EMAIL ANNOTATION

• US 20090125597A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beynon, Margaret A., Carr, Hollie, Jones, Gareth E., Whitehead, Matthew R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A method of creating an annotation to an email. The method includes: receiving an email; receiving a predefined user input; creating an annotation in response to the predefined user input, the annotation linked to the email; receiving a further user input; and defining a permission for the annotation according to the further user input, the permission defining user access to the annotation. When transmitting a second email as a response to the received email, the second email is linked to the annotation. The method further includes displaying at least a part of the annotation linked to the received email, for example when a user hovers over the email. The structure of the annotations allows the associating of the annotation with one or more further annotations.

Claims

1. A method of creating an annotation to an email, comprising:

receiving an email;

receiving a predefined user input;

creating an annotation in response to the predefined user input, the annotation linked to the email;

receiving a further user input; and

defining a permission for the annotation according to the further user input, the permission defining user access to the annotation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second email as a response to the received email; and

linking the second email to the annotation.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least a part of the annotation linked to the received email.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

associating the annotation with at least one additional annotation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a permission defines user access for a specific user to only a portion of the annotation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predefined user input includes reference to a section of the email, and when creating the annotation in response to the predefined user input, the annotation is linked to the section within the email.

7. A system for creating an annotation to an email, comprising:

an email manager for receiving an email;

an email user interface for receiving a predefined user input and a further user input;

an annotation manager for creating an annotation in response to the predefined user input, the annotation linked to the email; and

a permissions manager for defining a permission for the annotation according to the further user input, the permission defining user access to the annotation.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the email manager is arranged to transmit a second email as a response to the received email, and the annotation manager is arranged to link the second email to the annotation.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the user interface is arranged to display at least a part of the annotation linked to the received email.

10. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

an association manager arranged to associate the annotation with one or more further annotations.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein a permission defines user access for a specific user to only a portion of the annotation.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the predefined user input includes reference to a section of the email, and the annotation manager is arranged, when creating the annotation in response to the predefined user input, to link the annotation to the section within the email.

13. A computer program product on a computer readable medium, which when executed, creates an annotation to an email, the program product comprising instructions for:

receiving an email;

receiving a predefined user input;

creating an annotation in response to the predefined user input, the annotation linked to the email;

receiving a further user input; and

defining a permission for the annotation according to the further user input, the permission defining user access to the annotation.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

transmitting a second email as a response to the received email, and for linking the second email to the annotation.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

displaying at least a part of the annotation linked to the received email.

16. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

associating the annotation with one or more further annotations.

17. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein a permission defines user access for a specific user to only a portion of the annotation.

18. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the predefined user input includes reference to a section of the email, and when creating the annotation in response to the predefined user input, the annotation is linked to the section within the email.