Modeling User-Initiated Requests and Status Updates Within an Email Message

• US 20080263162A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Qian, William, Pekic, Zoltan, Staiman, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/941,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263162A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 modeling a user-initiated request to a business process application as an email form. It is often necessary for individuals to communicate, or exchange information, with a business application. Inefficiencies and delays arise where individuals are required to work within the context of the business application to accomplish desired actions or to determine the status of a requested action. By allowing a user to request an action from a business application using an email form, such inefficiencies and delays are minimized, if not eliminated altogether. A user may therefore initiate a request to a business application by working within the familiar and readily-available UI of the user'"'"'s general-purpose email client and may receive status updates regarding such a request with the same UI of the original request.

Claims

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

displaying a control in the electronic mail (email) user interface to formulate a request for an action by the business process application;

displaying in electronic form the message composer view associated with the request;

providing for the input of information in the message request; and

providing for the transmittal of the message request from the user to the business process application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the email message containing the request is first transmitted to the email client'"'"'s mailbox.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

monitoring the business application'"'"'s email box to determine if a new message is present; and

if a new message is present, processing the request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a data structure for communicating with the desired business process application accompanies the request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein processing the request involves extracting and interpreting the data from the data structure accompanying the request.

6. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising:

including encrypted data in the data structure.

7. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising:

using rights management technology to preserve the confidentiality of the request.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising sending a status update relating to the request as an email from the business application to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising providing a status update regarding the processing of a request in the UI of the original request item viewed by the user in the email client.

10. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving by the business process application a user'"'"'s request to take an action;

authenticating the user; and

if the user is authenticated, processing the request.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

requesting the necessary authorization related to the request;

receiving authorization for the user to take the requested action; and

executing the requested action.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

if no authorization is received, sending a notice of rejection to the user in the UI of the email form of the request.

13. The method of claim 11, the method comprising:

upon processing the request, sending an update to the user by electronic mail (email) to indicate a change in the status of the request, including one or more of the following;

approved, rejected, canceled, and pending; and

displaying the change in the status of the request to the user through one or more of the following;

the email client and the email client add-in.

14. A system for enabling a user to initiate a request for action to a business process application from a general-purpose email client, comprising:

a display module for displaying a control in the electronic mail (email) user interface to formulate a request for an action by the business process application;

an input module and display module for allowing a user to complete the necessary information in the message request; and

an executing module for sending the message request from the user to the business process application.

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

a detection module for monitoring the business application'"'"'s email box to determine if a new message is present; and

if a new message is present, processing the request.

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

an email client or email client add-in for displaying user interface controls to the user based on the email message request type initiated by the user.

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

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

recording the user'"'"'s request, determining the address of the necessary business process application to which to send the user'"'"'s request, sending the user'"'"'s request to the business application, and sending a status update from the business process application to the user using the UI of the email client of the request.

18. A computer storage medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of enabling a user to initiate a request for action to a business process application from a general-purpose email client, comprising:

displaying a control in the electronic mail (email) user interface to formulate a request for an action by the business process application;

receiving in electronic form the message composer view associated with the request;

displaying information for allowing a user to complete the necessary information in the message request; and

sending the message request from the user to the business process application.

19. The computer storage medium as defined in claim 18, wherein an email client add-in is integrated into the email client for performing one or more of the following:

displaying user interface controls and recording the user'"'"'s request to the business process application.

20. The computer storage medium as defined in claim 18, wherein a status update is provided to the user using the UI of the email client used to formulate the request.