Providing common contact discovery and management to electronic mail users

• US 20040044536A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Gregory P., Wu, Frederick Yung-Fung
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for discovering contacts common to a sender and a recipient of an electronic message (e-mail). The method can include identifying an attachment to the e-mail wherein the attachment includes a list of contacts personal to the sender. A list of contacts personal to the recipient can be retrieved. Each of the lists of contacts can be parsed and compared to identify common contacts. A common contact list can be populated with the identified common contacts.

Claims

1. A method for discovering contacts which are common to a sender and a recipient of an electronic message (e-mail), the method comprising the steps of:

identifying an attachment to the e-mail, said attachment comprising a list of contacts which are personal to the sender;

retrieving a list of contacts which are personal to the recipient;

parsing each said list of contacts and comparing said parsed lists to identify common contacts; and

, populating a common contact list with said identified common contacts.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forwarding said common contact list to the sender.

3. A method for discovering contacts which are common to a sender of an electronic message (e-mail) and an addressee of the e-mail, the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to identifying a request to send the e-mail, determining whether the addressee of the e-mail has been included as a contact in a list of contacts which are personal to the sender; and

,

if the addressee has not been included in said list of contacts, attaching said list of contacts to the e-mail.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said attaching step comprises the steps of:

prompting the sender to attach said list of contacts to the e-mail; and

,

attaching said list of contacts to said e-mail responsive to identifying a request to attach said list of contacts.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said attaching step further comprises the steps of:

prompting the sender to attach at least one contact list corresponding to an email correspondent other than the sender and the recipient; and

,

attaching said contact list to said e-mail responsive to identifying a request to attach said contact list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said contact list is identified as belonging to an email correspondent other than the sender and the recipient.

7. A method for discovering contacts which are common to a group of correspondents and a new member of the group, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a request to send an electronic message (e-mail) to a new correspondent who had not previously been included as part of the group of correspondents;

responsive to identifying said new correspondent, retrieving a single list of contacts which are common to each member of the group of correspondents; and

,

attaching said single list of contacts to said e-mail before said e-mail is forwarded to said new correspondent,

whereby said new correspondent can generate a list of contacts which are common to said new correspondent and the group of correspondents.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of replacing said single list of contacts with a list of common contacts generated by said new correspondent.

9. A method for discovering contacts which are common to a group of correspondents and a new member of the group, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying an attachment to an electronic message (e-mail) which had been forwarded by a member of the group of correspondents, said attachment comprising a list of contacts which are common to the group of correspondents;

retrieving a list of contacts which are personal to the new member;

parsing each said list of contacts and comparing said parsed lists to identify contacts which are common to both the new member and the group of correspondents;

populating a common contact list with said identified common contacts; and

,

forwarding said common contact list to said member of the group of correspondents.

10. A method for discovering contacts of a group of correspondents and a new member of the group, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a request to send an electronic message (e-mail) to a new correspondent who had not previously been included as part of the group of correspondents;

responsive to identifying said new correspondent, retrieving a single list of contacts representing a union of contacts of each member of the group of correspondents; and

,

attaching said single list of contacts to said e-mail before said e-mail is forwarded to said new correspondent,

whereby said new correspondent can generate a list of contacts representing a union of contacts of said new correspondent and the group of correspondents.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of replacing said single list of contacts with a list of contacts generated by said new correspondent.

12. A method for discovering contacts of a group of correspondents and a new member of the group, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying an attachment to an electronic message (e-mail) which had been forwarded by a member of the group of correspondents, said attachment comprising a list of contacts representing a union of contacts of each member of the group of correspondents;

retrieving a list of contacts which are personal to the new member;

parsing each said list of contacts and comparing said parsed lists to identify contacts from said list of contacts of the new member which are not included in the contacts of the group of correspondents;

populating a new contact list with said identified contacts; and

,

forwarding said new contact list to said member of the group of correspondents, wherein said new contact list represents a union of contacts of the new member and the group of correspondents.

13. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for identifying common contacts between a sender of an electronic message (e-mail) and a recipient of said e-mail, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying an attachment to the received e-mail, said attachment comprising a list of contacts which are personal to the sender;

retrieving a list of contacts which are personal to the recipient;

parsing each said list of contacts and comparing said parsed lists to identify common contacts; and

,

populating a common contact list with said identified common contacts.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising the step of forwarding said common contact list to the sender.

15. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for identifying common contacts between a sender of an electronic message (e-mail) and a recipient of said e-mail, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

responsive to identifying a request to send the e-mail, determining whether the addressee of the e-mail has been included as a contact in a list of contacts which are personal to the sender; and

,

if the addressee has not been included in said list of contacts, attaching said list of contacts to the e-mail.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 15, wherein said attaching step comprises the steps of:

prompting the sender to attach said list of contacts to the e-mail; and

,

attaching said list of contacts responsive to identifying a request to attach said list of contacts.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 15, wherein said attaching step further comprises the steps of:

prompting the sender to attach at least one contact list corresponding to an email correspondent other than the sender and the recipient; and

,

attaching said contact list to said e-mail responsive to identifying a request to attach said contact list.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein said contact list is identified as belonging to an e-mail correspondent other than the sender and the recipient.

19. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for identifying common contacts between a sender of an electronic message (e-mail) and a recipient of said e-mail, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying a request to send an electronic message (e-mail) to a new correspondent who had not previously been included as part of the group of correspondents;

responsive to identifying said new correspondent, retrieving a single list of contacts which are common to each member of the group of correspondents; and

,

attaching said single list of contacts to said e-mail before said e-mail is forwarded to said new correspondent,

whereby said new correspondent can generate a list of contacts which are common to said new correspondent and the group of correspondents.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 19, further comprising the step of replacing said single list of contacts with a list of common contacts generated by said new correspondent.

21. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for identifying common contacts between a sender of an electronic message (e-mail) and a recipient of said e-mail, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying an attachment to an electronic message (e-mail) which had been forwarded by a member of the group of correspondents, said attachment comprising a list of contacts which are common to the group of correspondents;

retrieving a list of contacts which are personal to the new member;

parsing each said list of contacts and comparing said parsed lists to identify contacts which are common to both the new member and the group of correspondents;

populating a common contact list with said identified common contacts; and

,

forwarding said common contact list to said member of the group of correspondents.

22. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for identifying contacts of a sender of an electronic message (e-mail) and a recipient of said e-mail, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying a request to send an electronic message (e-mail) to a new correspondent who had not previously been included as part of the group of correspondents;

responsive to identifying said new correspondent, retrieving a single list of contacts representing a union of contacts of each member of the group of correspondents; and

,

attaching said single list of contacts to said e-mail before said e-mail is forwarded to said new correspondent,

whereby said new correspondent can generate a list of contacts representing a union of contacts of said new correspondent and the group of correspondents.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of replacing said single list of contacts with a list of contacts generated by said new correspondent.

24. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for identifying contacts of a sender of an electronic message (e-mail) and a recipient of said e-mail, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying an attachment to an electronic message (e-mail) which had been forwarded by a member of the group of correspondents, said attachment comprising a list of contacts representing a union of contacts of each member of the group of correspondents;

retrieving a list of contacts which are personal to the new member;

parsing each said list of contacts and comparing said parsed lists to identify contacts from said list of contacts of the new member which are not included in the contacts of the group of correspondents;

populating a new contact list with said identified contacts; and

,

forwarding said new contact list to said member of the group of correspondents, wherein said new contact list represents a union of contacts of the new member and the group of correspondents.