Method and system for generating template replies to electronic mail messages

• US 20070100948A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil, Vander Veen, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method for responding to an electronic mail (“email”) message presented to a user on a display screen of a data processing system, comprising: receiving a command from the user to generate a reply to the email message using content from one or more template replies, the reply having a subject line and a body; presenting a choice of the one or more template replies to the user; receiving a command to select a template reply from the choice, the template reply having a subject line and a body; and generating the reply by inserting content from the body of the template reply into the body of the reply.

Claims

1. A method for responding to an electronic mail (“

email”

) message presented to a user on a display screen of a data processing system, comprising;

receiving a command from the user to generate a reply to the email message using content from one or more template replies, the reply having a subject line and a body;

presenting a choice of the one or more template replies to the user;

receiving a command to select a template reply from the choice, the template reply having a subject line and a body; and

generating the reply by inserting content from the body of the template reply into the body of the reply.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating further comprises:

if the subject line of the template reply is not empty, inserting content from the subject line of the template reply into the subject line of the reply.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting at least one of a menu item and a button icon on the display screen for selecting by the user to initiate the command to generate the reply.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the reply on the display screen for at least one of review by the user, editing, and sending.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a command from the user to modify the reply by inserting content from a body of a second template reply at a location in the body of the reply selected by the user, the second template reply selected by the user from the choice of the one or more template replies.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a command from the user to at least one of edit, view, delete, and send a copy of one or more of the template replies.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a command from the user to at least one of:

add a new template reply to the one or more template replies having content newly entered by the user;

add a new template reply to the one or more template replies having content copied from the reply; and

add a new template reply to the one or more template replies having content copied from a sent reply.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more template replies comprises one or more macros.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the email message is one of a short message system (“

SMS”

) message and a peer-to-peer message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is a wireless device having a clickable thumbwheel.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising opening the email message on the display screen when the email message is selected from a list of email messages by the user with the clickable thumbwheel.

12. A system for responding to an electronic mail (“

email”

) message presented to a user on a display screen, comprising;

a processor coupled to memory, the display screen, and an interface to a network, and adapted for;

receiving a command from the user to generate a reply to the email message using content from one or more template replies, the reply having a subject line and a body;

presenting a choice of the one or more template replies to the user;

receiving a command to select a template reply from the choice, the template reply having a subject line and a body; and

generating the reply by inserting content from the body of the template reply into the body of the reply.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the generating further comprises:

if the subject line of the template reply is not empty, inserting content from the subject line of the template reply into the subject line of the reply.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted for presenting at least one of a menu item and a button icon on the display screen for selecting by the user to initiate the command to generate the reply.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted for presenting the reply on the display screen for at least one of review by the user, editing, and sending.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further adapted for receiving a command from the user to modify the reply by inserting content from a body of a second template reply at a location in the body of the reply selected by the user, the second template reply selected by the user from the choice of the one or more template replies.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted for receiving a command from the user to at least one of edit, view, delete, and send a copy of one or more of the template replies.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted for receiving a command from the user to at least one of:

add a new template reply to the one or more template replies having content newly entered by the user;

add a new template reply to the one or more template replies having content copied from the reply; and

add a new template reply to the one or more template replies having content copied from a sent reply.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the email message is one of a short message system (“

SMS”

) message and a peer-to-peer message.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is a wireless device having a clickable thumbwheel.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further adapted for opening the email message on the display screen when the email message is selected from a list of email messages by the user with the clickable thumbwheel.

22. A computer program product having a computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable code for directing a data processing system to respond to an electronic mail (“

email”

) message presented to a user on a display screen, the computer program product comprising;

code for receiving a command from the user to generate a reply to the email message using content from one or more template replies, the reply having a subject line and a body;

code for presenting a choice of the one or more template replies to the user;

code for receiving a command to select a template reply from the choice, the template reply having a subject line and a body; and

code for generating the reply by inserting content from the body of the template reply into the body of the reply.