Providing indicators in group email messages

• US 20050080863A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd
• Application Number:
  US10/686,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080863A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Indicators are provided in association with group email messages. Each indicator corresponds to a recipient in a predefined group. Each indicator has a setting, which is changed when its corresponding user takes actions with respect to the group email messages.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a client-side group email folder accessible by each user in a predefined group of users; and

a group email message in the client-side group email folder, the group email message having indicators, each indicator corresponding to a user in the predefined group of users, each indicator being configured to indicate whether the corresponding user has acted upon the group email message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each indicator comprises a first setting, the first setting indicating that the group email message has not been acted upon by the corresponding user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each indicator further comprises a second setting, the second setting indicating that the group email message has been acted upon by the corresponding user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each indicator is further indicative of whether the corresponding user has selected the group email message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each indicator is further indicative of whether the corresponding user has opened the group email message.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second indicator indicative of whether the corresponding user has deleted the group email message.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for indicating whether a user has deleted the group email message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is an extensible markup language (XML) tag corresponding to a user in the predefined group.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each user represents a unique individual.

10. A communication method comprising the steps of:

providing indicators in a group email message, the group email message being located in an inbox, each indicator corresponding to one of the users in a predefined group of users, each indicator having a setting; and

changing the setting of one indicator in response to the email message being acted upon by its corresponding user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing indicators comprises the step of providing read indicators, each read indicator corresponding to one user in a predefined group of users, each read indicator being configured to indicate whether its corresponding user has read the email message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing indicators comprises the step of providing delete indicators, each delete indicator corresponding to one user in a predefined group of users, each delete indicator being configured to indicate whether its corresponding user has deleted the email message.