Signature e-mail attachment printing

• US 20030217107A1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Parry, Travis J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,794 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: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

A method and system for organizing printed documents associated with an e-mail message wherein each of the printed documents may be separated by a printer header page reflecting some or all of the signature information included with the e-mail message from which the printed documents originate.

Claims

1. A method for identifying print jobs, comprising:

stripping a signature from an e-mail message;

printing said signature as a header page; and

printing said e-mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said stripping a signature from said e-mail message comprises operating an e-mail management program to strip said signature from said e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said e-mail management program received said e-mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said stripping a signature from said e-mail message comprises:

sending said e-mail message to a printing device; and

executing a daemon for stripping said signature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said executing a daemon comprises:

receiving said e-mail message by said printing device; and

routing said e-mail message to a daemon operating on said printing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said printing said e-mail message comprises printing a body of said e-mail message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said printing said e-mail message comprises printing at least one attachment to said e-mail message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said printing said e-mail message comprises printing a body of said e-mail message and at least one attachment to said e-mail message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein printing said signature as a header page comprises printing said signature as a header page before printing said body of said e-mail message.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein printing said signature as a header page comprises printing said signature as a header page before printing said at least one attachment to said e-mail message.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein printing said signature as a header page comprises:

printing said signature as a header page before printing said body of said e-mail message; and

printing said signature as a header page before printing said at least one attachment to said e-mail message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said stripping a signature from an e-mail message comprises stripping a customized signature from said e-mail message.

13. A method for identifying an e-mail message, comprising:

stripping a signature from an e-mail message; and

using said stripped signature to identify said e-mail message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said using said stripped signature to identify said e-mail message comprises creating a file name from said signature for storing said e-mail message to a storage location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said using said stripped signature to identify said e-mail message comprises:

printing said signature on a header page; and

printing said e-mail message following said printing of said header page.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said stripping a signature from an e-mail message comprises stripping a customized signature from said e-mail message.

17. A system for printing e-mail messages, comprising:

a computer system;

an e-mail management program operating with said computer system;

a printer in communication with said computer system; and

a printer daemon operating with said printer for stripping signature information from an e-mail sent to said printer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said printer daemon comprises a printer daemon for stripping signature information from an e-mail sent to said printer and printing said signature information as a header page to a printed copy of said e-mail.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said printer daemon comprises a printer daemon for stripping signature information from an e-mail sent to said printer and printing said signature information as a header page to a printed copy of an attachment attached to said e-mail.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said printer daemon comprises a printer daemon for stripping signature information from an e-mail sent to said printer and printing said signature information as a header page to a printed copy of said e-mail and any attachments to said e-mail.

21. A computer program for identifying print jobs using an e-mail signature, comprising:

programming for stripping a signature from an e-mail message;

programming for printing said signature as a header page; and

programming for printing said e-mail message following said header page.

22. The computer program of claim 21, wherein said programming for stripping a signature from an e-mail message, comprises:

programming for receiving an e-mail; and

programming for determining a signature from said e-mail.

23. The computer program of claim 21, further comprising programming for printing said signature as a header page before printing an attachment to said e-mail message.