Email customization techniques and systems

• US 20060075035A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tripp, Travis S.
• Application Number:
  US10/949,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075035A1
• 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 51/06 Message adaptation to terminal or network requirements

Abstract

An automated email system configured to perform an email task with respect to a recipient on behalf of an application. The email system includes a recipient data engine configured to obtain specific recipient data pertaining to the recipient responsive to a request from the application to perform the email task. The email system further includes a message resource file directory (MRFD) configured to provide a message resource file (MRF) that is specific at least to the email task and the application. The MRF is configured to generate a customized email that is customized for the recipient based on the specific recipient data. The customized email is customized in at least one of a first customized manner and a second customized manner, the first customized manner representing locale customization, the second customized manner representing content customization.

Claims

1. An automated email system configured to perform an email task with respect to a recipient on behalf of an application, comprising:

a recipient data engine configured to obtain specific recipient data pertaining to said recipient responsive to a request from said application to perform said email task; and

a message resource file directory (MRFD) configured to provide a message resource file (MRF) that is specific at least to said email task and said application, said MRF being configured to generate a customized email that is customized for said recipient based on said specific recipient data, said customized email being customized in at least one of a first customized manner and a second customized manner, said first customized manner representing locale customization, said second customized manner representing content customization.

2. The automated email system of claim 1 wherein said customized email is customized in both said first customized manner and said second customized manner.

3. The automated email system of claim 1 wherein said recipient data engine is configured to receive a vocabulary key from said application and to obtain said specific recipient data from a vocabulary provider using said vocabulary key, said vocabulary provider being configured to provide specific vocabulary tags required by to perform said email task and to obtain said specific recipient data using said specific vocabulary tags.

4. The automated email system of claim 3 wherein said vocabulary provider is configured to obtain said specific recipient data from an application database associated with said application using said specific vocabulary tags.

5. The automated email system of claim 4 wherein said vocabulary provider is configured to map said specific vocabulary tags to corresponding data fields in said application database.

6. The automated email system of claim 4 further comprising a locale support mapper, said locale support mapper being configured to map said specific recipient data to a particular localization specification.

7. The automated email system of claim 6 wherein said MRF includes a plurality of content customization sections, said particular localization specification is employed to select a particular content customization section of said plurality of content customization sections with which to perform said content customization.

8. The automated email system of claim 7 wherein said content customization includes one of a HTML format and a text format.

9. The automated email system of claim 6 wherein said MRF is selected from said MRFD based on said particular localization specification, thereby implementing said locale customization.

10. The automated email system of claim 9 wherein said particular localization specification includes a specific human language.

11. The automated email system of claim 10 wherein said particular localization specification represents explicit support for locale-related data in said specific recipient data.

12. The automated email system of claim 10 wherein said particular localization specification represents approximate support for locale-related data in said specific recipient data.

13. The automated email system of claim 10 wherein said particular localization specification represents a default localization specification.

14. The automated email system of claim 4 wherein a configuration file for said vocabulary provider is hot configurable.

15. The automated email system of claim 4 wherein said vocabulary provider is a part of said automated email system.

16. The automated email system of claim 4 wherein said vocabulary provider is a plug-in in said automated email system.

17. The automated email system of claim 4 wherein said vocabulary provider is external to said automated email system.

18. The automated email system of claim 1 wherein said application is associated with a plurality of vocabulary providers, each of said vocabulary providers being specific to a particular email task requested by said application.

19. The automated email system of claim 18 wherein one of said plurality of vocabulary providers represents a default vocabulary provider.

20. The automated email system of claim 1 wherein said MRF is hot configurable.

21. A computer-implemented method for automatically handling an email task on behalf of an application to generate a customized email for a first recipient, comprising:

receiving a request from said application, said request including a vocabulary key;

obtaining specific recipient data pertaining to said first recipient using said vocabulary key;

selecting a message resource file (MRF) from a message resource file directory (MRFD), said MRF being specific at least to said application and said email task; and

filling out said MRF with said specific recipient data, thereby creating said customized email, whereby said customized email is customized in at least one of a first customized manner and a second customized manner, said first customized manner representing locale customization, said second customized manner representing content customization.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 wherein said specific recipient data is obtained using a recipient data engine, said recipient data engine being configured to obtain said specific recipient data using a plurality of vocabulary tags and to furnish said specific recipient data to said MRF to create said customized email.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22 wherein said customized email is customized in both said first customized manner and said second customized manner.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 22 further comprising:

forwarding said vocabulary key to a vocabulary provider;

mapping said plurality of vocabulary tags to a plurality of data fields of an application database; and

obtaining said specific recipient data from said application database using said plurality of data fields and said vocabulary key.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24 wherein said vocabulary provider is a part of said automated email system.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 24 wherein said vocabulary provider is a plug-in in said automated email system.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 24 wherein said vocabulary provider is external to said automated email system.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 24 further comprising:

providing at least a subset of said specific recipient data to a locale support mapper, said locale support mapper being configured to map said subset of said specific recipient data to a particular localization specification.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 28 further comprising:

selecting a particular content customization section from a plurality of content customization sections provided by said MRF, said selecting said particular content customization section employing said specific recipient data, said particular content customization section, when combined with said specific recipient data, results in said content customization.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29 wherein said content customization includes one of a HTML format and a text format.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 28 wherein said MRF is selected from said MRFD based on said particular localization specification, thereby implementing said locale customization.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said particular localization specification includes a specific human language.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said particular localization specification represents explicit support for locale-related data in said specific recipient data.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said particular localization specification represents approximate support for locale-related data in said specific recipient data.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said particular localization specification represents a default localization specification.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 wherein a configuration file for said vocabulary provider is hot configurable.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 wherein said application is associated with a plurality of vocabulary providers, each of said vocabulary providers being specific to a particular email task requested by said application.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 37 wherein one of said plurality of vocabulary providers represents a default vocabulary provider.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 wherein said MRF is hot configurable.

40. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code being configured to automatically handle an email task on behalf of an application to generate a customized email for a first recipient, comprising:

computer readable code for receiving a request from said application, said request including a vocabulary key;

computer readable code for obtaining specific recipient data pertaining to said first recipient using said vocabulary key;

computer readable code for selecting a message resource file (MRF) from a message resource file directory (MRFD), said MRF being specific at least to said application and said email task; and

computer readable code for filling out said MRF with said specific recipient data, thereby creating said customized email, whereby said customized email is customized in at least one of a first customized manner and a second customized manner, said first customized manner representing locale customization, said second customized manner representing content customization.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 40 wherein said specific recipient data is obtained using a recipient data engine, said recipient data engine being configured to obtain said specific recipient data using a plurality of vocabulary tags and to furnish said specific recipient data to said MRF to create said customized email.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 41 wherein said customized email is customized in both said first customized manner and said second customized manner.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 41 further comprising:

computer readable code for forwarding said vocabulary key to a vocabulary provider;

computer readable code for mapping said plurality of vocabulary tags to a plurality of data fields of an application database; and

computer readable code for obtaining said specific recipient data from said application database using said plurality of data fields.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 43 wherein said vocabulary provider is a part of said automated email system.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 43 wherein said vocabulary provider is a plug-in in said automated email system.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 43 wherein said vocabulary provider is external to said automated email system.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 43 further comprising:

computer readable code for providing at least a subset of said specific recipient data to a locale support mapper, said locale support mapper being configured to map said subset of said specific recipient data to a particular localization specification.

48. The article of manufacture of claim 47 further comprising:

computer readable code for selecting a particular content customization section from a plurality of content customization sections provided by said MRF, said selecting said particular content customization section employing said specific recipient data, said particular content customization section, when combined with said specific recipient data, results in said content customization.

49. The article of manufacture of claim 48 wherein said content customization includes one of a HTML format and a text format.

50. The article of manufacture of claim 47 further comprising:

computer readable code for selecting a particular localization choice from a plurality of localization choices provided by said MRF, said selecting said particular localization choice employing said particular locale, said particular localization choice resulting in said locale customization.

51. The article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said particular localization specification includes a specific human language.

52. The article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said particular localization specification represents explicit support for locale-related data in said specific recipient data.

53. The article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said particular localization specification represents approximate support for locale-related data in said specific recipient data.

54. The article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said particular localization specification represents a default localization specification.

55. The article of manufacture of claim 40 wherein a configuration file for said vocabulary provider is hot configurable.

56. The article of manufacture of claim 40 wherein said application is associated with a plurality of vocabulary providers, each of said vocabulary providers being specific to a particular email task requested by said application.

57. The article of manufacture of claim 56 wherein one of said plurality of vocabulary providers represents a default vocabulary provider.

58. The article of manufacture of claim 40 wherein said MRF is hot configurable.