US Patent 8255835 Method and system for managing unread electronic messages

The presence of new unread electronic messages received, that is, messages received since unread messages were last reviewed, is provided by indicia presented to the user. These indicia can take various forms, such as by bolding, flashing, changing the size or color of a count of unread messages, and/or the unread message icon. Alternatively, a separate indication, such as a second count representing the number of new unread electronic messages received, or some other symbol, such as an explanation point, can be displayed.