Enhanced E-Mail System
First Claim
1. A method for providing email communications, comprising the steps of:
- invoking an office application facility within a sender'"'"'s email system;
displaying an office application user interface within a portion of said email system user interface in response to invoking said office application facility;
providing office application functions within said email system to create an office application document in said office application user interface;
transmitting an email message containing said office application document to at least one recipient;
invoking an office application facility within said recipient'"'"'s email system user interface to display said office application document in said recipient'"'"'s office application user interface within said recipient'"'"'s email system user interface.allowing editing of said office application document in said recipient'"'"'s office application user interface within said recipient'"'"'s email system user interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An enchanced email system integrates office applications to track information related to the office application documents and emails within the email system, so as to monitor the work status and productivity of office work and to improve efficiency. The enhanced email system enables the creation of automatic folders amongst a group of people (e.g., team members) to manage emails, forms, and office application documents related to specific projects or assignments, thus making it easier to manage and locate emails and office application documents within the email system. The enhanced email system also allows only the latest email and office application documents generated from “reply” or “forward” to remain in the “inbox” and the related “automatic folder”, the prior version emails and office application documents are either moved to a separate folder or deleted from the individual'"'"'s email account, and therefore, maintains a neat and easy navigable mailbox.
111 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for providing email communications, comprising the steps of:
- invoking an office application facility within a sender'"'"'s email system;
displaying an office application user interface within a portion of said email system user interface in response to invoking said office application facility; providing office application functions within said email system to create an office application document in said office application user interface; transmitting an email message containing said office application document to at least one recipient; invoking an office application facility within said recipient'"'"'s email system user interface to display said office application document in said recipient'"'"'s office application user interface within said recipient'"'"'s email system user interface. allowing editing of said office application document in said recipient'"'"'s office application user interface within said recipient'"'"'s email system user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- invoking an office application facility within a sender'"'"'s email system;
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19. A computer system for enabling office application functions within an email system, said computer system comprising:
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a processing unit; an input device connected to said processing unit; a display device connected to said processing unit; said processing unit, responsive to instructions from an office application facility running on said computer system and programmed to; display an office application user interface in a portion of an email system user interface on said display device, wherein said office application user interface is integrated within said email system user interface so as to appear as a toolbar, command bar, or menu form of said email system user interface; receive input to compose an office application document on an display region of said office application user interface; in response to the receipt of a send signal from said input device, invoke said email system to transmit an email message comprising said office application document to destination addresses; and open said office application document on said display region of said office application user interface in response to the receipt of an open signal from said input device.
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20. A computer system including a RAM memory configured to run application programs and for enabling office application functions within an email system, said computer system comprising:
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means for invoking an office application facility in said email system; means for displaying an office application user interface within a portion of an email system user interface, said office application user interface being integrated with said email system user interface to appear as a toolbar, command bar, or menu form of said email system user interface; means for receiving document data as input within said email system; means for incorporating an office application document into an email message as a component; means for invoking said email system to transmit said email message comprising said office application document; means for displaying said office application document in an office application user interface within a recipient'"'"'s email system; means for facilitating the modification of said office application document in said office application user interface within said email system.
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21. A computer program for enabling office application functions within an email system stored on a computer readable medium, said computer program comprising:
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executable instructions for generating an office application document within said email system, said computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, operative to perform the following; displaying an office application user interface in an email system user interface within said email system; composing an office application document in said office application user interface of said email system user interface; converting said office application document into a component of an email message in response to a “
send”
signal;displaying said office application document in an office application user interface within a recipient'"'"'s email system user interface including a document region and an email header region in response to an “
open”
signal;enabling modification of said office application document in said office application user interface within said email system user interface.
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22. A method for recording and displaying data and reports related to the life cycle of an email or office application document email, said method comprising the steps of:
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invoking a tracking facility automatically upon creating, opening, saving, sending, forwarding, modifying, completing, deleting, or receiving said email or office application document email; invoking and displaying a report user interface within an email system. recording information related to said email or office application document email, including workflow, approval, evaluation, and the like; recording creating, saving, sending, forwarding, modifying, deleting, and receiving information upon such actions; sending tracking data to a database; and displaying said reports in response to an user invoking a report view function in an email system or an external system, including an online reporting system.
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23. A computer system for recording and displaying data and reports related to the life cycle of an email or office application document email, said computer system comprising:
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means for invoking a tracking facility upon creating, opening, saving, sending, forwarding, modifying, deleting, or receiving said email or office application document email; means for invoking and displaying a report user interface within an email system; means for recording information related to said email or office application document email; means for transmitting tracking data to a database; and means for displaying said reports in said report user interface within said email system or in an external system, including an online reporting system.
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24. A computer program for recording and displaying data related to the life cycle of an email or office application document email stored on a computer readable medium, said computer program comprising:
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a recording medium; means, recorded on said recording medium, for invoking a tracking facility upon creating, opening, saving, sending, forwarding modifying, deleting, or receiving said email or office application document email;
means, recorded on said recording medium, for invoking and displaying a report user interface within said email system;means, recorded on said recording medium, for recording information related to said email or office application document email; means, recorded on said recording medium, for transmitting tracking data to a database; and means, recorded on said recording medium, for displaying said reports in said report user interface within said email client or in an external system, including an online reporting system.
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25. A method of controlling communications in a sender'"'"'s email system, said method comprising the steps of:
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invoking an automatic folder component within said email system; creating an automatic folder or sub-folder in the email folder directory of said email system; creating automatic folder instructions as a portion of an email message or office application document email message; and - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer system of controlling communications in a sender'"'"'s email system, said computer system comprises:
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means for invoking an automatic folder component within the email system; means for creating an automatic folder or sub-folder in said sender'"'"'s email folder directory; means for creating automatic folder instructions as a portion of an email message or office application document email message; and means for distributing said email or office application document email with automatic folder configurations to at least one recipient.
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30. A computer program of controlling communications in a sender'"'"'s email system, said computer program comprises:
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a recording medium; means, recorded on said recording medium, for invoking an automatic folder component within said email system; means, recorded on said recording medium, for creating an automatic folder or sub-folder in said sender'"'"'s email folder directory; means, recorded on said recording medium, for creating automatic folder instructions as a portion of an email message or office application document email message; and means, recorded on said recording medium, for distributing said email or office application document email with automatic folder configurations to at least one recipient.
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31. A method of controlling communications in a recipient'"'"'s email system, said method comprising the steps of:
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reading an automatic folder destination field in said recipient'"'"'s email system when receiving an email or office application document email; invoking an automatic folder component within said recipient'"'"'s email system; comparing the destination folder name with said recipient'"'"'s email folder directory; accepting an automatic folder in said recipient'"'"'s email folder directory when said automatic folder is not found; and displaying said email or office application document email in both said recipient'"'"'s inbox and said newly accepted automatic folder. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A computer system of controlling communications in a recipient'"'"'s email system, said computer system comprising:
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means for reading an automatic folder destination field in said recipient'"'"'s email system; means for invoking an automatic folder component within said recipient'"'"'s email system; means for comparing an destination folder name with said recipient'"'"'s email folder directory; means for accepting an automatic folder in said recipient'"'"'s email folder directory when said automatic folder is not found; and means for displaying an email or office application document email associated with said automatic folder in said recipient'"'"'s inbox and newly accepted automatic folder.
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40. A computer program of controlling communications in a recipient'"'"'s email system, said computer program comprising:
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a recording medium; means, recorded on said recording medium, for reading an automatic folder destination field in said recipient'"'"'s email system; means, recorded on said recording medium, for invoking an automatic folder component within said recipient'"'"'s email system; means, recorded on said recording medium, for comparing an destination folder name with said recipient'"'"'s email folder directory; means, recorded on said recording medium, for accepting an automatic folder in the recipient'"'"'s email folder directory when said automatic folder is not found; and means, recorded on said recording medium, for displaying an email or office application document email in said recipient'"'"'s inbox and newly accepted automatic folder.
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41. A method for automatically deleting or relocating a prior version email thread or office application document email when receiving or sending a new version in an email system, said method comprising the steps of:
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invoking an email thread control component within said email system; comparing said new version email or office application document email to all emails or office application document emails within said email system; determining if the content of an old email or office application document email is contained within said new version; removing previously received email or office application document email having content contained within said new version email or office application document email; and placing said new version email or office application document email in an appropriate folder. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A computer system for automatically deleting or relocating a prior version email thread or office application document email when sending or receiving a new version in an email system, said computer system comprising:
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means for invoking an email thread control component within said email system; means for comparing said new email or office application document email to all emails or office application document emails in said email system; means for determining if the content of said old email or office application document email is contained within said new version; means for removing previously received email(s) or office application document email(s) having content contained within said new version email or office application document email; and means for placing said new version email or office application document email in the appropriate folder(s).
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48. A computer program for automatically deleting or relocating a prior version email thread or office application document email when sending or receiving a new version in an email system, said computer program comprising:
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a recording medium; means, recorded on said recording medium, for invoking an email thread control component within said email system; means, recorded on aid recording medium, for comparing said new email or office application document email to all emails or office application document emails in said email system; means, recorded on said recording medium, for determining if the content of said old email or office application document email is contained within said new version; means, recorded on said recording medium, for removing previously received email(s) or office application document email(s) having content contained within said new version email or office application document email; and means, recorded on said recording medium, for placing said new version email or office application document email in the appropriate folder(s).
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Specification