# US 2014/0195928 A1 · Return to Sender

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- Number: US 2014/0195928 A1
- Document ID: US20140195928A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/795,809
- Filed: 2013-03-12
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Conrad Rhodes Carlen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195928A1

## CPC

- H04L 51/08: Annexed information, e.g. attachments
- G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
- G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
- H04L 67/06: specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
- G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management
- H04M 1/72436: for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

In some implementations, a return to sender option can be invoked from within a file editing application when a user has edited a file received as a message attachment. The user can select a file attached to a message from within a messaging application. A file editor can be invoked to open and edit the file. The user can select a return to sender option from within the file editor. In response to the selection of the return to sender option, the edited file can be automatically saved, a reply message can be automatically generated and the edited file can be automatically attached to the reply message.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
presenting, on the display of a computing device, contents of a file in a user interface of a file editing application, where the file was received as an attachment to an electronic message;
receiving input to the user interface of the file editing application for returning the file to a sender of the electronic message; and
in response to the input,
automatically saving the file
automatically generating a reply message to the electronic message,
automatically attaching the file to the reply message, and
presenting the reply message on a user interface of an electronic messaging application.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
displaying the electronic message from the sender, the electronic message having the file attached;
receiving a selection of the file; and
presenting the contents of the file in the file editing application user interface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein automatically generating the reply message comprises automatically including content from the electronic message in the reply message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein automatically attaching the file to the reply message includes presenting indicia on the electronic messaging application user interface indicating that the attached file is an edited version of the file received as an attachment to the electronic message.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the file has associated metadata identifying the electronic message to which the file was attached.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the file has associated metadata identifying the sender of the electronic message.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein automatically generating a reply message to the electronic message comprises:
receiving, at an operating system service from the file editing application, a message identifier that identifies the electronic message and a file identifier that identifies the file;
transmitting, from the operating system service to the electronic messaging application, the message identifier and the file identifier; and
wherein the electronic messaging application automatically generates the reply message in response to receiving the message identifier and the file identifier.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:
presenting, on the display of a computing device, contents of a file in a user interface of a file editing application, where the file was received as an attachment to an electronic message;
receiving input to the user interface of the file editing application for returning the file to a sender of the electronic message; and
in response to the input,
automatically saving the file,
automatically generating a reply message to the electronic message,
automatically attaching the file to the reply message, and
presenting the reply message on a user interface of an electronic messaging application.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause:
displaying the electronic message from the sender, the electronic message having the file attached;
receiving a selection of the file; and
presenting the contents of the file in the file editing application user interface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause automatically generating the reply message comprise instructions that cause automatically including content from the electronic message in the reply message.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause automatically attaching the file to the reply message include instructions that cause presenting indicia on the electronic messaging application user interface indicating that the attached file is an edited version of the file received as an attachment to the electronic message.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the file has associated metadata identifying the electronic message to which the file was attached.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the file has associated metadata identifying the sender of the electronic message.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause automatically generating a reply message to the electronic message comprise instructions that cause:
receiving, at an operating system service from the file editing application, a message identifier that identifies the electronic message and a file identifier that identifies the file;
transmitting, from the operating system service to the electronic messaging application, the message identifier and the file identifier; and
wherein the electronic messaging application automatically generates the reply message in response to receiving the message identifier and the file identifier.

### Claim 15

A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes:
presenting, on the display of a computing device, contents of a file in a user interface of a file editing application, where the file was received as an attachment to an electronic message;
receiving input to the user interface of the file editing application for returning the file to a sender of the electronic message; and
in response to the input,
automatically saving the file,
automatically generating a reply message to the electronic message,
automatically attaching the file to the reply message, and
presenting the reply message on a user interface of an electronic messaging application.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause:
displaying the electronic message from the sender, the electronic message having the file attached;
receiving a selection of the file; and
presenting the contents of the file in the file editing application user interface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause automatically generating the reply message comprise instructions that cause automatically including content from the electronic message in the reply message.

### Claim 18 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause automatically attaching the file to the reply message include instructions that cause presenting indicia on the electronic messaging application user interface indicating that the attached file is an edited version of the file received as an attachment to the electronic message.

### Claim 19 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the file has associated metadata identifying the electronic message to which the file was attached.

### Claim 20 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the file has associated metadata identifying the sender of the electronic message.

### Claim 21 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause automatically generating a reply message to the electronic message comprise instructions that cause:
receiving, at an operating system service from the file editing application, a message identifier that identifies the electronic message and a file identifier that identifies the file;
transmitting, from the operating system service to the electronic messaging application, the message identifier and the file identifier; and
wherein the electronic messaging application automatically generates the reply message in response to receiving the message identifier and the file identifier.