METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING MESSAGING

• US 20070299923A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Hachey, George Skelly
• Original Assignee: Andrew Hachey, George Skelly
• Inventors: Skelly, George, Hachey, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/763,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20070299923A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Methods and systems for handling electronic mail provide an audit trail of recipient interactions with an electronic mail message. By tracking, for example, whether attachments were opened and which portions of the message have been displayed, a recipient of an electronic mail can preserve a record of what information the recipient has been potentially exposed to and what information has demonstrably not been seen by the recipient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

delivering at least a portion of an electronic mail message to a recipient at a client device;

displaying the portion of the electronic mail message on the client device;

tracking a user interaction with the electronic mail message, the user interaction including one or more of opening an attachment to the electronic mail message and displaying an additional portion of the electronic mail message for user review; and

storing a record of the user interaction when the electronic mail message is closed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving the record when the electronic mail message is subsequently opened and supplementing the record with one or more additional user interactions with the electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a message to a sender of the electronic mail message informing the sender of what user interaction occurred with the electronic mail message.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising permanently deleting the electronic mail message from the client device, and storing the record of the user interaction at one or more of the client device and a remote location.