METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING CELLULAR TELEPHONE SUBSCRIPTION FOR E-MAIL THREADS

• US 20100056187A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Subramanian, Munisamy, Abuelsaad, Tamer E., Gilzean, Candice B., Aymar, Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method, system and computer-usable medium for providing a subscription to an e-mail message thread via a mobile device. A user may subscribe to an e-mail message thread utilizing a mobile device, based on a unique e-mail thread ID associated with the e-mail thread within the e-mail message itself. Updated data regarding the e-mail message thread can then be provided in response to activity associated with the e-mail message thread. The updated data can be provided in the form of, for example, a text message, a text-to-speech voicemail message, and so forth. Additionally, a telephone number associated with the mobile device can be added to a database stored in an e-mail server that manages the e-mail message and the e-mail message thread in order to subscribe to the e-mail message via a mobile device. SMS data associated with the user can also be added to the database. A user is permitted to subscribe or unsubscribe to the e-mail message/thread, in response to a selection of a particular option in the e-mail message itself.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a mobile subscription to an e-mail message thread, comprising:

adding at least one number associated with at least one mobile device as a contact configuration setting to a database stored in an e-mail message server in order to ensure privacy of data associated with said at least one mobile device;

subscribing to a plurality of updates related to an e-mail message thread associated with said e-mail message server, wherein said subscription is tied to a particular identifying feature associated with said e-mail message thread with respect to said e-mail message server; and

sending to said at least one mobile device, said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread via a text message, in order to provide an alert indicative of a receipt of said plurality of updates, thereby providing a determination of the status of said plurality of updates associated with said e-mail message thread.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding SMS data to said contact configuration setting within said database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein subscribing to said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread within said e-mail message associated with said e-mail message server, further comprises:

subscribing to said plurality of updates, in response to a selection of an option button graphically displayed within a user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread via audio data to said at least one mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a reply associated with said plurality of updates from said mobile device to said e-mail message server.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said e-mail message server distributes said reply to users associated with said e-mail message thread.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an option button that when activated, initiates an un-subscription action that prevents further receipt of said plurality of updates.

8. A system for method for establishing a mobile subscription to an e-mail message thread, comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to said processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for;

adding at least one number associated with at least one mobile device as a contact configuration setting to a database stored in an e-mail message server in order to ensure privacy of data associated with said at least one mobile device;

subscribing to a plurality of updates related to an e-mail message thread associated with said e-mail message server, wherein said subscription is tied to a particular identifying feature associated with said e-mail message thread with respect to said e-mail message server; and

sending to said at least one mobile device, said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread via a text message, in order to provide an alert indicative of a receipt of said plurality of updates, thereby providing a determination of the status of said plurality of updates associated with said e-mail message thread.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said instructions are further configured for adding SMS data to said contact configuration setting within said database.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said instructions for subscribing to said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread within said e-mail message associated with said e-mail message server, are further configured for:

subscribing to said plurality of updates, in response to a selection of a graphically displayed option button.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said instructions are further configured for sending said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread via audio data to said at least one mobile device.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said instructions are further configured for sending a reply associated with said plurality of updates from said mobile device to said e-mail message server.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said e-mail message server distributes said reply to users associated with said e-mail message thread.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said instructions are further configured for providing an option button that when activated, initiates an un-subscription action that prevents further receipt of said plurality of updates.

15. A computer-usable medium for method for establishing a mobile subscription to an e-mail message thread, said computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

adding at least one number associated with at least one mobile device as a contact configuration setting to a database stored in an e-mail message server in order to ensure privacy of data associated with said at least one mobile device;

subscribing to a plurality of updates related to an e-mail message thread associated with said e-mail message server, wherein said subscription is tied to a particular identifying feature associated with said e-mail message thread with respect to said e-mail message server; and

sending to said at least one mobile device, said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread via a text message, in order to provide an alert indicative of a receipt of said plurality of updates, thereby providing a determination of the status of said plurality of updates associated with said e-mail message thread.

16. The computer usable medium of claim 15 wherein said embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for adding SMS data to said contact configuration setting within said database.

17. The computer usable medium of claim 15 wherein said embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for subscribing to said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread within said e-mail message associated with said e-mail message server, further comprises:

subscribing to said plurality of updates, in response to a selection of an option button graphically displayed within a user interface.

18. The computer usable medium of claim 15 wherein said embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for sending said plurality of updates related to said e-mail message thread via audio data to said at least one mobile device.

19. The computer usable medium of claim 15 wherein said embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for sending a reply associated with said plurality of updates from said mobile device to said e-mail message server, wherein said e-mail message server distributes said reply to users associated with said e-mail message thread.

20. The computer usable medium of claim 15 wherein said embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for providing an option button that when activated, initiates an un-subscription action that prevents further receipt of said plurality of updates.