System and method for duplicate e-mail content detection and automatic doclink conversion

• US 20060020668A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Keith Raymond, Handy-Bosma, John Hans, Chen, Yen-Fu
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,077 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A Duplicate Content Storage and Access Program (DCSAP) identifies duplicate content, stores the duplicate content in one location, and provides a doclink to the stored duplicate content so that the doclink may be automatically replaced with the duplicate content. DCSAP examines email to determine whether the email contains a section identifier. A section identifier is a data element assigned by an algorithm in such a manner that no two section identifiers can be the same. If the email does not contain a section identifier, DCSAP embeds a section identifier into the email and forwards the email. If the email contains a section identifier, DCSAP extracts the section. DCSAP stores the extracted section in a repository and creates a doclink to the stored section. DCSAP then embeds a section identifier in the remainder of the email, and forwards the remainder and the doclink to the recipient. The doclink may be activated by the recipient, or it may be activated automatically. When activated the doclink resolves into the text of the corresponding section in the repository. Additional features such as security permissions, sorting preferences, and display effects may be added to the doclink.

Claims

1. A method for reducing utilization of disk storage space due to duplicate content in electronic mail message transmission comprising:

determining whether a message contains a section with an embedded section identifier;

responsive to determining that the message contains a section with an embedded section identifier, separating the message into the section and a remainder, extracting the section, placing the section in a repository, and associating a doclink with the section in the repository, wherein the doclink is a control that can resolve itself into the section when activated;

generating a new section identifier for the remainder and embedding the new section identifier in the remainder; and

forwarding the remainder and the doclink to a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

resolving the doclink into the section when the recipient activates the doclink.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically resolving the doclink into the section.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a permission to the doclink.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using a control panel, sorting a plurality of doclinks in chronological order.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using a control panel, sorting a plurality of doclinks in reverse chronological order.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a user indentification to a plurality of doclinks so that the plurality of doclinks can be sorted by user identification.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a date stamp to a plurality of doclinks so that the plurality of doclinks can be sorted by date.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a time stamp to a plurality of doclinks so that the plurality of doclinks can be sorted by time.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a plurality of subject identifications to a plurality of doclink so that the plurality of doclinks can be sorted by subject identification.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

examining an email section using text pattern matching to determine if changes have been made to a previously stored section.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

separating the section into a plurality of paragraphs and associating a plurality of doclinks with the plurality of paragraphs.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

separating the section into a plurality of sentences and associating a plurality of doclinks with the plurality of sentences.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

separating the section into a plurality of elements and associating a plurality of doclinks with the plurality of elements.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating an effect with the doclink so that when the doclink is resolved into the section, the section will have the effect.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the effect is a color background.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the effect is a font.

18. An apparatus for reducing utilization of disk storage space due to duplicate content in electronic mail message transmission comprising:

a network connecting a first computer having a first computer memory, a second computer having a second computer memory, and a third computer having a third computer memory;

a repository connected to the second computer;

a message transmitted from the first computer to the third computer through the second computer;

a program in the second computer memory instructing the second computer to;

determine whether the message contains a section with an embedded section identifier;

responsive to determining that the message contains a section with an embedded section identifier, separate the message into the section and a remainder, extract the section, placing the section in the repository, and associate a doclink with the section in the repository, wherein the doclink is a control that can resolve itself into the section when activated;

generate a new section identifier for the remainder and embed the new section identifier in the remainder;

forward the remainder and the doclink to a recipient.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the third computer memory for resolving the doclink into the section when the recipient activates the doclink.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the second computer memory that automatically resolves the doclink into the section.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the first computer memory for adding a permission to the doclink.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the third computer memory for sorting a plurality of doclinks.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the second computer memory for adding a plurality of user indentifications to a plurality of doclinks so that the plurality of doclinks can be sorted by user identification.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the second computer memory for adding a date stamp to a plurality of doclinks so that the plurality of doclinks can be sorted by date.

25. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the second computer memory for adding a time stamp to a plurality of doclinks so that the plurality of doclinks can be sorted by time.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the second computer memory for examining an email section using text pattern matching to determine if changes have been made to a previously stored section.

27. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

separating the section into a plurality of paragraphs and associating a plurality of doclinks with the plurality of paragraphs.

28. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

separating the section into a plurality of sentences and associating a plurality of doclinks with the plurality of sentences.

29. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the second computer memory for separating the section into a plurality of elements and associating a plurality of doclinks with the plurality of elements.

30. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a program in the second computer memory for associating an effect with the doclink so that when the doclink is resolved into the section, the section will have the effect.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

wherein the effect is a color background.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

wherein the effect is a font.

33. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a control panel having a user configurable icon for sorting email sections.