Email with an Answer-Required Field
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a send command that specifies a reply email, wherein the reply email is a reply to a source email;
if the source email comprises an answer-required field, determining whether the reply email comprises an answer associated with the answer-required field;
if the reply email comprises the answer associated with the answer-required field, sending the reply email to a source of the source email; and
if the reply email does not comprise the answer associated with the answer-required field, blocking the sending of the reply email.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an embodiment, a send command is received that specifies a reply email, which is a reply to a source email. If the source email includes an answer-required field associated with a question, a determination is made whether the reply email includes an answer associated with the answer-required field. If the reply email includes the answer, then the reply email is sent to a source of the source email, but if the reply email does not include the answer, the reply email is blocked from being sent. In an embodiment, the source email is embedded in the reply email as a replied-to email, the source email includes reply data that is separate from the replied-to email, and the reply data includes the answer and a pointer that identifies the answer-required field. In another embodiment, the answer is embedded in the answer-required field in the replied-to email. In this way, answers may be required to email questions.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a send command that specifies a reply email, wherein the reply email is a reply to a source email; if the source email comprises an answer-required field, determining whether the reply email comprises an answer associated with the answer-required field; if the reply email comprises the answer associated with the answer-required field, sending the reply email to a source of the source email; and if the reply email does not comprise the answer associated with the answer-required field, blocking the sending of the reply email. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A signal-bearing medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:
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embedding a source email as a replied-to email in a reply email; receiving a send command that specifies the reply email, wherein the reply email is a reply to the source email; if the replied-to email comprises an answer-required field, determining whether the reply email comprises an answer associated with the answer-required field, wherein the answer-required field is associated with a question in the source email; if the reply email comprises the answer associated with the answer-required field, sending the reply email to a source of the source email; and if the reply email does not comprise the answer associated with the answer-required field, blocking the sending of the reply email. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for configuring a computer, comprising:
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configuring the computer to copy a source email to a replied-to email embedded in a reply email; configuring the computer to receive a send command that specifies the reply email, wherein the reply email is a reply to the source email; configuring the computer to, if the source email comprises an answer-required field, determine whether the reply email comprises an answer associated with the answer-required field, wherein the answer-required field is associated with a question in the source email; configuring the computer to, if the reply email comprises the answer associated with the answer-required field, send the reply email to a source of the source email; configuring the computer to, if the reply email does not comprise the answer associated with the answer-required field, block the sending of the reply email; and configuring the computer to decide whether the answer comprises an indication that the question will be answered after the sending. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification