Method and system for notification of electronic message reply requirements

• US 20040249890A1
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James Wesley, Gusler, Carl Phillip, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Fellenstein, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

The present invention discloses a new function within electronic mail applications whereby documents or messages, which are annotated or designated with a notification such as “reply requested”, are monitored by a new proactive reminder system, in order to minimize the occurrence of the late responses. In the present invention, a new selection is added to the menus to “enable reminder function”. In the process of the present invention, the sender enables the reminder function. The sender then selects the date and time to send a first reminder, (if response has not been received). The sender then selects frequency of reminder after reminder is sent, (every 8 hours for example). The sender can choose to be notified or excluded from reminders. A sender may also choose to be notified, at the reminder interval, that responses have not yet been received; however, in the case where the audience of the note was very large, the user may wish for reminders to be sent to recipients, but not to be copied on them.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a recipient of an electronic message of message reply requirements comprising the steps of:

receiving a message reply request from sender;

determining reply message requirements;

determining whether a message recipient has responded to the message within the determined reply message requirements; and

sending a reply reminder message to a recipient when a reply message has not been received from a recipient in accordance with the determined reply message requirements.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising after said message requirement determination step, the steps of:

transmitting the message; and

monitoring the responses to the transmitted message.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said message reply requirements comprise a response by a selected date.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said message reply requirements comprise:

a time to send the first message reply reminder;

a frequency for transmission of reminder messages;

a term for replying to a message and

a notification to sender of reply message transmissions, if desired by sender.

5. The method as described in claim 4 further comprising before said message reminder sending step, the step of determining whether a reply term has expired.

6. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising the step of storing the reply requirements in a designated location.

7. A method for notifying a recipient of an electronic message of message reply requirements comprising the steps of:

transmitting an electronic message to one or more specified recipients;

confirming that the transmitted message is received;

setting a message reminder flag;

performing periodic status checks to determine whether there has been a reply to the transmitted message; and

transmitting a reminder message to a recipient, when there has been reply from that recipient.

8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said status-checking step further comprises terminating the reply reminder process for a recipient when that recipient has replied to the message.

9. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising the step of setting a maximum time for a recipient to reply to a message.

10. The method as described in claim 9 wherein said status-checking step further comprises the step of determining whether the maximum time has expired when there is a determination that a recipient has not replied to a message.

11. The method as described in claim 10 further comprising the step of terminating the reply reminder process for a recipient when that recipient has not replied to the message within the maximum time to reply.

12. The method as described in claim 10 further comprising the step of determining whether it is time to send the next message reminder to a recipient, when there is a determination that the maximum time to reply has not expired.

13. The method as described in claim 12 further comprising the step of returning to said status check step when there is determination that it is not time to send the next message reminder.

14. The method as described in claim 12 further comprising the step of sending the next reminder message when there is determination that it is time to send the next reminder message.

15. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the time interval to perform said periodic status checks is the same time interval for sending reminder messages.

16. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising the step of setting a reminder to zero.

17. The method as described in claim 16 further comprising the steps of incrementing the reminder each time a reminder message is sent to a message recipient and returning to said status checking step.

18. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for notifying a recipient of an electronic message of message reply requirements comprising:

instructions for receiving a message reply request from sender;

instructions for determining reply message parameters;

instructions for determining whether a message recipient has responded to the message within the determined reply message parameters; and

instructions for sending a reply reminder message to a recipient when a reply message has not been received from a recipient in accordance with the determined reply message parameters.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 18 further comprising after said message requirement determination instructions;

instructions for transmitting the original message; and

instructions for monitoring the responses to the transmitted message.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 18 further comprising instructions for:

creating a time to send the first message reply reminder;

creating a frequency for transmission of reminder messages;

creating a term for replying to a message and

creating a notification to sender of reply message transmissions, if desired by sender.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 20 further comprising before said message reminder sending instructions, instructions for determining whether a reply term has expired.

22. The computer program product as described in claim 19 further comprising instructions for storing the reply parameters in a designated location.

23. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for notifying a recipient of an electronic message of message reply requirements comprising:

instructions for transmitting an electronic message to a one or more specified recipients;

instructions for confirming that the transmitted message is received;

instructions for setting a message reminder flag;

instructions for performing periodic status checks to determine whether there has been a reply to the transmitted message; and

instructions for transmitting a reminder message to a recipient, when there has been reply from that recipient.

24. The computer program product as described in claim 23 wherein said status-checking instructions further comprise instructions for terminating the reply reminder process for a recipient when that recipient has replied to the message.

25. The computer program product as described in claim 23 further comprising instructions for setting a maximum time for a recipient to reply to a message.

26. The computer program product as described in claim 25 wherein said status-checking instructions further comprise instructions for determining whether the maximum time has expired when there is a determination that a recipient has not replied to a message.

27. The computer program product as described in claim 26 further comprising instructions for terminating the reply reminder process for a recipient when that recipient has not replied to the message within the maximum time to reply.

28. The computer program product as described in claim 26 further comprising instructions for determining whether it is time to send the next message reminder to a recipient, when there is a determination that the maximum time to reply has not expired.

29. The computer program product as described in claim 28 further comprising the instructions for returning to said status check instructions when there is determination that it is not time to send the next message reminder.

30. The computer program product as described in claim 28 further comprising instructions for sending the next reminder message when there is determination that it is time to send the next reminder message.

31. The computer program product as described in claim 23 further comprising instructions for setting a reminder to zero.

32. The computer program product as described in claim 31 further comprising instructions for incrementing the reminder each time a reminder message is sent to a message recipient and returning to said status checking instructions.