Auto organization hierarchy traversal in email addressees

• US 20060136494A1
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Oh, Haw Kuang
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method for automatic hierarchy traversal in email addressees. The method includes parsing an entry in an email addressee field and determining if the entry includes a predefined notation appended to the entry. If the entry has a predefined notation appended to the entry, then the hierarchy structure for the name in the entry is traversed based on the predefined notation. The predefined notation includes a special character to identify the direction of traversal and a level indicator to identify the level of traversal. Email addresses for each name listed at the designated level of the hierarchy structure are retrieved and the entry in the email addressee field is replaced with the retrieved email addresses.

Claims

1. A method for email address automation, comprising:

a) parsing an entry in an email addressee field;

b) determining whether the entry includes a predefined notation appended to the entry; and

c) if the entry has a predefined notation appended to the entry,

traversing a hierarchy structure of a name in the entry based on the predefined notation;

retrieving email addresses for each name listed at a designated level of the hierarchy structure; and

replacing the entry in the email addressee field with the email addresses from the designated level of the hierarchy structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an email to all email addresses listed in the email addressee field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined notation includes a special character and a level indicator, and wherein traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation comprises traversing the hierarchy structure a certain level upward or downward based on the special character and the level indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the special character is a “

+”

, the hierarchy structure is traversed upward to the level indicated by the level indicator.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure, the hierarchy structure is traversed upward to the level indicated by the level indicator to obtain a manager for the name in the entry.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure and the level indicator indicates all levels, the hierarchy structure is traversed upward to obtain each manager in the hierarchy chain for the name in the entry.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein if the special character is a “

−

”

, the hierarchy structure is traversed downward to the level indicated by the level indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure, the hierarchy structure is traversed downward to the level indicated by the level indicator to obtain subordinates for the name in the entry.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure and the level indicator indicates all levels, the hierarchy structure is traversed downward to obtain all subordinates in the hierarchy chain for the name in the entry.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined notation includes a special character of “

+”

followed by a level indicator, and wherein traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation comprises traversing the hierarchy structure upward to a level indicated by the level indicator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined notation includes a special character of “

−

”

followed by a level indicator, and wherein traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation comprises traversing the hierarchy structure downward to a level indicated by the level indicator.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy structure comprises one of an organization hierarchy structure, a department hierarchy structure, an organization unit code hierarchy structure, or a cost center code hierarchy structure.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether there is another entry in the email addressee field; and

if there is another entry in the email addressee field, repeating processes a), b), and c).

14. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for;

a) parsing an entry in an email addressee field;

b) determining whether the entry includes a predefined notation appended to the entry, wherein the predefined notation includes a direction of traversal and a level of traversal; and

c) if the entry has a predefined notation appended to the entry,

traversing a hierarchy structure of a name in the entry based on the direction and level of traversal indicated in the predefined notation;

retrieving email addresses for each name listed at a designated level of the hierarchy structure; and

replacing the entry in the email addressee field with the email addresses from the designated level of the hierarchy structure.

15. The article of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

determining whether there is another entry in the email addressee field; and

if there is another entry in the email addressee field, repeating the instructions for a), b), and c).

16. The article of claim 14, further comprising instructions for sending an email to all email addresses listed in the email addressee field.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein the predefined notation includes a special character for the direction of traversal and a level indicator for the level of traversal, and wherein instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation comprises instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure a certain level upward or downward based on the special character and the level indicator.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein if the special character is a “

+”

instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation include instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure upward to the level indicated by the level indicator.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure and the special character is a “

+”

, instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation include instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure upward to the level indicated by the level indicator to obtain a manager for the name in the entry.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure and the special character is a “

+” and

the level indicator indicates all levels, instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation include instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure upward to obtain each manager in the hierarchy chain for the name in the entry.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein if the special character is a “

−

”

, instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation include instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure downward to the level indicated by the level indicator.

22. The article of claim 17, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure and the special character is a “

−

”

, instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation include instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure downward to the level indicated by the level indicator to obtain subordinates for the name in the entry.

23. The article of claim 17, wherein if the hierarchy structure is an organization hierarchy structure and the special character is a “

−

” and

the level indicator indicates all levels, instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure of the name in the entry based on the predefined notation include instructions for traversing the hierarchy structure downward to obtain all subordinates in the hierarchy chain for the name in the entry.

24. The article of claim 14, wherein the hierarchy structure comprises one of an organization hierarchy structure, a department hierarchy structure, an organization unit code hierarchy structure, or a cost center code hierarchy structure.