System and method for extracting and managing message addresses

• US 20050198144A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gruen, Daniel M., Moody, Paul B., Coppinger, Jodi L., Kraenzel, Carl J., Lucking, Christof
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,690 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]

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for extracting and maintaining in a virtual address book one or more electronic mail addresses from one or more of the various address fields (e.g., “From,” “To,” “Cc,” “Bcc”) of one or more e-mail messages either transmitted from or received at a predetermined network node (e.g., a client or server). Electronic mail addresses stored in the virtual address book may be made available to “auto-complete” capabilities utilized during the addressing of electronic mail messages.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing electronic mail (e-mail) addresses, comprising:

extracting one or more e-mail addresses present in one or more address fields of one or more e-mail messages transmitted from or received at a predetermined network node;

comparing each extracted e-mail address to a list of e-mail addresses stored in a virtual address book, wherein new records are created in the virtual address book for extracted e-mail messages not already stored in the virtual address book, and wherein existing records are updated for extracted e-mail messages already stored in the virtual address book; and

auto-completing text being inputted by a user in one or more address fields of an e-mail message being composed by the user based on records stored in the virtual address book.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of extracting farther comprises extracting every e-mail address present in every address field of every e-mail message transmitted from or received at the predetermined network node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more address fields comprise one or more of a “

From”

field, “

To”

field, “

Cc”

field, and “

Bcc”

field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined network node comprises a client terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual address book is stored on the client terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined network node comprises a server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each record stored in the virtual address book comprises one or more of a “

user name”

field, “

e-mail address”

field, “

recently sent to”

field, “

frequently sent to”

field, “

recently received”

field, “

frequently received from”

field, “

shared thread with”

field, and “

participated in thread with”

field.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of enabling a user to filter records in the virtual address book, via a graphical user interface, based on one or more of the fields comprising each record.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of enabling a user to assign priority rules to fields comprising each record, wherein the priority rules are utilized to govern the process of auto-completing text.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined network node comprises a client terminal, and the virtual address book is stored on the client terminal such that the process of auto-completing text is enabled when a user at the client terminal is working off-line.

11. A computer-implemented system for managing electronic mail (e-mail) addresses, comprising:

means for extracting one or more e-mail addresses present in one or more address fields of one or more e-mail messages transmitted from or received at a predetermined network node;

means for comparing each extracted e-mail address to a list of e-mail addresses stored in a virtual address book, wherein new records are created in the virtual address book for extracted e-mail messages not already stored in the virtual address book, and wherein existing records are updated for extracted e-mail messages already stored in the virtual address book; and

means for auto-completing text being inputted by a user in one or more address fields of an e-mail message being composed by the user based on records stored in the virtual address book.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for extracting further comprises means for extracting every e-mail address present in every address field of every e-mail message transmitted from or received at the predetermined network node.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more address fields comprise one or more of a “

From”

field, “

To”

field, “

Cc”

field, and “

Bcc”

field.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined network node comprises a client terminal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the virtual address book is stored on the client terminal.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined network node comprises a server.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein each record stored in the virtual address book comprises one or more of a “

user name”

field, “

e-mail address”

field, “

recently sent to”

field, “

frequently sent to”

field, “

recently received”

field, “

frequently received from”

field, “

shared thread with”

field, and “

participated in thread with”

field.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for enabling a user to filter records in the virtual address book, via a graphical user interface, based on one or more of the fields comprising each record.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for enabling a user to assign priority rules to fields comprising each record, wherein the priority rules are utilized to govern the process of auto-completing text.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined network node comprises a client terminal, and the virtual address book is stored on the client terminal such that the process of auto-completing text is enabled when a user at the client terminal is working off-line.