Presenting and manipulating electronic mail conversations

• US 20060053204A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sundararajan, Narasimhan, Mayans, Jason C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,589 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 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, data structures, and computer program products for organizing electronic mail messages into conversations. Electronic mail conversation items store attribute values representing attributes of corresponding electronic mail conversations and included electronic mail messages. Attributes of an electronic mail conversation can be changed by changing stored attribute values. Receiving an electronic mail message can cause an existing electronic mail conversation to be updated or a new electronic mail conversation to be created. When it is indicated that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation, a corresponding related operation can be performed on all electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation. Attribute values of an electronic mail conversation can be presented along with portions of included electronic mail messages at a user-interface.

Claims

1. At a computer system, a method for performing an electronic mail conversation operation, the method comprising:

an act of receiving an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation;

an act of identifying one or more electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation;

an act of accessing the identified one or more electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation; and

an act of performing a corresponding related operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages in response to the received indication that the operation is to be performed on the electronic mail conversation.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation comprise an act of receiving an indication that an electronic mail conversation is to be created.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation comprise an act of receiving an indication that an electronic mail conversation is to be opened.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation comprise an act of receiving an indication that an electronic mail conversation is to be moved.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation comprise an act of receiving an indication that an electronic mail conversation is to be deleted.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation comprise an act of receiving an electronic mail message.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of identifying one or more electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation comprises an act of matching GUIDs included in electronic mail message headers to a GUID included in a conversation item.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of identifying one or more electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation comprises an act of scanning links from a conversation item representing the electronic mail conversation to the one or more electronic mail messages.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of accessing the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of accessing electronic mail messages having a GUID that matches the GUID of the conversation item representing the electronic mail conversation.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of accessing the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of accessing links from a conversation item representing the electronic mail conversation to message items representing the one or more electronic mail messages.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of performing a corresponding related operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of deleting the identified one or more electronic mail messages in response to a received indication the electronic mail conversation is to be deleted.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of performing a corresponding related operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of opening the identified one or more electronic mail messages in response to a received indication the electronic mail conversation is to be opened.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of performing a corresponding related operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of moving the identified one or more electronic mail messages to a destination folder in response to a received indication the electronic mail conversation is to be moved to the destination folder.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of performing the indicated operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of moving the identified one or more electronic mail messages to a destination folder in response to a received indication the electronic mail conversation is stored in an existing folder.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of moving the identified one or more electronic mail messages to a destination folder in response to a received indication the electronic mail conversation is stored in an existing folder comprises an act of moving the identified one or more electronic mail messages to a Deleted Items folder in response to a received indication that the electronic mail conversation is stored in an Ignored Conversations folder.

16. At a computer system, a method for presenting message conversation data, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a command to present message conversation data for an electronic mail conversation that includes one or more electronic mail messages;

an act of accessing an electronic mail conversation item that represents the electronic mail conversation;

an act of retrieving persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item, the persisted conversation attribute values representing the attributes of the electronic mail conversation; and

an act of presenting the retrieved conversation attribute values along with portions of the one or more electronic mail messages.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of receiving a command to present message conversation data for an electronic mail conversation comprises an act of receiving user input representing a conversation command.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of receiving a command to present message conversation data for an electronic mail conversation comprises an act of receiving an automated conversation command.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of receiving a command to present message conversation data for an electronic mail conversation comprises an act of receiving a query for message conversation data.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of accessing an electronic mail conversation item comprises an act of accessing a data structure from an item store.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of retrieving persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item comprises an act of sending conversation data to a message client.

22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of retrieving persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item comprises an act of receiving conversation data from a message server.

23. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of retrieving persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item comprises an act of retrieving one or more attribute values selected from among a topic value, a number of messages value, a duration value, a participants value, a most active participant value, a started by value, a start time value, and a depth value.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of retrieving persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item comprises an act of retrieving one or more attribute values for an electronic mail message included in the electronic mail conversation.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the act of retrieving one or more attribute values for an electronic mail message included in the electronic mail conversation comprises an act of retrieving one or more attribute values selected from among a sent time value, a sender value, a summary value, a link value, and a recipient delta value.

26. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein, the act of presenting the retrieved conversation attribute values along with portions of the one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of presenting attribute values from a data structure stored in an item store.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein, the act of presenting attribute values from a data structure stored in an item store comprises an act of presenting one or more attribute values selected from among a topic value, a number of messages value, a duration value, a participants value, a most active participant value, a started by value, a start time value, and a depth value.

28. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of presenting the retrieved conversation attribute values along with portions of the one or more electronic mail messages comprises an act of presenting one or more attribute values for an electronic mail message included in the electronic mail conversation.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the act of presenting one or more attribute values for an electronic mail message included in the electronic mail conversation comprises an act of presenting one or more attribute values selected from among a sent time value, a sender value, a summary value, a link value, and a recipient delta value.

30. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer reprogram product for implementing a method for performing an electronic mail conversation operation, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following:

receive an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation;

identify one or more electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation;

access the identified one or more electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation; and

perform a corresponding related operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages in response to the received indication that the operation is to be performed on the electronic mail conversation.

31. The computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to receive an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to receive an indication that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation wherein the operation selected from among creating an electronic mail conversation, opening an electronic mail conversation, moving an electronic mail conversation, and deleting an electronic mail conversation.

32. The computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to identify one or more electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to scan links from a conversation item representing the electronic mail conversation to the one or more electronic mail messages.

33. The computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to access the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to access links from a conversation item representing the electronic mail conversation to message items representing the one or more electronic mail messages.

34. The computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to perform a corresponding related operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to opening the identified one or more electronic mail messages in response to a received indication the electronic mail conversation is to be opened.

35. The computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to perform a corresponding related operation on each of the identified one or more electronic mail messages comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to move the identified one or more electronic mail messages to a Deleted Items folder in response to a received indication that the electronic mail conversation is stored in an Ignored Conversations folder.

36. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer reprogram product for implementing a method for presenting message conversation data, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following:

receive a command to present message conversation data for an electronic mail conversation that includes one or more electronic mail messages;

access an electronic mail conversation item that represents the electronic mail conversation;

retrieve persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item, the persisted conversation attribute values representing the attributes of the electronic mail conversation; and

present the retrieved conversation attribute values along with portions of the one or more electronic mail messages.

37. The computer program product as recited in claim 36, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to receive a command to present message conversation data for an electronic mail conversation comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to receive user input representing a conversation command.

38. The computer program product as recited in claim 36, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to receive a command to present message conversation data for an electronic mail conversation comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to receive a query for message conversation data.

39. The computer program product as recited in claim 36, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to access an electronic mail conversation item comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to access a data structure from an item store.

40. The computer program product as recited in claim 36, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to retrieve persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to retrieve one or more attribute values selected from among a topic value, a number of messages value, a duration value, a participants value, a most active participant value, a started by value, a start time value, and a depth value.

41. The computer program product as recited in claim 36, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to retrieve persisted conversation attribute values from the electronic mail conversation item comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to retrieve one or more attribute values for an electronic mail message selected from among a sent time value, a sender value, a summary value, a link value, and a recipient delta value.

42. The computer program product as recited in claim 36, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to present the retrieved conversation attribute values along with portions of the one or more electronic mail messages comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to present one or more attribute values selected from among a topic value, a number of messages value, a duration value, a participants value, a most active participant value, a started by value, a start time value, and a depth value.

43. The computer program product as recited in claim 36, wherein computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to present the retrieved conversation attribute values along with portions of the one or more electronic mail messages comprise computer-executable instructions that when executed cause the computer system to present one or more attribute values for an electronic mail message selected from among a sent time value, a sender value, a summary value, a link value, and a recipient delta value.