Electronic mail attachment management system and method

• US 20060031309A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick Allen, Waters, Timothy Moffett, Fellenstein, Craig William, Luoffo, Vincenzo Valentino Di
• Application Number:
  US10/850,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031309A1
• 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 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for email attachment management. An email is received. The email is scanned to detect an attachment. If the email contains an attachment, the attachment is detached from the email. The detached attachment is stored in a storage location on a storage medium. The email is modified to include a link, the link at least identifying the storage location and the modified email is stored.

Claims

1. A method for email attachment management, comprising:

receiving an email;

scanning the email to detect an attachment;

if the email contains an attachment, detaching the attachment from the email;

storing the detached attachment in a storage location on a storage medium;

modifying the email to include a link, the link at least identifying the storage location; and

storing the modified email.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the modified email to an email server.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the modified email to a mail user agent of a user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving user input from a user, the user input comprising at least user policies.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising storing the detached attachment in a storage location on a storage medium based on the user input.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising modifying the email based on the user input.

8. A computer program product for communication status management, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:

computer program code for receiving an email;

computer program code for scanning the email to detect an attachment;

computer program code for detaching the attachment from the email;

computer program code for storing the detached attachment in a storage location on a storage medium;

computer program code for modifying the email to include a link, the link at least identifying the storage location; and

computer program code for storing the modified email.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, further comprising computer program code for transmitting the modified email to an email server.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, further comprising computer program code for transmitting the modified email to a mail user agent of a user.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, further comprising computer program code for receiving user input from a user, the user input comprising at least user policies.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, further comprising computer program code for storing the detached attachment in a storage location on a storage medium based on the user input.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, further comprising computer program code for modifying the email based on the user input.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the link includes a file name of the attachment.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the link includes a description of the attachment.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the link is configured to open the detached attachment.

17. A system for email attachment management, comprising:

an interface configured to receive user input from a user, the user input indicating at least a user policy;

a mail user agent coupled to the interface and configured to receive an email, the email including at least an attachment;

the mail user agent further configured to detach the attachment from the email, to store the attachment in a first storage location, to modify the email to generate a modified email, the modified email including at least a link, and to store the modified email in a second storage location; and

the link configured to identify the first storage location.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the mail user agent is further configured to store the email.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the mail user agent is further configured to transmit the modified email to an email server.

20. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising an email server coupled to the mail user agent and configured to receive an email, the email including at least an attachment, to store the email in a third storage location, to transmit the email to the mail user agent, to receive a modified email from the mail user agent based on the email, and to replace the email with the modified email in the third storage location.