Collating table for email
First Claim
1. A method of displaying electronic mail messages, comprising:
- sorting a plurality of messages utilizing user-defined sort criteria including at least one criterion which is not alphabetic, chronological, or based on a previous viewing of corresponding messages;
ordering the plurality of messages according to the user-defined sort criteria; and
displaying the plurality of messages in the order specified by the user-defined sort criteria.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A collating table containing user-defined sort criteria in ranked order is employed in sorting electronic mail messages for display to the user. Entries within the collating table prioritize unread and/or previously viewed messages based upon the address of the sender or similar attributes, and may each contain a specific username and domain address, a domain of user addresses, or a plurality of addresses of either type. Entries within the collating table may be fixed or dynamic, with dynamic entries automatically updated based on historical statistics relating to the frequency and/or speed of response by the user to messages previously received from the sender, speed of opening or deleting prior messages from the sender, or some user-specified combination of such attributes. Addresses within the dynamic entries may percolate up or down the ranking of the collating table, with aging employed in removing addresses from the collating table. Other users may be given access to portions of the collating table to rank their own messages to the user, and specific messages may be ranked within or above any messages received from addresses within the collating table until deleted.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of displaying electronic mail messages, comprising:
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sorting a plurality of messages utilizing user-defined sort criteria including at least one criterion which is not alphabetic, chronological, or based on a previous viewing of corresponding messages;
ordering the plurality of messages according to the user-defined sort criteria; and
displaying the plurality of messages in the order specified by the user-defined sort criteria. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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10. A system for displaying electronic mail messages, comprising:
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an electronic mail client application;
a plurality of messages;
means for sorting the plurality of messages utilizing user-defined sort criteria including at least one criterion which is not alphabetic, chronological, or based on a previous viewing of corresponding messages;
means for ordering the plurality of messages according to the user-defined sort criteria; and
means for displaying the plurality of messages in the order specified by the user-defined sort criteria.
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19. A computer program product within a computer usable medium for displaying electronic mail messages, comprising:
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instructions for sorting a plurality of messages utilizing user-defined sort criteria including at least one criterion which is not alphabetic, chronological, or based on a previous viewing of corresponding messages;
instructions for ordering the plurality of messages according to the user-defined sort criteria; and
instructions for displaying the plurality of messages in the order specified by the user-defined sort criteria.
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Specification