Quick reply form

• US 20050223063A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Singh, Sanjeev, Chang, Bay-Wei, Lim, Jing Yee
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically updating the recipient email addresses of a response message in response to a user selection of a response option without altering a response message.

Claims

1. A method for generating a response email form for a received email message, comprising:

providing a form in which a user may respond to the received email message;

providing an interface that enables the user to select at least one email response option;

in response to a user'"'"'s first selection of a first email response option, providing the form, and

in response to the user'"'"'s second subsequent selection of a second email response option, providing the form.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

populating at least one address field of the form associated with the selected first email response option in response to the first selection, and

changing at least one address field of the form in response to the second subsequent selection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the form is provided to the user in a same window as the received email message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the window includes a Web page.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing the form in a different window from the received email message in response to a user action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the email response options are provided as at least one of graphical user interface buttons, tabs, and links.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input and populating a content area in the form with the user input, wherein the content area is not altered in response to the second subsequent selection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the form is provided without initiating a server request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first email response option comprises a reply to the sender of the received email message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first email response option comprises a reply to all of the recipients of the received email message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first email response option comprises a forward to a new recipient.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein software is provided in association with the form that enables the population of at least one address field responsive to a selected response option.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein software within a window on a computer client enables the population of at least one address field responsive to a selected response option.

14. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium for enabling the generation of a response email form for a received email message, the computer program product comprising computer instructions for:

providing a form in which a user may respond to the received email message;

providing an interface that enables the user to select at least one email response option;

in response to a user'"'"'s first selection of a first email response option, providing the form, and

in response to the user'"'"'s second subsequent selection of a second email response option, providing the form.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer instructions for:

populating at least one address field of the form associated with the selected first email response option in response to the first selection, and

changing at least one address field of the form in response to the second subsequent selection.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer instructions for receiving user input and populating a content area in the form with the user input, wherein the content area is not altered in response to the second subsequent selection.

17. A system for generating a response email form for a received email message, comprising:

means for providing a form in which a user may respond to the received email message;

means for providing an interface that enables the user to select at least one email response option;

in response to a user'"'"'s first selection of a first email response option, means for providing the form, and

in response to the user'"'"'s second subsequent selection of a second email response option, means for providing the form.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for populating at least one address field of the form associated with the selected first email response option in response to the first selection, and

means for changing at least one address field of the form in response to the second subsequent selection.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the form is provided to the user in a same window as the received email message.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the window includes a Web page.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for providing the form in a different window from the received email message in response to a user action.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the email response options are provided as at least one of graphical user interface buttons, tabs, and links.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for receiving user input and populating a content area in the form with the user input, wherein the content area is not altered in response to the second subsequent selection.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the form is provided without initiating a server request.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the first email response option comprises a reply to the sender of the received email message.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the first email response option comprises a reply to all of the recipients of the received email message.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the first email response option comprises a forward to a new recipient.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein software is provided in association with the form that enables the population of at least one address field responsive to a selected response option.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein software within a window on a computer client enables the population of at least one address field responsive to a selected response option.

30. A method for updating a reply form for responding to a received email message, comprising:

detecting a user selection of the reply form;

expanding the reply form by inserting at least one line of text to a text box of the reply form.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the user selection comprises clicking the text box of the reply form.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the user selection comprises selecting a response option of the reply form.

33. A system for responding to an electronic mail message, comprising:

a reply form located within a first window and associated with the electronic mail message; and

source code for controlling at least one email transmission characteristic of the reply form, wherein the at least one email transmission characteristic may be modified without changing a text message within the reply form.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the at least one email transmission characteristic comprises a recipient address.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the recipient address is populated within the reply form by a user selecting a “

Reply”

option.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the recipient address is populated within the reply form by a user selecting a “

Forward”

option.

37. A method for responding to one of a plurality of email messages within an email thread, comprising:

providing the email thread in a document;

providing a plurality of reply mechanisms, each reply mechanism corresponding to one of the plurality of email messages;

detecting a user selection of one of the reply mechanisms; and

providing a reply form within the document for inputting a response message.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein each of the plurality of email messages is associated with at least one reply mechanism.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the reply mechanism comprises a reply link.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein the reply mechanism comprises a minimized reply form.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein a text box of the minimized reply form is expanded in response to a user selection of the minimized reply form.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the reply form is provided below the email message associated with the selected reply mechanism.