DYNAMIC CREATION OF MAIL ALIASES USABLE IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20080098069A1
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shieh, Johnny M., Morgan, Janet
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Mail aliases are dynamically created in response to replies of an electronic mail (e-mail) communication. An e-mail communication is sent to a plurality of recipients, and one or more recipients of the e-mail communication respond to the e-mail. In response to receiving the replies, one or more mail aliases are automatically created.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically creating mail aliases usable in electronic communications, said method comprising:

receiving a response to an electronic mail sent to a plurality of recipients, said receiving comprising receiving one or more responses from one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients; and

automatically creating one or more mail aliases, in response to receiving the one or more responses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically creating comprises automatically creating a mail alias of non-responders that includes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail and excludes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically creating comprises automatically creating a mail alias of responders that includes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail and excludes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically creating comprises creating the one or more mail aliases without user intervention based on the one or more responses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically creating is performed in response to receiving the one or more responses and in response to an occurrence of a predetermined event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined event comprises one of expiration of a predetermined amount of time and receipt of a selected number of replies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically creating comprises:

determining whether a mail alias of non-responders is to be created;

creating a mail alias of non-responders, in response to the determining indicating the mail alias of non-responders is to be created, said mail alias of non-responders comprising the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail and excluding the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail;

determining whether a mail alias of responders is to be created; and

creating the mail alias of responders, in response to the determining indicating the mail alias of responders is to be created, said mail alias of responders comprising the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail and excluding the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recipients are identified in a mail alias.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one mail alias of the one or more mail aliases automatically created comprises a modified version of the mail alias.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an electronic mail to one or more members identified in one mail alias of the one or more mail aliases.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the electronic mail to be sent to the plurality of recipients, said creating including an indication that one or more mail aliases are allowed to be automatically created; and

sending the electronic mail to the plurality of recipients.

12. A method of dynamically creating mail aliases usable in electronic communications, said method comprising:

creating an electronic mail to be sent to a plurality of members via a mail alias, said creating including an indication that one or more other mail aliases are allowed to be automatically created;

sending the electronic mail to the plurality of members via the mail alias;

receiving one or more replies to the electronic mail from one or more members of the plurality of members;

determining whether a predetermined event has occurred;

determining whether at least one of a mail alias of non-responders and a mail alias of responders is to be created;

creating the mail alias of non-responders, in response to the determining indicating the mail alias of non-responders is to be created and in response to the occurrence of the predetermined event, said mail alias of non-responders including the one or more members of the plurality of members that have not responded to the electronic mail and excluding the one or more members of the plurality of members that have responded to the electronic mail;

creating the mail alias of responders, in response to the determining indicating the mail alias of responders is to be created and in response to the occurrence of the predetermined event, said mail alias of responders including the one or more members of the plurality of members that have responded to the electronic mail and excluding the one or more members of the plurality of members that have not responded to the electronic mail; and

employing at least one of the mail alias of non-responders and the mail alias of responders to send an electronic mail to members of the at least one of the mail alias of non-responders and the mail alias of responders.

13. A system of dynamically creating mail aliases usable in electronic communications, said system comprising:

a communications unit adapted to receive a response to an electronic mail sent to a plurality of recipients, wherein one or more responses from one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients are received, and to automatically create one or more mail aliases, in response to receiving the one or more responses.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications unit adapted to automatically create is further adapted to automatically create a mail alias of non-responders that includes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail and excludes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications unit adapted to automatically create is further adapted to automatically create a mail alias of responders that includes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail and excludes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail.

16. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code logic to create mail aliases usable in electronic communications, said computer readable program code logic when executing performing the following;

receiving a response to an electronic mail sent to a plurality of recipients, said receiving comprising receiving one or more responses from one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients; and

automatically creating one or more mail aliases, in response to receiving the one or more responses.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the automatically creating comprises automatically creating a mail alias of non-responders that includes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail and excludes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the automatically creating comprises automatically creating a mail alias of responders that includes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have responded to the electronic mail and excludes the one or more recipients of the plurality of recipients that have not responded to the electronic mail.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the automatically creating is performed in response to receiving the one or more responses and in response to an occurrence of a predetermined event.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 16, further comprising:

creating the electronic mail to be sent to the plurality of recipients, said creating including an indication that one or more mail aliases are allowed to be automatically created; and

sending the electronic mail to the plurality of recipients.