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U.S. Patent: 10,915,296


Patent Title

Information apparatus that includes a touch sensitive screen interface for managing or replying to e-mails

Meta Information

Issued Date: Feb 09, 2021
Inventor: William Ho Chang et al
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents

Technical Fields

Abstract

An information apparatus that supports a touch sensitive screen for managing e-mails is disclosed and enabled. The information apparatus may include a graphical user interface, an e-mail application, an Internet browsing application, and applications for playing audio/video content. The information apparatus includes an operating system software and support for installation of new applications. In one example, a user of the information apparatus may reply to an e-mail by selecting an item over the touch sensitive screen. The user may scroll down or up an email using the touch sensitive screen. In other examples, the user may further select an item or functional control via the touch sensitive screen to output, synchronize, stream, transmit, play, print, display, or mirror at least part of digital content from the information apparatus to one or more output devices over air.

U.S. Patent: 10,915,296

Sample Claim

1. An information apparatus supporting a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with a user, the information apparatus being a mobile and wireless information apparatus, and the information apparatus including one or more applications that are installed or preinstalled in the information apparatus, the one or more applications having access to digital content, and the one or more applications include at least one of an e-mail application, a messaging application, a digital imaging application, an audio application, a video application, a document creation application, or an Internet browsing application, individually or in any combination; and wherein the information apparatus further including:

operating system software supporting an object model or an application programming interface (API) to facilitate at least one of said e-mail application, said messaging application, said audio application, said video application, said digital imaging application, said document creation application, or said Internet browsing application interfacing with device management applications in the information apparatus;

a touch sensitive screen,

one or more processors,

memory or storage for storing at least a portion of the digital content accessed by the one or more applications, and

wireless communication circuitry that includes one or more wireless communication units for wireless communication, the one or more wireless communication units being compatible with at least a protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards, the wireless communication circuitry being operable to:

(a) couple the information apparatus, using the one or more wireless communication units included in the wireless communication circuitry of the information apparatus, to a wireless local area network, the coupling to the wireless local area network includes establishing a wireless communication link that is compatible with at least a protocol within IEEE 802.11 wireless standards;

(b) wirelessly connect, using the wireless communication circuitry of the information apparatus and over the wireless local area network coupled in (a), by the one or more applications of the information apparatus to one or more servers over a network for accessing the digital content; and

wherein the one or more applications include at least the e-mail application and the e-mail application includes:

a graphical user interface, provided by the e-mail application and over the touch sensitive screen of the information apparatus, that includes at least an inbox,

a reply function control or item displayed on the touch sensitive screen of the information apparatus, provided by the e-mail application, for user selection over the touch sensitive screen for replying to an e-mail, and

the information apparatus being further operable to:

(1) receive, by the e-mail application, using the wireless communication circuitry of the information apparatus and over the wireless communication link established in (a), one or more emails, the one or more emails being available in the inbox;

(2) display, by the e-mail application and over the touch sensitive screen of the information apparatus, content of an email from among the one or more emails received by the e-mail application in (1);

(3) receive, using the touch sensitive screen of the information apparatus, an input from the user to scroll down or up the content of the email displayed on the touch sensitive screen in (2);

(4) receive from the user, using the touch sensitive screen of the information apparatus, selection of the reply function control or item, which is provided by the e-mail application and displayed on the touch sensitive screen of the information apparatus, for replying to the email, which is displayed in (2), from among the one or more emails received by the e-mail application in (1);

(5) wirelessly discover, using the wireless communication circuitry of the information apparatus, a wireless output device; and

(6) wirelessly output, using the wireless communication circuitry of the information apparatus, from the information apparatus, and to the wireless output device wirelessly discovered in (5), at least part of the email, which is displayed in (2), from among the one or more emails that are received in (1); and

wherein the information apparatus is a mobile and wireless information apparatus that is at least one of a smart phone, an information pad, a digital pad or an e-book, individually or in any combination, and the information apparatus is neither a stationary computer nor a desktop computer, and the information apparatus is operable to further allow the user to install additional applications for running on the operating system software to further expand functionalities of the information apparatus.