Methods and systems for saving draft electronic communications

• US 20060224674A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lim, Jing Yee, Singh, Sanjeev, Buchheit, Paul T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Methods and systems for saving draft electronic communications, such as web e-mails, are described herein. One such described method comprises automatically saving a draft web-email in the e-mail web page. A second such described method comprises saving a draft web e-mail in a cookie residing on the client machine. A third such described method comprises automatically saving a draft web e-mail at the host that provides the Web e-mail service. A fourth such described method comprises interacting with a central installed client component to save a draft web e-mail one the user'"'"'s machine at the client side.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving inputs to a web e-mail page; and

periodically auto-saving at least some of the received inputs to the web e-mail page.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to compose a web e-mail;

responsive to the request, providing the web e-mail page for composing the web e-mail.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command to send the web e-mail.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of periodically auto-saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically auto-saving at least some of the received inputs prior to receiving the command to send the web e-mail.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an option to retrieve the saved inputs.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to recover the web e-mail; and

retrieving the saved inputs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a markup language document.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a cookie.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving at least some of the receiving inputs at a host site that provides the web e-mail page.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a client device from which the request to compose the web e-mail originates.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the received inputs are saved in a file at the client device, wherein the file has a storage capacity larger than a cookie.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in the file stored at the client device is performed by accessing an agent residing on the client device to generate the file and store the received inputs in the file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a markup language document;

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a cookie;

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a host site that provides the web e-mail page; and

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a client device from which the request to compose the web e-mail originates.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving at least some the received inputs in a cookie;

periodically determining whether the received inputs are larger than a storage capacity of the cookie; and

responsive to the received inputs being larger than the storage capacity of the cookie, periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a host site that provides the web e-mail page.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving the received inputs in a cookie;

periodically determining whether the received inputs are larger than a storage capacity of the cookie; and

responsive to the received inputs being larger than the storage capacity of the cookie, periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a client device from which the request to compose the web e-mail originates.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving the received inputs in a cookie;

periodically determining whether the received inputs are larger than a storage capacity of the cookie; and

responsive to the received inputs being larger than the storage capacity of the cookie, saving a selected portion of the received inputs in the cookie.

17. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded program code, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving inputs to a web e-mail page; and

program code for periodically auto-saving at least some of the received inputs to the web e-mail page.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

program code for receiving a request to compose a web e-mail;

program code for providing the web e-mail page for composing the web e-mail in response to the request.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

program code for receiving a command to send the web e-mail.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the program code for periodically auto-saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically auto-saving at least some of the received inputs prior to receiving the command to send the web e-mail.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

program code for providing an option to retrieve the saved inputs.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

program code for receiving a request to recover the web e-mail; and

program code for retrieving the saved inputs.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a markup language document.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a cookie.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically saving at least some of the receiving inputs at a host site that provides the web e-mail page.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a client device from which the request to compose the web e-mail originates.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the received inputs are saved in a file at the client device, wherein the file has a storage capacity larger than a cookie.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in the file stored at the client device is performed by accessing an agent residing on the client device to generate the file and store the received inputs in the file.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a markup language document;

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs in a cookie;

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a host site that provides the web e-mail page; and

periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a client device from which the request to compose the web e-mail originates.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically saving at least some the received inputs in a cookie;

program code for periodically determining whether the received inputs are larger than a storage capacity of the cookie; and

program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a host site that provides the web e-mail page in response to the received inputs being larger than the storage capacity of the cookie.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically saving the received inputs in a cookie;

program code for periodically determining whether the received inputs are larger than a storage capacity of the cookie; and

program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs at a client device from which the request to compose the web e-mail originates in response to the received inputs being larger than the storage capacity of the cookie.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the program code for periodically saving at least some of the received inputs comprises:

program code for periodically saving the received inputs in a cookie;

program code for periodically determining whether the received inputs are larger than a storage capacity of the cookie; and

program code for saving a selected portion of the received inputs in the cookie in response to the received inputs being larger than the storage capacity of the cookie.