are continuously updated in response to the positions of the message items in the designated pane, with the update primarily prioritising the display of message items in the non-designated pane that have a counterpart message item being displayed in the designated pane. This takes precedence over the update which secondarily prioritises the display of message items in the non-designated pane that have a counterpart message item that is not displayed in the designated pane.

It should be noted that the update in position of the message items within the nondesignated pane may take place whilst the non-designated pane is hidden. However, if the update in position of the message items within the non-designated pane takes place whilst the non-designated pane is displayed, then the update comprises displaying movement of those message items within the non-designated pane. Typically, such movement is along a path from a start position to an end position. Scrolling in the examples provide herein relate to a movement along a linear and vertical path. However, in alternatives, paths of different shapes and orientations are possible.

Such an update method is illustrated with continued reference to Figure 7. Here, it is assumed that the pane designated by the user for browsing is the message history pane 40. The message items 54, 55, 56, 57 shown in the message history pane 40 correspond to those deriving from messages having respective timestamps: 10.01, 10.04, 10.13 and 10.44.

Responsively, the message items in the non-designated attachment pane 70 move so that they become positioned so that the message items that represent a counterpart to the message items shown in the designated message history pane 40 are displayed in preference.

However, the attachment pane 70 only displays message items 71, 72, 73, 74 that derive from a message having an attachment. From the group of messages, these are only those messages having the respective timestamps: 00.55, 09.53, 10.13 and 17.00. Thus not every message item in the message history pane 40 will have a counterpart in the attachment pane 70.

The message item 73 in the attachment pane 70 that corresponds to the message having timestamp 10.13 is first prioritised as one to be positioned so it is displayed in the attachment pane 70. This is because it is the counterpart of the message item 56 displayed in the message history pane 40 deriving from the same message (having timestamp 10.13). Moreover, this is the only message item 73 of the attachment pane 70 that is a counterpart to the any of the message items 54, 55, 56, 57 currently displayed in the message attachment pane 70 as shown in Figure 7.

The attachment pane 70 is nonetheless big enough to accommodate other message items 71, 72, 74. Accordingly, as a secondary priority, other message items of the nondesignated attachment pane 70 are displayed in dependence on the proximity of their counterpart message items to being displayed in the message history pane 40.

In the present example, this is done using a combination of chronological proximity and sequential proximity, with each proximity metric being weighted approximately the same as one another. However, in alternatives, a different way of assessing proximity may be used, or different weightings may be used.

The message item of the attachment pane 70 that is chronologically the closest to one of the message timestamps 10.01, 10.04, 10.13 and 10.44 is the message item 72 being associated with timestamp 09.53, as this has a chronological proximity of eight minutes (or 0.13 hours) to the timestamp (10.01) of the nearest message item 54 displayed in the designated message history pane 40. There is also a sequential proximity of 3 between that message item 54 and the counterpart message item 51 in the message history pane to the message item 72 of the attachment pane 70.

In comparison, the message item 74 of the attachment pane 70 being associated with timestamp 17.00 has a chronological proximity of six hours and sixteen minutes (or 6.27 hours) to the message timestamp (10.44) of the nearest relevant message item 57 displayed in the message history pane 40 as shown in Figure 7. However, referring to Table 1 above, the sequential proximity is 1.

Also by comparison, the message item 71 of the attachment pane 70 being associated with timestamp 00.55 has a chronological proximity of nine hours and six minutes (or 9.1 hours) to the message timestamp (10.01) of the nearest relevant message item 54 displayed within the message history pane 40 as shown in Figure 7, and a sequential proximity of 4.

Accordingly, a proximity score can be generated for each of the message items 71, 72,

73, 74 of the attachment pane 70 by simply summing the chronological proximity (in hours) and the sequential proximity. The message item 72 associated with timestamp 09.53 has a proximity score of 0.13 + 3 = 3.1; the message item 74 associated with timestamp 17.00 has a proximity score of 6.27 + 1 = 7.27; and the message item 71 associated with timestamp 0.55 has a proximity score of 9.1 + 4 = 13.1.

In the present example, the vertical size of the attachment pane 70 is such that approximately three message items can be accommodated within it and displayed fully, or four message items can be accommodated within it, with the peripheral two of those four message items being displayed only partially (i.e. extending across the upper or lower boundary of the attachment pane 70).

As mentioned, the message item 73 in the attachment pane 70 that corresponds to the message having timestamp 10.13 is first prioritised as one to be positioned so it is displayed fully in the attachment pane 70. Following on from this, the second message item 72 prioritised is that which corresponds to the message having timestamp 09.53, as this has the lowest proximity score of the message items in the attachment pane 70 that do not have a counterpart in the message history pane 40. Accordingly, it too is displayed fully within the non-designated attachment pane 70 .

In this particular example, two further message items 71,74 of the attachment pane 70 are displayed - albeit partially - with the extent to which they are displayed being determined in dependence on their proximity score - a lower score representing a larger extent being displayed. The space available within the attachment pane 70 to accommodate these two remaining message items 71, 74 is roughly equivalent to the space occupied by one message item. Accordingly, this space is divided between the two remaining message items depending on the relative magnitude of their respective proximity scores, with a larger space being allocated to a smaller relative proximity score. As mentioned, the message item 74 associated with timestamp 17.00 has a proximity score of 7.27, and the message item 71 associated with timestamp 0.55 has a proximity score of 13.1. Therefore, the message item 74 associated with timestamp 17.00 is allocated a far larger proportion of that space, as shown in Figure 7. By way of contrast, if the proximity scores were similar, then this would result in the space being divided approximately equally between the two message items 71, 74, and so an equal proportion of each would be display.

In alternatives, a simpler approach may be taken in that the three message items having the lowest proximity scores are prioritised for display in full. However, the drawback with this approach is that the message items in the non-designated pane will move abruptly, jumping into and out of view, leading to a less intuitive user browsing experience. The present example provides a more natural and progressive movement of the message items in the non-designated pane. This is because as the message items in the designated pane are scrolled progressively, the proximity scores associated with the message items in the non-designated pane change in a similarly progressive way.

This can be visualised by progressively comparing Figures 3 to 6 which demonstrate a progressive scrolling of the message history pane 40 between the message item 51 associated with timestamp 09.53 to the message item 57 associated with timestamp 10.44. Figures 8 and 7 respectively show similar views to that of Figures 3 and 6, but with the attachment pane 70 partially deployed. As can be seen, messages items in the attachment pane have moved in a similar direction to message items in the message history pane. However, the extent of movement is less.

In Figure 8, the proximity scores associated with the peripheral two message items 71, 74 of the attachment pane 70 have changed from the scores in Figure 7: The message item 71 associated with timestamp 00.55 now has associated with it a proximity score of approximately 9+1 = 10, and the message item 74 associated with timestamp 17.00 now has associated with it a proximity score of approximately 7 + 5=12. Accordingly, the message item 71 of the attachment pane 70 associated with timestamp 00.55 is shown to a greater extent than that message item 74 associated with timestamp 17.00. Moreover, as mentioned, each respective proximity score changes progressively due to the scrolling of the designated message history pane 40, as illustrated from Figure 3 to 6.

It will be appreciated that, even with this progressively-changing proximity scores, abrupt movement of the messages items in the non-designated pane can still be an issue. The reason for this lies with the proximity scores changing abruptly as each new message item abruptly appears within the designated pane.

To counter this, movements of message items in the non-designated pane are controlled to ensure a smooth transition between abrupt changes in the desired position of each message item. This is achieved by ramping up the speed of movement of each message item at the start of its movement, and then ramping down the speed of movement of each message item at the end of its movement.

Such movement control is particularly useful when the designated pane is the attachment pane 70. In this scenario, message items in the non-designated message history pane 40 are apt to jump more rapidly and over greater graphical distances so that the message items shown in the non-designated message history pane 40 can reflect those that are displayed in the designated attachment pane 70. Due to the relatively greater separation between message items in the message history pane 40 that are counterpart message items to those displayed as part of the designated attachment pane 70, it is an expectation that not all counterpart message items of the non-designated message history pane 40 can be shown simultaneously. In this case, one of the message items in the designated attachment pane 70 is chosen as a driver that is used to control which of the message items in the non-designated message history pane 40 is shown in preference. The driver may be chosen on the basis of which message item of the designated attachment pane 70 is closest to the vertical centre of the attachment pane 70 (or another predetermined position). Alternatively, the driver may be chosen on the basis of which message item of the designated attachment pane 70 coincides with a browsing operation such as a touch gesture applied within the region of the attachment pane 70. For example, during a dragging gesture applied to the attachment pane 70, the position and path taken by one of the message items of the attachment pane 70 during browsing movement will coincide with the position and path defined by the dragging gesture. This message item is thus chosen as the driver, and the non-designated message history pane 40 is updated to display the counterpart message item to that chosen as the driver. Naturally, message items directly preceding or following said counterpart message item displayed in the non-designated message history pane 40 are also made available. Accordingly, the user is provided with the message history context that is associated with a particular attachment so assigned as the driver.

It should be noted also that, advantageously, the attachment pane 70 is located adjacent to one extremity of the display screen 12 (on the right) and the message history pane 40 is located adjacent to another extremity of the display screen 12 (on the left). Accordingly, during browsing navigation, a user designating and controlling via one pane will not obscure the other, making it easier to locate message items in the non-designated pane. This advantage is particular useful for devices such as smartphones that generally have only a limited space on a display screen 12 which acts as both an input and output interface, the input generally being provide by a user's hand. Conveniently, the user's own hand never obscures the message history pane 40 during navigation controlled via the attachment pane 70. In the particular examples shown, the attachment pane is located at the screen extremity at the right, and so it is conveniently located to be operated by a user (for example, especially for a right-handed user who can scroll through the attachment pane using their thumb).

Thus, embodiments of the present invention generally enable a user is able to find a particular message more quickly. One way this is achieved is by using the image of an attachment, as displayed by the attachment pane 70 as a visual prompt. This is quicker than having to read the text of a message history.

Additionally, navigation controlled by the attachment pane 70 means the message history pane 40 can be traversed more efficiently by jumping directly to the relevant content (i.e. the message items being associated with an attachment) rather than scrolling through the message history progressively. However, as the other message items chronologically surrounding message items in the message history pane 40 are not hidden, the user is provided with the message history context associated with an attachment, rather than the attachment in isolation.

Furthermore, relative scrolling movement of the message history pane 40 and the attachment pane 70 provides the user with additional information about the scrolling position relative to points of interest, especially as indicated by the images depicted in the attachment pane.

Moreover, the visual link indicator 90 between an attachment image 81 and the message from which the attachment originates provides an immediate and a stronger indication of the link between a particular attachment/message pair. This also speeds up navigation. Appearance of the visual link is a useful prompt to show that a message item that has an attachment associated with it has appeared within the message history pane 40.

Other alternatives to, and advantages of the above-described embodiments will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

In certain variants, only the attachment pane may move automatically in response to the user-controlled movement of the message history pane as described above - but not viceversa. In such a variant, it is envisaged that a user browsing action that designates the attachment pane will move the attachment pane, but the position of the message items of the message history pane will not be updated in response.

In other variants, the inverse may apply. Specifically, only the message history pane may move automatically in response to the user-controlled movement of the attachment pane as described in the first embodiments - but not vice-versa. In this variant, it is envisaged that a user browsing action that designates the message history pane will move the message history pane, but the position of the message items of the attachment pane will not be updated in response.

Other variants are also possible.

For example, whilst the messaging application, and in particular the GUI of the messaging application has been described in Figures 3 to 10 in relation to the messaging application executed on the smartphone 20, the necessary modifications to enable execution on the desktop computer 10 and other electronic devices will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

For example as the desktop computer 10 has a display unit 11 that acts as an information output device which is separate from its information input devices (including a mouse input device 13, and a keyboard 14) the modifications to the messaging application will be apparent to a person skilled in the art - for example, replacing touch gestures with corresponding movement and selection operations performed by a pointer device such as a mouse 13. Correspondingly, text can be directly input via a standard alphanumerical keyboard 14 of a desktop computer 10 rather than being input via touch gestures performed on an electronic keyboard presented on the display screen 12 of the smartphone 20 as in well known in the art.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of browsing messages received via a messaging application, the method comprising:

o generating, from a sequenced group of messages received by the messaging application, a first set of message items for display in a message history pane, and a second set of message items for display in an attachment pane, each message item of the second set:

having a counterpart in the first set of message items; and comprising an image associated with the attachment of the corresponding message;

o displaying a message history pane configured to display a browsable arrangement of the first set of message items ordered with respect to the sequence;

o displaying an attachment pane configured to display a browsable arrangement of the second set of message items, including each of the images thereof, the second set of message items also being ordered with respect to the sequence, and being moveable during browsing relative to the first set of message items;

o moving the position of message items within the designated pane in accordance with the browsing action; and o updating the position of the message items within the non-designated pane to prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the designated pane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of message items in the first set are greater than the number of message items in the second set.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein updating the position of message items within the non-designated pane comprises displaying movement of those message items along a first path from a start position to an end position.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein moving the position of message items within the designated pane comprises displaying movement of those message items along a second path from a start position to an end position.

5. The method of claim 4 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the first and second paths are separated from one another.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second paths are parallel to one another.

7. The method of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the first and/or second path along which message items are moved is substantially linear.

8. The method of any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the first and/or second path along which message items are moved is vertically-oriented.

9. The method of any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the or each displayed movement is controlled to ramp up the speed of movement at the start of the movement away from the start position.

10. The method of any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the or each displayed movement is controlled to ramp down the speed of movement at the end of movement approaching the end position.

11. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the message history pane and the attachment pane are simultaneously displayable.

12. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the message history pane and the attachment pane are simultaneously displayed side-by-side with at least one pair of counterpart message items being positioned and displayed alongside one another.

13. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising displaying a link indicator that visually indicates an association between message items in each pane that derive from a common message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the link indicator bridges the message history pane and the attachment pane.

15. The method of any preceding claim, wherein each message is composed of a plurality of message data elements, each message data element belonging to a respective predetermined message data element class.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each predetermined message data element class is one of: sender identifier; recipient identifier; message text; attachment; message timestamp; and tags.

17. The method of claim 15 or claim 16, wherein each message of the group comprises a common message data element that belongs to a common predetermined message data element class.

18. The method of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the first set of message items include graphical items generated from the message data elements belonging to a first set of predetermined message data element classes, the second set of message items include graphical items generated from the message data elements belonging to a second set of predetermined message data element classes, the first and second set of predetermined message data element classes being different from one another.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second set of predetermined message data element classes comprises an attachment message data element class.

20. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising receiving a user input to display and/or hide the attachment pane.

21. The method of any preceding claim, wherein one of the message items displayed in the designated pane is chosen as a driver that is used to control which message items in the non-designated pane are shown in preference, the driver being chosen on the basis of the position of the message item within the designated pane.

22. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the browsing action comprises a browsing vector which has an extent of movement and a direction of movement, the message items within the designated pane moving consistently with the extent and direction of movement ofthe browsing vector, and the message items within the non-designated pane moving consistently with the direction of movement, but not the extent of movement of the browsing vector.

23. The method of any preceding claim, wherein moving the position of message items within the designated pane comprises scrolling them.

24. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the browsing action is a touch gesture applied to a touch-sensitive display screen.

25. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the image associated with the attachment of a message is generated from the content of the attachment.

26. The method of any preceding claims, further comprising updating the position of the message items within the non-designated pane to:

a. primarily prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the designated pane; and

b. secondarily prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart in proximity to message items that are displayed in the designated pane.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a closer proximity corresponds to a higher priority.

28. The method of claim 26 or claim 27, wherein proximity is quantified as one or a combination of chronological proximity, sequential proximity and proximity as a graphical distance.

29. The method of any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the extent to which a message item of the non-designated pane is displayed is relative to proximity.

30. An electronic device arranged to carry out the method of any preceding claim.

31. An electronic communications device for browsing messages and message attachments, the device comprising a display unit, an input interface, a data communication module, a memory comprising a messaging application, and a processor operatively connected to the display unit, the input interface, the data communication module and the memory, and arranged to execute the messaging application so that the electronic device is configured to:

o receive a group of messages via the data communication module to be stored in the memory;

o display on the display unit a message history pane and an attachment pane;

o generate a first and second set of message items from the group of messages, the first set of message items being displayable via the display unit in the message history pane, the second set of message items being displayable via the display unit in the attachment pane, each message item of the second set:

o via the display unit, display within the message history pane a browsable arrangement of the first set of message items;

o via the display unit, display within the attachment pane a browsable arrangement of the second set of message items, including each of the images thereof, the second set of message items being moveable during browsing relative to the first set of message items;

o via the input interface, receive from a user a browsing action that designates either the message history pane or the attachment pane;

o move the position of message items within the designated pane in accordance with the browsing action; and o update the position of the message items within the non-designated pane to prioritise the display of those message items having a counterpart being displayed in the designated pane.

32. The electronic communications device of claim 31, in the form of a portable electronic communication device having a touch-sensitive display screen that comprises the display unit and an input interface.

33. A system comprising a plurality of electronic devices according to claim 31 or claim

5 32.

34.

10 36. A method, device, system, computer program and/or storage medium substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1617386.6 Examiner: Mr Euros Morris

34. A computer program adapted to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 29 when executed on an electronic device according to claims 30 to 32.

35. A computer-readable storage medium comprising the computer program of claim