Human Interaction With Application From Email Client

• US 20080189622A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pekic, Zoltan, Staiman, Jeff, Sanchez, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methods for providing human interaction with a business application from an email client. To complete a business process, individuals often must provide information to a business application. However, it may be difficult for the individual to interact with the application if the user is not familiar with the application'"'"'s user interface (UI) or if it is necessary to navigate to the application'"'"'s UI. Accordingly, it may be more efficient to interact with the application using a UI within an email client. User input for an automated business process can be submitted from a general-purpose email client. Benefits from such include providing input to a business application while working within the familiar email interface; not needing to switch contexts to complete work for the application; and completing work for the application while being offline or having limited corporate network connectivity.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to interact with a business process application from a general-purpose email client, the method comprising:

sending an electronic mail (email) message from the business process application to the email client, wherein the email message contains a request for user input;

displaying user interface controls to allow the user to specify a response;

recording the user'"'"'s response to the email message request, wherein the user responds by one of the following;

responding within the user interface of the email client and using the native application user interface; and

sending the user'"'"'s response to the application from the email client for completing predetermined tasks according to the user'"'"'s response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response is correlated with an associated business workflow for a business process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the response determines a course of action for the associated business flow.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an add-in performs one or more of the following:

recording a selection in response to the email message from the business application, presenting UI controls appropriate to the request, recording the user'"'"'s response, and sending the message to the business process application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the add-in is integrated into the email client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the email message comprises decision-making information and a process identification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the email message specifies an endpoint for the user'"'"'s response.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the process identification correlates the user'"'"'s response and the instance of an automated business process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface controls are made available to the user that correspond to the responses acceptable to the business process application;

and

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the address to which to send the user'"'"'s response is determined based on characteristics of the message received.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the address to send the user'"'"'s response is determined based on the user'"'"'s response to the message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface controls are disabled for actions that do not contribute to the completion of the business process.

13. A system for enabling a user to interact with a business process application from a general-purpose email client, comprising:

a first transmittal module for sending an email message from the business process application to an email client, wherein the email message contains a request for user input and contextual information;

a display module for displaying user interface controls to allow the user to specify a response to the email message request;

a processing module for recording the user'"'"'s response to the email message request, wherein the user'"'"'s response occurs within the user interface of the email client; and

a second transmittal module for sending the user'"'"'s response to the application from the email client for completing predetermined tasks according to the user'"'"'s response.

14. A system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a recording module providing alternative methods for recording the user'"'"'s response to the email message request.

15. A system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a processing module for determining a course of action for an associated business workflow based on the user'"'"'s response.

16. A system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

an email client or email client add-in module for displaying user interface controls to the user based on the email message request type which correspond to actions which are meaningful to the business process application.

17. A system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

an email client or email client add-in for performing one or more of the following;

recording a selection in response to the email message request and sending the user'"'"'s response back to the business application.

18. A system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a processing module for associating a process identification with an email message request and response, wherein the process identification correlates the user'"'"'s response and the instance of an automated business process.

19. A computer-readable medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of enabling a user to interact with a business process application from a general-purpose email client, comprising:

sending an email message request from the business process application to an email client, wherein the email message contains a request for user input;

displaying user interface controls to enable the user to specify a response from within the context of the email client;

recording the user'"'"'s response to the email message request, wherein the user'"'"'s response occurs within the user interface of the email client; and

sending the user'"'"'s response to the business process application from the email client for completing associated workflows according to the user'"'"'s response.

20. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein an email client add-in is integrated into the email client for displaying user interface controls and recording the user'"'"'s response to the email message request.