Addresses as objects for email messages
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented process for allowing a user to manipulate an email address contained in the preview pane or full message window of an email message of an email program as an object, comprising using a computer to perform the following acts:
- identifying an entry in the preview pane or full message window of an email message as an email address;
checking the email address against addresses in one or more contact databases to determine if the address is contained in at least one of the checked databases;
marking the email address with an adjacently placed indicator, said indicator identifying a contact database containing the email address; and
upon selection of the indicator by the user, allowing the user to manipulate the email address as an object.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed at a system and process for allowing a user to treat email addresses as objects. This allows easy manipulation of the email addresses, such as allowing them to be added to a contact list, copied to the computer'"'"'s clipboard, or double-clicked to open the related contact information for that email address'"'"' sender. Email addresses are treated as objects in the message preview pane and full message windows of both incoming and outgoing email messages. A small icon is added to the text of each address. In a preferred embodiment, the icons will vary depending on the pedigree of the address. The invention is not limited to single addresses. Rather, an entry denoting a mailing list could also be treated as an object and a unique icon could be employed to indicate the nature of the entry. For outgoing messages, the pedigree of the address or list is determined by monitoring where the user obtained the address. For incoming messages, the message header is parsed and searched to find addresses that match the receiving user'"'"'s address book. If no match is found, a generic address icon is added before the text of the address, while the system checks the email header against other address sources such as server lists. Once the address is marked with an appropriate icon the user can manipulate the address in various ways allowing the user to readily edit or add email addresses to their contact list. Additionally, the invention may include contextual menus to assist the user in this manipulation.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented process for allowing a user to manipulate an email address contained in the preview pane or full message window of an email message of an email program as an object, comprising using a computer to perform the following acts:
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identifying an entry in the preview pane or full message window of an email message as an email address;
checking the email address against addresses in one or more contact databases to determine if the address is contained in at least one of the checked databases;
marking the email address with an adjacently placed indicator, said indicator identifying a contact database containing the email address; and
upon selection of the indicator by the user, allowing the user to manipulate the email address as an object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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3. (cancelled)
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9. (cancelled)
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24. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for allowing a user to manipulate an email address contained in the preview pane or full message text of an email message as an object, said computer-executable instructions comprising:
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recognizing an entry in the preview pane or full message text of an email message as an email address;
checking the email address against addresses in one or more contact databases to determine if the address is contained in at least one of the checked databases;
marking the email address with an adjacently placed icon, said icon identifying a contact database containing the email address; and
upon selection of the icon by the user, allowing the user to manipulate the email address as an object.
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25. A system for allowing a user to manipulate an email address contained in an email message as an object, comprising
a general purpose computing device, a user interface for dynamically interfacing a user to the computer device, wherein the user is provided with a display of an icon appended to the email address which is indicative of the pedigree of the email address and said user interface allows a user to select the icon and associated address, and when selected allows the user to manipulate the email address as an object; a computer program comprising program modules executable by the computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to, identify an entry in the preview pane or full message window of an email message as an email address;
check the email address against addresses in one or more contact databases to determine if the address is contained in at least one of the checked databases; and
mark the email address with an adjacently placed icon, said icon identifying a contact database containing the email address.
Specification