Electronic mail delay adaptation

• US 20090055502A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Agarwal, Sharad, Mukherjee, Rajatish, Padmanabhan, Venkata N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit

Abstract

A electronic communication system that can detect and adapt to delays in delivery of e-mail messages. The system may adapt to delays by using mechanisms other than the initially intended path to convey the information intended for delivery by e-mail. A possible adaptation is reprioritization of an e-mail message that is found to be experiencing a delay.

Claims

1. A method of communicating electronically, the method comprising:

sending information in an electronic mail message via an electronic mail system from a sender to a recipient over a path;

sending a notification to the recipient, the notification being separate from the electronic mail message and corresponding to the electronic mail message;

providing an indication of the electronic mail message to the recipient prior to the electronic mail message being received by the recipient, the indication being based at least in part on the notification; and

in response to the indication, communicating to a device in the path a request to change a delivery priority of the electronic mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

selecting the notification from a queue of notifications awaiting corresponding electronic mail messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes information that relates to a subject of the corresponding electronic mail message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein communicating to the device comprises requesting to an e-mail server to reorder electronic mail messages on a queue of the electronic mail message server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic mail server is a server of the sender.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein reordering the electronic mail messages comprises reordering the electronic mail message with respect to other electronic mail messages that are addressed to the recipient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein reordering the electronic mail messages comprises reordering the electronic mail message with respect to other electronic mail messages that are resident on the queue of the electronic mail message server.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable signals stored thereon that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, control the computer to perform a method of communicating electronically, the method comprising:

sending information in an electronic mail message via an electronic mail system from a sender to a recipient over a path;

sending a notification to the recipient, the notification being separate from the electronic mail message and corresponding to the electronic mail message;

providing an indication of the electronic mail message to the recipient prior to the electronic mail message being received by the recipient, the indication being based at least in part on the notification; and

in response to the input from the recipient, communicating to an email server a request to change a delivery priority of the electronic mail message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein communication to an email server comprises selecting the notification from a queue of notifications awaiting corresponding electronic mail messages.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification includes information that relates to a subject of the corresponding electronic mail message.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein communicating to an email server comprises requesting a reordering of electronic mail messages on a queue of an electronic mail message server on at least a portion of the path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic mail server is a server of the recipient.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein reordering the electronic mail messages comprises reordering the electronic mail message with respect to other electronic mail messages that are to be received by the recipient.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein reordering the electronic mail messages comprises reordering the electronic mail message with respect to other electronic mail messages that are resident on the queue of the electronic mail message server.

15. A method of operating an electronic mail message server, the method comprising:

receiving a reprioritization request that identifies an electronic mail message;

identifying the electronic mail message, the electronic mail message having a priority that is lower relative to the priority of at least one other electronic mail message;

prioritizing the electronic mail message relative to the at least one other electronic mail messages on the server;

delivering the electronic mail message prior to sending at least one other electronic mail message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein reordering comprises removing the electronic mail message from a queue.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein reordering comprises moving the electronic mail message to a position of higher priority on a queue.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein moving the electronic mail message to a position of higher priority on the queue comprises moving the electronic mail message relative to other electronic mail messages intended for the recipient.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein moving the electronic mail message to a position of higher priority on the queue comprises moving the electronic mail message relative to any other electronic mail messages that are on the queue.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic mail server is a server of the recipient.