Sorting e-mail

• US 20020133557A1
• Filed: 03/03/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donna Ilene Robinson Winarski
• Original Assignee: Donna Ilene Robinson Winarski
• Inventors: Winarski, Donna Ilene Robinson
• Application Number:
  US09/798,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133557A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

E-mail is sorted, based on whether the sender of this e-mail is known and whether the e-mail has attachments. The determination of whether the sender is known is based on the contents of the e-mail address book of the receiver. The receiver may then download the e-mail into one of four folders, or block the e-mail, based on a first predetermined choice. If the predetermined choice was to block the e-mail then the e-mail will be either held for future consideration or deleted based on a second predetermined choice.

Alternately, e-mail is sorted, based on whether the sender of this e-mail is a priority sender, a business sender, a personal sender, and whether the e-mail has attachments. The determination of whether the sender is a priority, business, or a personal sender is based on the contents of the e-mail address book of the receiver. The receiver may then download the e-mail into one of three folders. E-mail not downloaded by this alternate sort is held for future consideration.

Claims

1. A method for sorting electronic mail sent by a sender, comprising the machine executed steps of:

locating whether said sender is listed in an address book;

determining whether said electronic mail has an attachment; and

sorting said e-mail based on whether said sender is listed in said address book and whether said electronic mail has said attachment.

2. The method for sorting electronic mail, as in claim 1, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

selectively blocking said electronic mail, based on whether said sender is listed in an address book and whether said electronic mail has said attachment.

3. The method for sorting electronic mail, as in claim 2, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

deleting said blocked electronic mail without downloading it.

4. The method for sorting electronic mail, as in claim 2, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

holding said blocked electronic mail without downloading it; and

after a predetermined period of time, resorting said electronic mail.

5. A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer, to perform method steps sorting electronic mail sent by a sender, comprising the machine executed steps of:

locating whether said sender is listed in an address book;

determining whether said electronic mail has an attachment; and

sorting said e-mail based on whether said sender is listed in said address book and whether said electronic mail has said attachment.

6. The program storage device readable by a computer for sorting electronic, as in claim 5, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

selectively blocking said electronic mail, based on whether said sender is listed in an address book and whether said electronic mail has said attachment.

7. The method for sorting electronic mail sent by a sender, as in claim 6, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

deleting said blocked electronic mail without downloading it.

8. The method for sorting electronic mail sent by a sender, as in claim 7, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

holding said blocked electronic mail without downloading it; and

after a predetermined period of time, resorting said electronic mail.

9. A logic array readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer, to perform method steps sorting electronic mail sent by a sender, comprising the machine executed steps of:

locating whether said sender is listed in an address book;

determining whether said electronic mail has an attachment; and

sorting said e-mail based on whether said sender is listed in said address book and whether said electronic mail has said attachment.

10. The logic array readable by a computer for sorting electronic, as in claim 9, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

selectively blocking said electronic mail, based on whether said sender is listed in an address book and whether said electronic mail has said attachment.

11. The method for sorting electronic mail sent by a sender, as in claim 10, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

deleting said blocked electronic mail without downloading it.

12. The method for sorting electronic mail sent by a sender, as in claim 10, further comprising the machine executed steps of:

holding said blocked electronic mail without downloading it; and

after a predetermined period of time, resorting said electronic mail.