E-mail interface having an informational tool tip

Abstract

An interface enables perception of information regarding e-mail communications. The interface includes an e-mail application user interface that enables perception of e-mail message information for one or more e-mails received by an e-mail participant and that enables active display of one or more of the received e-mails selected by the e-mail participant, The interface also includes a mechanism that determines a request for e-mail message information for one of the e-mails from within a desired e-mail message that is not actively displayed. The interface further includes an informational tool tip that provides a temporary perceivable indication to the e-mail participant of at least a portion of the requested information for the desired e-mail message while maintaining active display of the one or more selected e-mails.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interface that enables perception of information regarding e-mail communications, the interface comprising:
 an e-mail application user interface that enables perception of e-mail message information for one or more e-mails received by an e-mail participant and that enables active display of one or more of the received e-mails selected by the e-mail participant;   a mechanism that determines a request for e-mail message information for one of the e-mails from within a desired e-mail message that is not actively displayed; and   an informational tool tip that provides a temporary perceivable indication to the e-mail participant of at least a portion of the requested information for the desired e-mail message while maintaining active display of the one or more selected e-mails.   
     
     
         2 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the tool tip is activated in response to participant selection of the desired e-mail message. 
     
     
         3 . The interface of  claim 2  in which the participant selection is inferred based upon a position of an input device relative to a user interface. 
     
     
         4 . The interface of  claim 3  in which the participant selection is inferred based upon maintaining the input device in a position relative to the user interface for a predetermined threshold period of time. 
     
     
         5 . The interface of  claim 2  in which the participant selection comprises an overt selection activity using a user input device. 
     
     
         6 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the informational tool tip is rendered in a pop up window. 
     
     
         7 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the informational tool tip is rendered as an overlay. 
     
     
         8 . The interface of  claim 1  in which a perceivable indication comprises a perceivable indication of less than all of the e-mail message information. 
     
     
         9 . The interface of  claim 1  further comprising automatically closing the tool tip. 
     
     
         10 . The interface of  claim 9  in which the tool tip is automatically closed based upon an expiration of a predetermined length of time. 
     
     
         11 . The interface of  claim 9  in which the tool tip is automatically closed based upon an inferred intent to close the tool tip. 
     
     
         12 . The interface of  claim 11  in which the intent to close the tool tip is inferred based upon a position of a user input device. 
     
     
         13 . The interface of  claim 11  in which the intent to close the tool tip is inferred based upon a movement of a user input device. 
     
     
         14 . The interface of  claim 11  in which the intent to close the tool tip is inferred based upon a position of a user input device and an expiration of a predetermined length of time. 
     
     
         15 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the interface comprises a visual interface. 
     
     
         16 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the interface comprises an audible interface. 
     
     
         17 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the desired e-mail message comprises a text message and the temporary perceivable indication comprises at least a portion of the text message. 
     
     
         18 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the desired e-mail message comprises an audio message and the temporary perceivable indication comprises at least a portion of the audio message. 
     
     
         19 . The interface of  claim 1  in which the desired e-mail message comprises a video message and the temporary perceivable indication comprises at least a portion of the video message. 
     
     
         20 . A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, comprising instructions for:
 rendering an e-mail application user interface that enables perception of e-mail message information for one or more e-mails received by an e-mail participant and that enables active display of one or more of the received e-mails selected by the e-mail participant;   
       determining a request for e-mail message information for one of the e-mails from within a desired e-mail message that is not actively displayed; and
 rendering an informational tool tip that provides a temporary perceivable indication to the e-mail participant of at least a portion of the requested information for the desired email message while maintaining active display of the one or more selected e-mails.