Web-Based Electronic Mail Server Apparatus and Method Using Full Text and Label Indexing

• US 20030135555A1
• Filed: 02/06/2001
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Birrel, Andrew D., Wobber, Edward P., Schroeder, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,718,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In a computerized distributed mail system, a plurality of client computers are connected to each other via a network. Each client computer is configured to execute client mail application programs. A mail service system is also connected to the network. The system is for executing server mail programs on server computers. The mail service system includes an index server for storing mail messages in message files, and for storing a full-text index of the mail messages. In addition, the system includes means for accessing the mail messages by the plurality of client computers by searching the full-text index using queries.

Claims

1. A distributed mail system, comprising:

a plurality of client computers for connecting to a network, each client computer configured for executing client mail application programs;

a mail service system connected to the network for executing server mail programs on server computers, the mail service system including

an index server for storing mail messages in message files, and for storing a full-text index of the mail messages; and

means for accessing the mail messages by the plurality of client computers by searching the full-text index using queries.

2. The distributed mail system of claim 1 wherein the client mail application programs are down-loaded from the mail service system over the network.

3. The distributed mail system of claim 1 wherein the query includes terms, selected of the terms to be connected by operators, and

means for composing a query using the client application mail programs, and

searching the full-text index to locate mail messages which satisfy the terms and operators of the query.

4. The distributed mail system of claim 1 wherein a state of operation of each client computer accessing mail messages via the network is maintained in the mail service system.

5. The distributed mail system of claim 1 wherein the mail service system further includes:

a front-end Web server connected to the network;

back-end interface programs connected to the front-end Web server, the back-end interface programs connected to an account manager, a mail server 240, and the index server.

6. The distributed mail system of claim 5 wherein the account manager maintains for each user of the distributed mail system account information, the account information including a mail-box address for the user, a user password, a label state, named queries, filter queries, query position information, user preferences, and saved composition states.

7. The distributed mail system of claim 6 further including:

means for adding labels to the mail messages;

means for removing labels from the mail messages; and

means for storing the labels in the full-text index.

8. The distributed mail system of claim 7 wherein the label state of a particular user includes a set of labels being used by the particular user, and the label state is down-loaded from the account information to a particular client computer operated by the particular user while connected to the mail service system.

9. The distributed mail system of claim 6 wherein a particular user composes queries using the client mail application programs.

10. The distributed mail system of claim 9 further including:

means for naming the queries, and means for down-loading the named queries from the account information to a particular client computer operated by the particular user while connected to the mail service system.

11. The distributed mail system of claim 1 wherein the client application mail programs execute from within a browser program of the client computer.