Device and method for user-based processing of electronic message comprising file attachments

• US 20060195526A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Inventors: Lederer, Thomas, Totzke, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,542 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 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A method for the user-based processing of electronic messages comprising file attachments is provided. According to the method, a file attachment of an electronic message is replaced by a memory location link to a selected memory location in a user file system and the file attachment of the electronic message is saved in the selected memory location of the user file system. This permits the memory capacity that is required for storing data attachments to be significantly reduced in a user-friendly system.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for a user-based processing of an electronic message having a file attachment, the method comprising:

receiving the electronic message;

modifying the electronic message by replacing the file attachment by a memory location link to a user-selected memory location in a user file system; and

saving the file attachment at the user-selected memory location in the user file system.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising creating a message link to the modified electronic message at the user-selected memory location.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the file name of the file attachment is changed when the file attachment is saved.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein when the message link is created the changed file name is used.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail of an SMTP e-mail client.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the file attachment is saved according to a defined rule and/or in a set file structure.

18. A device for the user-based processing of electronic message, the device comprising:

an e-mail client that receives an electronic message having a file attachment;

an attachment substitution unit that replaces a file attachment of a received electronic message by a memory location link;

a user file system that stores the file attachment;

an attachment insertion unit that inserts the replaced file attachment at a selected memory location in the user file system; and

a control unit that controls the e-mail client, the attachment substitution unit and the attachment insertion unit.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising a link insertion unit that inserts a message link at the selected memory location, wherein the link refers to an electronic message with a replaced file attachment.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the inserted message includes a file name of the inserted file attachment

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein the attachment insertion unit files the replace file attachment using a modified file name.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the attachment insertion unit files the replace file attachment according to a user-define rule and/or a user-define file structure.