Inbox pause mode for facilitating focused use of email clients

Abstract

A method for facilitating focused use of an email client includes entering an inbox pause mode; and suspending display of at least some of the new email messages and email notifications while in the inbox pause mode. The method also includes, while in the inbox pause mode, detecting a user's selection of a previously received email message received prior to entering the inbox pause mode. The method further includes, while in the inbox pause mode, causing information about a subsequently received email message to be displayed, the subsequently received email message is received after entering the inbox pause mode and belongs to a session that includes the previously received email message.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application "Inbox Pause Mode for Promoting Focused Use of Email Client" with application number 202080030356.3 filed on March 28, 2020. Background Art

[0002] Electronic mail or email is a method of exchanging messages between people using electronic devices. In addition to being used on desktop computers, email is also widely used on other types of computing devices, such as laptops, smartphones, tablet computers, and smart watches. This allows people to send and receive emails almost anywhere.

[0003] Software programs used to retrieve, read, and manage emails are often referred to as email clients. An email client may be configured to send and receive emails to a specific email address associated with a user (e.g., username@domain.com). Emails sent to a user's email address may initially be delivered to an email server, which notifies the email client of new email messages. An email client may download the content of email messages from an email server.

[0004] Most email clients allow emails to be organized into electronic folders. New email messages are typically displayed in a folder called an inbox. New email messages may remain in the user's inbox until the user takes some action in connection with the email, such as deleting the email message or moving the email message to another folder.

[0005] Email is an important part of many people's lives. The typical worker in a professional office environment sends and receives a large number of email messages every day and spends a large percentage of the workday managing email messages. Many people also send personal email messages to friends and family members.

[0006] It is easy for people to be distracted by received email messages. For example, consider a scenario where a user of a computing device wants to spend time performing a task (e.g., preparing a document). As the user begins to perform the task, suppose the user receives several new email messages. The user may be distracted and spend time reading and responding to those new email messages instead of continuing to work on the task. In addition, the user may find that reading and responding to those new email messages leads to other activities (e.g., sending other email messages, participating in phone calls or meetings) that even deviate from the original task and take more time. At the end of the day, the user may find that he or she has made little progress relative to the original task. When a large number of emails are received on a regular basis, the distractions caused by new email messages can greatly affect work efficiency.

[0007] In order to avoid being distracted by incoming email messages while performing a task, one possible solution is for the user to completely close the email client so that the user is not notified when a new email message is received. However, this is not a satisfactory solution to the problem because the user may need to access the email client related to performing the task. For example, the user may need to find a specific email message related to performing the task (or send an email message to request information). The user may also need to access other information maintained by the email client that is related to performing the task (e.g., calendar information).

[0008] In some cases, the task that a user wants to perform may directly involve an email client. For example, the task may involve reading and / or responding to existing email messages. As another example, the task may involve performing email "triage," or in other words, processing email messages in a user's inbox by categorizing and prioritizing them. Email triage is a useful technique for people who receive large numbers (e.g., hundreds or even thousands) of emails per day. However, it is easy to be distracted by incoming email messages while performing email triage, which limits the effectiveness of performing email triage in the first place.

[0009] Some known email clients have an "offline working" mode in which the email client does not display any new email messages or email notifications. Although operating in the offline working mode prevents distraction by new email messages, one disadvantage is that the email client cannot send email messages while operating in this mode. Therefore, when the email client operates in the offline working mode, the user cannot respond to existing email messages. Another disadvantage of the offline working mode is that the user may miss information in new emails that will be important to the user. Summary of the invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for promoting focused use of an email client is disclosed. The method includes: entering an inbox pause mode; and while in the inbox pause mode, pausing display of at least some new email messages and email notifications. The method also includes: while in the inbox pause mode, detecting a user selection of a previously received email message received before entering the inbox pause mode. In response, causing information about subsequently received email messages to be displayed, the subsequently received email messages being received after entering the inbox pause mode and belonging to a conversation that includes the previously received email messages.

[0011] The information about the subsequently received email message may include at least some content from the subsequently received email message. Alternatively or additionally, the information about the subsequently received email message includes a notification about the subsequently received email message. In some embodiments, the previously received email message may be included in a list of email messages that is displayed in a list pane of a user interface; and the information about the subsequently received email message may be displayed in a reading pane of the user interface.

[0012] The method may also include: receiving additional email messages after entering the inbox pause mode; determining that the additional email messages satisfy a condition for being displayed while the email client is in the inbox pause mode; and displaying the additional email messages. In some embodiments, determining that the additional email messages satisfy the condition includes: determining that the additional email messages are related to a project that the user is currently working on. In some embodiments, determining that the additional email messages satisfy the condition includes: determining that the additional email messages are associated with an emergency priority level. In some embodiments, determining that the additional email messages satisfy the condition includes: determining that the sender of the additional email messages is included in a favorites list. In some embodiments, determining that the additional email messages satisfy the condition includes: determining that the additional email messages were originally received before entering the inbox pause mode and were subsequently scheduled for redelivery at a time that occurs after entering the inbox pause mode.

[0013] The method may also include receiving user input including search criteria; and displaying email messages received after entering the inbox pause mode and satisfying the search criteria.

[0014] The method may also include causing the email client to send an email message while in the inbox pause mode. The method may also include causing the email client to display a calendar notification while in the inbox pause mode. The method may also include causing the email client to display an indication of a subset of a plurality of email messages in a user's inbox that may be important to the user.

[0015] The inbox pause mode may be entered in response to a user input.The method may further include causing the email client to automatically exit the inbox pause mode after a predefined time period.

[0016] The method may also include, in response to exiting the inbox pause mode, displaying a plurality of additional email messages received after entering the inbox pause mode and displaying an indication of a subset of the plurality of additional email messages that may be important to the user.

[0017] The method may also include causing the email client to display a suggestion to enter the inbox pause mode.

[0018] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0019] Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the following description. The features and advantages of the present disclosure can be realized and obtained by the systems and methods particularly pointed out in the appended claims. The features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description and the appended claims, or can be learned by the practice of the disclosed subject matter as set forth below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to describe the manner in which the above and other features of the present disclosure can be obtained, a more specific description will be given by referring to specific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. For better understanding, the same elements are represented by the same reference numerals in the various drawings. It will be understood that the drawings depict some exemplary embodiments, and the embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1A An example is illustrated showing one manner in which a user of an email client may provide user input to cause the email client to enter an inbox pause mode.

[0022] Figure 1B An example of a user interface after an email client has entered inbox pause mode is illustrated.

[0023] Figure 1C Illustrated is one possible scenario in which a user may be notified about an email message received after the email client has been placed in inbox pause mode, that is, when a reply to an existing email message is received after the email client entered inbox pause mode.

[0024] Figure 1D Illustrated is an example of receiving a reply to an existing email message after the email client has entered an inbox pause mode and the user has begun composing a reply message.

[0025] Figure 1E An example is illustrated in which new email messages received after the email client enters the inbox pause mode are still displayed because the new email messages have been determined to be relevant to the project that the user is currently working on.

[0026] Figure 1F An example is illustrated in which new email messages received after the email client enters the inbox pause mode are still displayed because the email messages are associated with an urgent priority level.

[0027] Figure 1G An example is illustrated in which a new email message received after the email client enters the inbox pause mode is still displayed because the sender of the email message is included in the favorites list.

[0028] Figure 1H An example is illustrated in which new email messages received after the email client enters inbox snooze mode are still displayed because the email messages were previously "snoozed" and scheduled for redelivery at the current time.

[0029] Fig. 1I Another scenario is illustrated in which a user may be notified about email messages received after the email client has been placed in inbox pause mode, namely, when the new email message meets user-specified search criteria.

[0030] Figure 1J Illustrated is a calendar notification being displayed while the email client is in inbox pause mode.

[0031] Figure 1K An example is illustrated showing how information is presented to a user when an email client is in an inbox pause mode, indicating which email messages in the user's inbox have been identified as most likely to be important.

[0032] Figure 1LAn example is illustrated showing how information may be presented to a user after an email client has exited inbox pause mode, indicating which of the newly received email messages in the user's inbox have been identified as most likely to be important.

[0033] Figure 1M Illustrated is an example in which an email client displays a suggestion to enter inbox snooze mode.

[0034] Figure 2 An example is illustrated showing notification of a user of an email message received after placing an email client in an inbox pause mode in a user interface that does not include a reading pane.

[0035] Figure 3 A method for promoting focused use of an email client according to the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0036] Figure 4 An example of an email client configured to implement an inbox snooze mode as disclosed herein in electronic communications with an email server is illustrated.

[0037] Figure 5 Specific components that may be included within a computing device in accordance with the present disclosure are illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present disclosure generally relates to enabling users of computing devices to focus on tasks without being distracted by new email messages. Advantageously, the techniques disclosed herein prevent such distractions while still allowing access to and use of email clients. Thus, the techniques disclosed herein facilitate focused use of email clients.

[0039] According to the present disclosure, an email client may be configured to operate in an inbox pause mode. When operating in the inbox pause mode, the email client pauses the display of most new email messages and email notifications. New email messages continue to be delivered to the email server as usual, and the email client may still continue to receive notifications about new email messages from the email server. However, the email client does not immediately display most new email messages or notifications about new email messages when in the inbox pause mode.

[0040] The email client can enter the inbox pause mode in response to user input. The user can decide to place the email client in the inbox pause mode so that the user can focus on the task. By placing the client in the inbox pause mode, the user can focus on the task and will not be distracted by new email messages. Advantageously, the inbox pause mode enables the user to eliminate the distraction associated with incoming email messages while still allowing the user to access and use the email client. This can be important because the task that the user wants to perform may involve using a computing device running the email client thereon (e.g., using a word processing application running on a computing device to prepare a document), or even using the email client itself (e.g., performing email classification, responding to existing emails, sending new email messages, finding events on a calendar maintained by the email client). The email client can be used to send email messages when operating in the inbox pause mode. When operating in the inbox pause mode, calendar notifications can also be displayed.

[0041] The technology disclosed herein also allows for notification of new email messages to a user in certain circumstances, so that the user does not miss information that will be important to the user when the email client is operating in the inbox pause mode. Consider a scenario in which a user enters the inbox pause mode in order to focus on reading and / or responding to existing email messages without being distracted by new email messages. Assume that after entering the inbox pause mode, the user receives another email message that belongs to the same conversation as the previously received email message. For example, the previously received email message may have been sent to a group of people, and another person in the group may have replied to the email message after the user entered the inbox pause mode. According to the present disclosure, in response to the user selecting the previously received email message, information about subsequently received email messages can be displayed to the user. This ensures that the user does not miss important information related to the conversation, and thus does not make embarrassing mistakes, such as replying to old emails.

[0042] There may be other situations where the email client may display information about new email messages while operating in the Inbox Pause mode. Some examples of new email messages that may be displayed even when the email client is operating in the Inbox Pause mode include: new emails associated with an urgent priority level, new emails sent by someone in a favorites list, and new email messages related to a project that the user is currently working on.

[0043] In another example, when the email client is in the inbox pause mode, the user can search for email messages that meet specific criteria. The email messages displayed in the search results may include any email messages that have been received and meet the search criteria, including any emails that have been received after entering the inbox pause mode.

[0044] In yet another example, an email client may be configured to implement a "snooze" feature, wherein a user is able to cause a particular email message to temporarily disappear and then reappear in the user's inbox at a later time. Assume that a user "snoozes" an email message while the email client is in normal operating mode (i.e., not in inbox pause mode), and schedules the email message for redelivery at a later time. If the email client is in inbox pause mode when the email message is scheduled for redelivery, information about the email message may be displayed even though the email client is in inbox pause mode.

[0045] As described above, the email client may enter the inbox pause mode in response to user input. When the user places the email client in the inbox pause mode, the user may be given the option to enter the inbox pause mode within a predefined time period (e.g., one hour). If the user chooses to enter the inbox pause mode within the predefined time period, the email client may automatically (without additional user input) exit the inbox pause mode after the predefined time period has elapsed. When the email client exits the inbox pause mode, the email client may begin displaying new email messages and email notifications again.

[0046] In some embodiments, the email client may provide suggestions about when it is a good time to enter inbox pause mode and / or when it is a good time to exit inbox pause mode. The decision to present these kinds of suggestions to the user may be based on factors such as how many emails the user has in their inbox, whether the user currently has something scheduled on his or her calendar, how many items are included in the user's to-do list, etc. Machine learning techniques may be used to determine when it is recommended to enter inbox pause mode and / or exit inbox pause mode.

[0047] As described above, a user may choose to enter an inbox pause mode in order to perform email sorting. If the user's inbox includes a large amount of email, this may be a difficult task, especially if the user has only a small time period available to perform email sorting. In order to help the user make the most of any amount of time available to her or him, it may be determined which email messages in the user's inbox may be most important to the user. In other words, a subset of the email messages in the user's inbox may be identified, wherein the subset includes those email messages that may be most important to the user. When the email client enters the inbox pause mode, information identifying the subset of emails may be displayed to the user. For example, the email messages in the subset may be moved to the top of the user's inbox, regardless of when those email messages were actually received.

[0048] Similar techniques can be used when exiting the inbox pause mode. When the email client exits the inbox pause mode and returns to the normal operating mode, all email messages received when the email client was in the inbox pause mode can be displayed in the user's inbox. If the user receives a large number of email messages when the email client is in the inbox pause mode, seeing a large number of email messages suddenly appear in the user's inbox can make the user feel overwhelmed. In order to help the user to most effectively handle all these newly received email messages, it can be determined which newly received email messages may be the most important to the user. In other words, a subset of the new email messages received when the email client was in the inbox pause mode can be identified, wherein the subset includes those email messages that may be the most important to the user. When the email client exits the inbox pause mode, information identifying the subset of the emails can be displayed to the user. For example, the email messages in the subset can be moved to the top of the user's inbox, regardless of when those email messages are actually received.

[0049] In the following discussion, the techniques disclosed herein will be described with respect to the behavior of an email client. However, the techniques disclosed herein may also involve, at least to some extent, modifications to an email server. For example, when an email client enters an inbox pause mode, the email client may notify the email server of the change. When the email client changes to the inbox pause mode, the email server may track the state of the email client (e.g., which messages are in the user's inbox and which messages are unread).

[0050] In the examples, the term "email client" refers to any software program that allows a user to send, receive, and read email messages. In some embodiments, an email client can facilitate web-based email. In other words, an email client can include one or more components that allow a user to send, receive, and read email messages via a web interface. Alternatively, in some embodiments, an email client can be a software application.

[0051] Advantageously, the techniques disclosed herein can be implemented without creating one or more additional, unnecessary folders within an email client. Instead, in at least some embodiments, an inbox suspend mode according to the present disclosure can be implemented using one or more native components of the email client itself. This allows the inbox suspend mode to provide more sophisticated tools for determining whether a user should be notified of new email messages received in the inbox suspend mode.

[0052] Figure 1A 2 illustrates an example of various aspects of a user interface 102 of an email client implementing an inbox pause mode according to the present disclosure. The user interface 102 includes three different parts, which may be referred to as panes. These panes include a folder pane 104, a list pane 106, and a reading pane 108.

[0053] exist Figure 1A The specific details of the examples shown in -M should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes can be made to these examples in accordance with the inventive principles disclosed herein. For example, although these examples will be described with respect to a user interface 102 including a folder pane 104, a list pane 106, and a reading pane 108, in alternative embodiments, the user interface may be configured differently (e.g., without a reading pane 108). Similarly, although the examples will be described with respect to a particular type of user interface element (e.g., a drop-down menu, a button, a pop-up window), the user interface 102 may be configured differently (e.g., without a reading pane 108). Figure 1A -M, but those skilled in the art will recognize that different types of user interface elements may be used to implement the inbox pause mode according to the present disclosure.

[0054] As described above, the email client may allow email messages to be organized into electronic folders. The folder pane 104 includes a list of these electronic folders. An inbox is contained within these electronic folders. Whenever a new email message is received, the new email message is placed in the inbox. The new email message remains in the inbox until the user takes some action to move it out of the inbox (e.g., deletes the email message, moves the email message to a different folder).

[0055] List pane 106 shows a list of email messages included in the currently selected folder in folder pane 104. If the currently selected folder is an inbox, the email messages shown in list pane 106 are email messages currently in the user's inbox. Because list pane 106 includes only a list of email messages, only some of the information associated with those email messages (e.g., the sender's name, the subject line, the first few words in the body of the email message) is shown in list pane 106.

[0056] Reading pane 108 shows at least some of the content of the email message currently selected in list pane 106. Reading pane 108 may also include at least some of the content of other email messages contained in the same conversation as the currently selected email message. In this context, the term "conversation" refers to an email message and any replies to the email message.

[0057] The email client may enter an inbox pause mode in response to user input. Figure 1A One manner in which a user of an email client may provide user input that causes the email client to enter the inbox pause mode is illustrated. In the depicted example, the option to enter the inbox pause mode appears in a drop-down menu 110. The user may access the drop-down menu 110 by selecting a filter option 112. In alternative embodiments, the option to enter the inbox pause mode may be presented to the user via a different type of user interface element.

[0058] The user may choose between entering the Inbox Pause mode for an unspecified time period, a predefined time period (e.g., 30 minutes), or until a specific time (e.g., until 2:30 p.m.). If the user chooses to enter the Inbox Pause mode for an unspecified time period, the email client remains in the Inbox Pause mode until the user provides additional user input that causes the email client to exit the Inbox Pause mode. If the user chooses to enter the Inbox Pause mode for a predefined time period, the email client may automatically (without additional user input) exit the Inbox Pause mode after the predefined time period has elapsed. If the user chooses to enter the Inbox Pause mode until a specific time, the email client may automatically (without additional user input) exit the Inbox Pause mode after the specific time has been reached.

[0059] Figure 1BThe user interface 102 is illustrated after the email client enters the inbox pause mode. A notification 114 that the email client is currently in the inbox pause mode is highlighted in the user interface 102. A button 116 is also displayed that allows the user to turn off the inbox pause mode. The button 116 may be referred to herein as a deactivate button 116. Displaying the notification 114 and / or the deactivate button 116 may be beneficial because displaying these items minimizes the likelihood that the email client will operate in the inbox pause mode without the user realizing it.

[0060] In some embodiments, notification 114 and / or deactivate button 116 may be displayed in a color that is different from other colors displayed in user interface 102. For example, if the primary theme of user interface 102 is blue, notification 114 and / or deactivate button 116 may be a different color (e.g., red) that may attract the user's attention.

[0061] Figure 1C A possible scenario in which a user may be notified about an email message 120 received after the email client has been placed in the inbox pause mode is illustrated. In the depicted example, the user receives an email message 118 sent to multiple people, including the user. Because the email message 118 was received before the email client entered the inbox pause mode, the email message 118 is included in the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106. After the email client enters the inbox pause mode, another recipient of the email message (i.e., someone other than the user of the email client) replies to the email message 118. Because the reply message 120 is received after the email client has entered the inbox pause mode, the reply message 120 is not included in the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106. However, when the user selects the email message in the list pane 106, at least some of the content of the reply message 120 is displayed in the reading pane 108.

[0062] In other words, in response to detecting a user selection of a previously received email message 118 (i.e., an email message 118 received before the email client entered the inbox pause mode), the email client displays information about subsequently received email messages 120 (i.e., email messages received after the email client entered the inbox pause mode) that belong to the same conversation as the previously received email message 118. In response to detecting a user selection of a previously received email message 118, information about the subsequently received email message 120 may be automatically displayed (without additional user input).

[0063] In the depicted example, a previously received email message 118 is included in the list of email messages displayed in list pane 106, and the user selects previously received email message 118 in list pane 106. Information about a subsequently received email message 120 is displayed in reading pane 108. In addition to showing at least some of the content from the subsequently received email message 120, reading pane 108 also includes a notification 122 that a new reply has been received to the previously received email message.

[0064] exist Figure 1D The example shown in is similar to that in Figure 1C , except that now the user has begun composing a reply message 124. In addition to showing the reply message 124 that the user is composing, the reading pane 108 also shows some of the content from the subsequently received email message 120. The reading pane 108 also includes a notification 126 indicating that a new reply has been received to the previously received email message 118 and that the user is replying to the latest email message in the conversation. If the user has not replied to the latest email message in the conversation, a notification to that effect may be displayed instead.

[0065] exist Figure 1C and Figure 1D , the information about the subsequently received email message 120 includes at least some of the content of the subsequently received email message 120 (e.g., the sender's name, the subject line, at least a portion of the message body). Alternatively, the information about the subsequently received email message 120 may simply include a notification about the subsequently received email message 120. For example, the email client may notify the user about the subsequently received email message 120 and ask the user whether the content from the subsequently received email message 120 should be displayed. In other words, in response to the user selecting the previously received email message 118 in the list pane 106 (and / or in response to detecting that the user is composing a reply to the previously received email message 118), the content of the previously received email message 118 may be displayed in the reading pane 108 along with a notification that a reply to the previously received email message 118 has been received. The notification may include some type of user interface element (e.g., a button) that, if activated by the user, causes at least some of the content from the subsequently received email message 120 to be displayed in the reading pane 108.

[0066] exist Figure 1C and Figure 1DThe example illustrated in illustrates one possible scenario in which a user may be notified about an email message 120 received after the email client has been placed in the inbox pause mode, that is, when a reply to an existing email message 118 is received after the email client has entered the inbox pause mode. However, as described above, there are many other possible scenarios in which a user may be notified about an email message received after the email client has been placed in the inbox pause mode. Several of these scenarios are described in detail in the following. Figure 1E - is illustrated in FIG.

[0067] exist Figure 1E In the example shown in , new email message 128 is added to the list of email messages displayed in list pane 106 because it has been determined that new email message 128 is related to the project that the user is currently working on. To make this determination, the email client (and / or corresponding email server) can analyze the content of new email message 128 and compare the results of the analysis with other information known about the project that the user is currently working on.

[0068] exist Figure 1F In the example shown in , the new email message 130 is added to the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106 because the email message is associated with an urgent priority level.

[0069] exist Figure 1G In the example shown in , a new email message 132 is sent by an individual included in a favorites list 134 associated with the user's email account. Favorites list 134 may include a collection of one or more email addresses whose email messages should always be displayed even when the email client is operating in inbox pause mode.

[0070] exist Figure 1H In the example shown in , a new email message 136 is added to the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106 because the email message 136 was previously "postponed" and scheduled for redelivery at the current time. In other words, the email message 136 was previously received at a point in time before the email client entered the inbox pause mode, and the user scheduled the email message 136 to be redelivered at the current time. Although the email client is currently operating in the inbox pause mode, the email client respects the user's request to cause the email message 136 to reappear in the user's inbox at the current time.

[0071] Fig. 1IAnother scenario in which a user may be notified about email messages received after the email client has been placed in the inbox pause mode is illustrated. In the depicted example, the user searches for email messages that meet certain criteria (e.g., email messages from someone whose email address includes the username "cash.bisset") by entering the search criteria in the search bar 140. The search is performed while the email client is in the inbox pause mode. In response, a list of email messages that meet the search criteria is displayed in the list pane 106. Email messages 138 received after the inbox pause mode is entered are included in the search results.

[0072] Figure 1J Illustrated is a calendar notification 142 being displayed when the email client is in the inbox pause mode. In the depicted example, the calendar notification 142 may appear as a pop-up window displayed in front of the list pane 106 and the reading pane 108.

[0073] As described above, when the email client enters the inbox pause mode, it can determine which email messages in the user's inbox may be most important to the user. This may be beneficial, for example, in the case where the user wants to perform email sorting while in the inbox pause mode. Figure 1K The diagram shows how information is presented to the user indicating which email messages in the user's inbox have been identified as most important. In the depicted example, two email messages 144, 146 have been identified as potentially important. Even though these email messages 144, 146 have not been received recently, these email messages 144, 146 have been moved to the top of the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106 and are marked to indicate their potential importance.

[0074] As also described above, similar techniques can be utilized when exiting the inbox pause mode. When the email client exits the inbox pause mode and returns to the normal operating mode, all email messages received while the email client was in the inbox pause mode can be displayed in the user's inbox. It can be determined which newly received email messages are most likely to be important to the user. Figure 1L The diagram shows how information is presented to the user indicating which newly received email messages have been identified as most important. In the depicted example, one email message 148 has been identified as potentially important. Even though the email message 148 was not recently received, the email message 148 has been moved to the top of the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106 and marked to indicate its potential importance.

[0075] Figure 1M An example is illustrated in which an email client displays a suggestion 150 to enter an inbox pause mode. In the depicted example, the suggestion 150 is displayed at the top of the list pane 106. In alternative embodiments, such a suggestion 150 may be displayed at a different location in the user interface 102. The decision to present such a suggestion 150 to the user may be based on factors such as how many emails are in the user's inbox, whether the user currently has something scheduled on his or her calendar, how many items are included in the user's to-do list, etc. Machine learning techniques may be used to determine when to suggest entering and / or exiting the inbox pause mode.

[0076] Figure 2 An example is shown showing how to notify a user of an email message received after the email client has been placed in the inbox pause mode in a user interface 202 that does not include a reading pane. Figure 1C In the example discussed, the user receives an email message 218 sent to multiple people including the user. Because the email message 218 was received before the email client entered the inbox pause mode, the email message 218 is included in the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 206. After the email client enters the inbox pause mode, another recipient of the email message (i.e., someone other than the user of the email client) replies to the email message 218. Because the reply message is received after the email client has entered the inbox pause mode, the reply message is not included in the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 206. In the depicted example, a notification 222 is displayed next to the previously received email message 218, indicating that a reply to the previously received email message 218 has been received and giving the user an opportunity to select to view the reply. If the user selects to view the reply, there are several different ways to display at least some of the content of the reply to the user. For example, the reply can be added to the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 206, displayed in a pop-up window, etc.

[0077] Figure 3 A method 300 for promoting focused use of an email client according to the present disclosure is illustrated. The steps of the method 300 can be performed by an email client. For clarity, at least some aspects of the method 300 will be described with respect to the examples that have been discussed previously. However, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to these specific examples.

[0078] Step 302 of method 300 involves entering an inbox pause mode. The inbox pause mode may be entered in response to user input. The user may enter the inbox pause mode via a user interface element (e.g., Figure 1A The input is provided by a drop-down menu 110 shown in FIG.

[0079] Step 304 of method 300 involves pausing the display of most new email messages and email notifications when in the inbox pause mode. New email messages can continue to be delivered as usual, but the email client does not immediately display most new email messages or notifications about new email messages in the inbox pause mode.

[0080] However, as discussed above, in some cases, the user may be notified of new email messages so that the user does not miss information that would be important to the user when the email client is operating in the inbox pause mode. Steps 306 and 308 represent an example of how this may occur.

[0081] Step 306 of method 300 involves detecting, in the inbox pause mode, a user's selection of a previously received email message 118 received before entering the inbox pause mode. The user's selection of the previously received email message 118 may be, for example, for the purpose of reading the email message 118 and / or for the purpose of replying to the email message 118.

[0082] Step 308 of method 300 involves displaying information about email messages 120 received after entering the inbox pause mode and belonging to the same conversation as the previously received email message 118 in the inbox pause mode. For example, the previously received email message 118 may be sent to multiple people, including the user. After the email client enters the inbox pause mode, another recipient of the email (i.e., someone other than the user of the email client) can reply to the email 118. Because the reply message 120 is received after the email client has entered the inbox pause mode, the reply message 120 is not immediately displayed in the user interface 102 of the email client. However, in response to the user selecting the previously received email message 118 (e.g., reading the email message 118 and / or replying to the email message 118), information about the subsequently received email message 120 can be displayed to the user. The information can be automatically displayed in response to detecting the user's selection of the previously received email message 118.

[0083] In some embodiments, the information about the subsequently received email message 120 may include at least some of the content of the subsequently received email message 120 (e.g., the sender's name, the subject line, at least a portion of the message body). Alternatively, the information about the subsequently received email message 120 may simply include a notification about the subsequently received email message 120 and some type of user interface element that, if activated, causes at least some of the content of the subsequently received email message 120 to be displayed.

[0084] In previous combination Figure 1C In the example discussed above, a previously received email message 118 is included in the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106 of the user interface 102, and information about a subsequently received email message 120 is displayed in the reading pane 108 of the user interface 102. However, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to this aspect. In some embodiments, the user interface of the email client may not have a reading pane 108, in which case information about subsequently received email messages 120 may be displayed elsewhere within the user interface. As just one example, information about subsequently received email messages 120 may take the form of a notification displayed in relation to the previously received email message 118.

[0085] Steps 306 and 308 represent one possible scenario in which a user may be notified about an email message 120 received after the email client has been placed in the Inbox Suspended Mode, that is, when a reply 120 to an existing email message 118 is received after the email client has entered the Inbox Suspended Mode. However, as described above, there are many other possible scenarios in which a user may be notified about an email message received after the email client has been placed in the Inbox Suspended Mode.

[0086] Step 310 of method 300 represents receiving additional email messages after entering the inbox pause mode. Step 312 represents determining that the additional email messages meet conditions for being displayed when the email client is in the inbox pause mode. Step 314 represents displaying the additional email messages.

[0087] Several different types of conditions may be defined to allow display of email messages received while the email client is operating in the Inbox Pause mode. As an example of such a condition, the email client may be configured to display an email message received while the email client is operating in the Inbox Pause mode if the email message is related to a project that the user is currently working on. Thus, step 312 may represent a determination that the additional email message is related to a project that the user is currently working on.

[0088] As another example of such a condition, the email client may be configured to display an email message received when the email client is operating in the inbox pause mode if the email message is associated with an urgent priority level. Thus, step 312 may represent determining that the additional email message is associated with an urgent priority level.

[0089] As another example of such a condition, the email client may be configured to display the email message if the sender of the email message received when the email client is operating in the inbox pause mode is included in the favorites list. Thus, step 312 may represent determining that the sender of the additional email message is included in the favorites list.

[0090] As another example of such a condition, the email client may be configured to display an email message received when the email client was operating in the Inbox Pause mode if the email message was previously "postponed." Thus, step 312 may represent a determination that the additional email message was originally received prior to entering the Inbox Pause mode and then scheduled for redelivery at a time that occurs after entering the Inbox Pause mode.

[0091] As described above, if an email message received while the email client is operating in the inbox pause mode is included in the search results, the email message can be displayed. Step 316 involves receiving user input including search criteria. Step 318 represents displaying email messages received after entering the inbox pause mode and meeting the search criteria.

[0092] As also discussed above, when operating in the inbox pause mode, the user is allowed to use most of the features of the email client as the user would normally do. Step 320 of method 300 involves sending email messages while in the inbox pause mode. Step 322 of method 300 involves displaying calendar notifications while in the inbox pause mode.

[0093] As also discussed above, when the email client enters the inbox pause mode, it may be determined which email messages in the user's inbox may be most important to the user. Step 324 involves displaying an indication of a subset of the email messages in the user's inbox that may be most important to the user. In some embodiments, step 324 may involve moving the email messages in the subset to the top of the list of email messages displayed in list pane 106.

[0094] Step 326 involves exiting the Inbox Pause mode. The user may manually exit the Inbox Pause mode, in which case step 326 involves receiving additional user input. Alternatively, if the Inbox Pause mode has been entered for a predefined time period in step 302, step 326 involves exiting the Inbox Pause mode automatically (without additional user input) after the predefined time period has elapsed.

[0095] When the email client exits the inbox pause mode and returns to the normal operating mode in step 326, all email messages received while the email client was in the inbox pause mode may be displayed in the user's inbox. Step 328 involves displaying an indication of a subset of the newly received email messages in the user's inbox that are most likely to be important to the user. In some embodiments, step 328 may involve moving the email messages in the subset to the top of the list of email messages displayed in the list pane 106.

[0096] Step 330 involves displaying a suggestion to enter Inbox Pause mode. Such a suggestion may be displayed at a time when the email client is not currently operating in Inbox Pause mode. For example, such a suggestion may be displayed before the user first enters Inbox Pause mode. As another example, such a suggestion may be displayed after a certain amount of time has passed since the email client was previously operating in Inbox Pause mode. As described above, the decision to present such a suggestion to the user may be based on factors such as how many email messages the user has in their Inbox, whether the user currently has something scheduled on his or her calendar, how many items are included on the user's To-Do list, etc.

[0097] Figure 4An example of a system 400 including an email client 452 configured to implement an inbox pause mode as disclosed herein is illustrated. The email client 452 includes an inbox pause module 454 configured to provide this feature. The email client 452 is in electronic communication with an email server 464. The email server 464 is also shown with an inbox pause module 478. The inbox pause module 478 can be configured to perform various operations that facilitate implementing the inbox pause mode on the email client 452.

[0098] In some embodiments, inbox pause module 454 may be configured such that each time inbox pause module 454 causes email client 452 to enter (or exit) inbox pause mode, inbox pause module 454 notifies email server 464 of the change. Figure 4 Email server 464 is shown receiving notification message 466 from email client 452. Notification message 466 notifies email server 464 that email client 452 has entered (or exited) inbox pause mode.

[0099] The email server 464 maintains state information 468 about the email client 452. In response to being notified that the email client 452 has entered the inbox pause mode, the inbox pause module 478 on the email server 464 may modify the state information 468 associated with the email client 452. The state information 468 may indicate whether the email client 452 is in the inbox pause mode, etc. If the email client 452 is in the inbox pause mode, the state information 468 may also indicate the time when the email client 452 entered the inbox pause mode.

[0100] When the email server 464 responds to a request from the email client 452 and the email client 452 is in the inbox pause mode, the inbox pause module 478 on the email server 464 can use the status information 468. As just one example, assume that the user has selected a particular type of filter (e.g., a filter that causes only unread messages to be displayed) to be applied to the email messages in the user's inbox. In response to this type of user input, the email server 464 can receive a request 474 from the email client 452 to apply the requested filter. The email server 464 can respond to the request 474 with information 476 about the email messages whose characteristics meet the requirements of the filter. For example, if the user has selected a filter that causes only unread messages to be displayed, the information 476 provided in response to the request 474 can include information about the unread email messages in the user's inbox. As part of responding to the request 474 from the email client 452, the email server 464 can refer to the status information 468. For example, the email server 464 can refer to the status information 468 to determine whether the email client 452 is in the inbox pause mode. If email client 452 is in inbox pause mode, email server 464 may also reference state information 468 to determine the time when email client 452 entered inbox pause mode. Email server 464 may also ensure that information 476 provided in response to request 474 does not include any information about email messages received after the time when email client 452 entered inbox pause mode.

[0101] Email server 464 may send notifications about new email messages that have been received to email client 452. When email client 452 is in inbox pause mode, email client 452 may temporarily ignore at least some of these notifications.

[0102] However, as discussed above, even when the email client 452 is operating in the inbox pause mode, the technology disclosed herein allows the user to be notified of new email messages in some cases. In some embodiments, the email server 464 can be configured to facilitate this by modifying at least some of the notifications sent to the email client 452. For example, the email server 464 can be aware of one or more conditions 460 that allow new email messages to be displayed even when the email client 452 is operating in the inbox pause mode. When a new email message is received when the email client 452 is in the inbox pause mode and such conditions 460 are met, the inbox pause module 478 can cause the email server 464 to include an indicator 472 in the notification 470 about the newly received email message sent to the email client 452. The presence of the indicator 472 can signal to the email client 452 that the notification 470 should be processed even when the email client 452 is in the inbox pause mode.

[0103] As discussed above, the techniques disclosed herein facilitate focused use of an email client.An email client is a software program that runs on a computing device. Figure 5 Certain components that may be included within computing device 500 in accordance with the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0104] As used herein, the term "computing device" refers to any electronic device that includes a memory and a processor that is configured to follow instructions stored in the memory to perform a sequence of mathematical and logical operations. Some examples of computing devices that can be used in conjunction with the disclosed embodiments include desktop computers, laptop computers, smart phones, tablet computers, and smart watches.

[0105] The computing device 500 includes a processor 501. The processor 501 may be a general-purpose single-core or multi-core microprocessor (e.g., an Advanced RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) Machine (ARM)), a special-purpose microprocessor (e.g., a Digital Signal Processor (DSP)), a microcontroller, a programmable gate array, etc. The processor 501 may be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). Figure 5 Only a single processor 501 is shown in the computing device 500 , but in an alternative configuration, a combination of processors (eg, an ARM and DSP) could be used.

[0106] The computing device 500 also includes a memory 503 in electronic communication with the processor 501. The memory 503 may be any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. For example, the memory 503 may be embodied as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device in a RAM, an onboard memory included in the processor 501, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) memory, a register, etc., including combinations thereof.

[0107] Instructions 505 and data 507 may be stored in memory 503. Instructions 505 may be executed by processor 501 to implement some or all of the methods, steps, operations, actions, or other functions disclosed herein in conjunction with computing device 500. For example, instructions 505 may be executed by processor 501 to implement an inbox pause mode as disclosed herein. Execution of instructions 505 may involve the use of data 507 stored in memory 503. Unless otherwise stated, any of the various examples of modules and components described herein may be implemented in part or in whole as instructions stored in memory 503 505 and executed by processor 501. Any of the various examples of data described herein may be among the data 507 stored in memory 503 and used during execution of instructions 505 by processor 501.

[0108] The instructions 505 in the memory 503 may include one or more software programs, such as an email client 552. The email client 552 may include an inbox pause module 554. The inbox pause module 554 may be configured to implement an inbox pause mode as disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the inbox pause module 554 may be a native component of the email client 552 (rather than, for example, a plug-in).

[0109] Data 507 in memory 503 may include various information that inbox pause module 554 may use to implement the inbox pause mode. For example, data 507 may include state information 556. State information 556 may indicate whether email client 552 is operating in the inbox pause mode, etc. State information 556 may also include information about the state of the user's inbox when the inbox pause mode is entered (e.g., which email messages are in the user's inbox and which email messages are unread).

[0110] As another example, data 507 may include information 558 about new email messages received while email client 552 is operating in inbox pause mode. This new message information 558 may be used with state information 556 to determine when information about new email messages received after entering inbox pause mode is part of the same conversation as email messages received before entering inbox pause mode.

[0111] The data 507 may also include information regarding one or more conditions 560 that allow for display of email messages received while the email client is operating in the inbox pause mode. Several examples of such conditions 560 are described above (e.g., whether the email message is related to a project that the user is currently working on, whether the email message is associated with an urgent priority level, whether the sender of the additional email message is included in a favorites list, whether the email message was previously "postponed").

[0112] Data 507 may also include information about criteria 562 that may be used to determine whether an email message is likely to be important to a user. These criteria 562 may be referred to herein as importance criteria 562. Importance criteria 562 may be used when email client 552 enters inbox pause mode (e.g., as described above in conjunction with Figure 1K ) and / or when the email client 552 exits the inbox pause mode (e.g., as described above in conjunction with Figure 1L described) use.

[0113] The computing device 500 may also include one or more communication interfaces 509 for communicating with other electronic devices. For example, the email client 552 may use the communication interface 509 to communicate with an email server (e.g., to notify the email server that the email client 552 has entered inbox pause mode, to receive notifications from the email server, to download email messages from the email server). The communication interface(s) 509 may be based on wired communication technology, wireless communication technology, or both. Some examples of the communication interface 509 include a universal serial bus (USB), an Ethernet adapter, a wireless adapter operating according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 wireless communication protocol, Wireless communication adapter and infrared (IR) communication port.

[0114] The computing device 500 may also include one or more input devices 511 and one or more output devices 513. The user of the computing device 500 may use one or more input devices 511 to provide user input to place the email client 552 in the inbox pause mode and / or return the email client 552 to the normal operation mode. Some examples of input devices 511 include keyboards, mice, microphones, remote control devices, buttons, joysticks, trackballs, touchpads, and light pens. A specific type of output device 513 that is typically included in the computing device 500 is a display device 515. The user interface 102 of the email client 552 may be displayed to the user via the display device 515. The display device 515 used with the embodiments disclosed herein may utilize any suitable image projection technology, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), a gas plasma, electroluminescence, etc. A display controller 517 may also be provided for converting the data 507 stored in the memory 503 into text, graphics, and / or moving images (when appropriate) shown on the display device 515. The computing device 500 may also include other types of output devices 513 , such as speakers, printers, and the like.

[0115] The various components of computing device 500 may be coupled together via one or more buses, which may include a power bus, a control signal bus, a status signal bus, a data bus, etc. For clarity, the various buses are described in Figure 5 This is shown as bus system 519 .

[0116] As described above, an email client operating in the Inbox Pause mode may pause the display of a majority of new email messages. In some embodiments, the term "majority" means more than half. In other words, in such embodiments, if more than half of new email messages are paused (i.e., not displayed when the email client is operating in the Inbox Pause mode), then a majority of new email messages are paused. In other embodiments, the term "majority" means more than 75%. In other embodiments, the term "majority" means more than 90%.

[0117] The percentage of new email messages that are suspended can be measured relative to a time interval. For example, if more than a specified percentage (e.g., 50%) of new emails received during a particular time interval (e.g., 10 minutes) are suspended, then a majority of new email messages can be said to have been suspended. In some embodiments, the time interval can be at least 10 minutes. In other embodiments, the time interval can be at least 30 minutes. In other embodiments, the time interval can be at least 60 minutes.

[0118] The techniques described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof, unless specifically described as being implemented in a particular manner. Any features described as modules, components, etc. may also be implemented together in an integrated logic device or separately as discrete but interoperable logic devices. If implemented in software, these techniques may be implemented at least in part by a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by at least one processor, perform some or all of the steps, operations, actions, or other functions disclosed herein. Instructions may be organized into routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which may perform specific tasks and / or implement specific data types, and may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

[0119] Without departing from the scope of the claims, the steps, operations and / or actions of the methods described herein may be interchangeable with each other. In other words, unless the normal operation of the described method requires a specific order of steps, operations and / or actions, the order and / or use of specific steps, operations and / or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0120] The term "determining" (and its grammatical variations) encompasses a variety of actions, and thus, "determining" includes computing, calculating, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), ascertaining, etc. Furthermore, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), etc. Furthermore, "determining" may include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0121] The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be other elements in addition to the listed elements. In addition, it should be understood that reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the described features. For example, any element or feature described with respect to an embodiment of this document may be combined with any element or feature of any other embodiment described herein, where compatible.

[0122] The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its subject matter or characteristics. The described embodiments are considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Changes within the equivalent meaning and scope of the claims should be included within their scope.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to: causing an email client on a computing device to enter an inbox pause mode; defining one or more conditions that allow display of new email messages or new email notifications while the email client is in the inbox pause mode; When the email client is in the inbox pause mode, causing the email client to pause display of all new email messages and all new email notifications except for any new email messages or any new email notifications that satisfy any of the one or more conditions, wherein the email client, while in the inbox pause mode, continuing to display a plurality of previously received email messages, the plurality of previously received email messages being received prior to entering the inbox pause mode; receiving a user input including search criteria, wherein the user input initiates a search for any email messages that satisfy the search criteria, and wherein the search is performed while the email client is in the inbox pause mode; as well as Email messages received after entering the inbox pause mode and satisfying the search criteria are caused to be displayed.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the email client to: receiving additional messages after entering said inbox pause mode; determining that the additional message satisfies a condition to be displayed while the email client is in the inbox pause mode; and The additional message is caused to be displayed.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein: The inbox pause mode is entered in response to user input; and The non-transitory computer-readable medium also includes additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the email client to automatically exit the inbox pause mode after a predefined period of time.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the email client to: exiting the inbox pause mode; responsive to exiting the inbox pause mode, causing display of a plurality of additional messages received after entering the inbox pause mode; and An indication of a subset of the plurality of additional messages is caused to be displayed.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the email client to cause display of a suggestion to enter the inbox snooze mode.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to: Put the messaging client into pause mode; providing one or more conditions that allow new messages or new notifications to be displayed while the messaging client is in the pause mode; causing the messaging client to suspend display of all new messages and all new notifications except for any new messages or any new notifications that satisfy any of the one or more conditions while the messaging client is in the pause mode, wherein the messaging client, while in the pause mode, continues to display a plurality of previously received messages, the plurality of previously received messages being received prior to entering the pause mode; receiving user input including search criteria; responsive to the user input, causing a search to be performed for any messages that satisfy the search criteria, wherein the search is performed while the messaging client is in the pause mode; and Messages received after entering the pause mode and satisfying the search criteria are caused to be displayed.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the messaging client to: receiving an additional message after entering said pause mode; determining that the additional message satisfies a condition to be displayed while the messaging client is in the pause mode; and The additional message is caused to be displayed.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein: Determining that the additional message satisfies the condition includes determining that the additional message is related to the current user project.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein: Determining that the additional message satisfies the condition includes determining that the additional message is associated with an emergency priority level.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein: Determining that the additional message satisfies the condition includes determining that a sender of the additional message is included in a favorites list.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein: Determining that the additional message satisfies the condition includes determining that the additional message was originally received prior to entering the pause mode and then scheduled for redelivery at a time that occurs after entering the pause mode.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein: The pause mode is entered in response to user input; and The non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the messaging client to automatically exit the pause mode after a predefined period of time.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the messaging client to send messages while in the pause mode.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the messaging client to display calendar notifications while in the pause mode.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the messaging client to: exiting the pause mode; responsive to exiting the pause mode, causing display of a plurality of additional messages received after entering the pause mode; and An indication of a subset of the plurality of additional messages is caused to be displayed.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising additional instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the messaging client to cause display of a suggestion to enter the pause mode.

17. A system comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: Put the messaging client into pause mode; providing one or more conditions that allow new messages or new notifications to be displayed while the messaging client is in the pause mode; causing the messaging client to suspend display of all new messages and all new notifications except for any new messages or any new notifications that satisfy any of the one or more conditions while the messaging client is in the pause mode, wherein the messaging client, while in the pause mode, continues to display a plurality of previously received messages, the plurality of previously received messages being received prior to entering the pause mode; receiving user input including search criteria; responsive to the user input, causing a search to be performed for any messages that satisfy the search criteria, wherein the search is performed while the messaging client is in the pause mode; and Messages received after entering the pause mode and satisfying the search criteria are caused to be displayed.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising additional computer executable instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the messaging client to: receiving an additional message after entering said pause mode; determining that the additional message satisfies a condition to be displayed while the messaging client is in the pause mode; and The additional message is caused to be displayed.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein: The pause mode is entered in response to user input; and The system also includes additional computer-executable instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the messaging client to automatically exit the pause mode after a predefined period of time.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising additional computer executable instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the messaging client to: exiting the pause mode; responsive to exiting the pause mode, causing display of a plurality of additional messages received after entering the pause mode; and An indication of a subset of the plurality of additional messages is caused to be displayed.

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