Prioritizing Electronic Messages Based upon Geographical Location of the Recipient

• US 20100121925A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patel, Heena, Champlin-Scharff, George H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of sorting electronic messages can include, for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, determining availability of a sender of each electronic message and determining an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message. The method further can include displaying the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of sorting electronic messages, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, determining availability of a sender of each electronic message;

determining an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message; and

displaying the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message comprises determining a time zone for each sender.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message comprises determining a location for each sender in relation to a location of a user of the electronic messaging client.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message comprises:

determining an availability time range for each sender;

determining a time differential between the sender of each electronic message and a user of the electronic messaging client; and

determining whether each sender is available according to a current local time for the user of the electronic messaging client and the time differential and the availability time range for each sender.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message comprises determining availability from a directory of profiles of senders.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message comprises determining availability of each sender according to, at least in part, an identifier within an electronic address of each sender of the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises determining availability of each sender according to presence information for each sender from an instant messaging system.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically reordering the electronic messages over time according to changing sender availability; and

displaying the electronic messages within the view of the electronic messaging client in an order specified by the automatic reordering.

9. A system for system sorting electronic messages comprising:

an electronic messaging client that, for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, determines availability of a sender of each electronic message, determines an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message, and displays the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messaging client determines availability according to a time zone for each sender.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messaging client determines availability according to a location for each sender in relation to a location of a user of the electronic messaging client.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messaging client determines availability by determining an availability time range for each sender, determining a time differential between the sender of each electronic message and a user of the electronic messaging client, and determining whether each sender is available according to a current local time for the user of the electronic messaging client and the time differential and the availability time range for each sender.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messaging client determines availability of a sender of each electronic message by determining availability from a directory of profiles of senders.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messaging client determines availability of a sender of each electronic message by determining availability of each sender according to, at least in part, an identifier within an electronic address of each sender of an electronic message within the electronic messaging client.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messaging client determines availability of each sender by determining availability according to presence information for each sender from an instant messaging system.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messaging client automatically reorders the electronic messages over time according to changing sender availability and displays the electronic messages within the view of the electronic messaging client in an order specified by the automatic reordering.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium comprising computer-usable program code that sorts electronic messages, the computer-usable medium comprising;

computer-usable program code that, for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, determines availability of a sender of each electronic message;

computer-usable program code that determines an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message; and

computer-usable program code that displays the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-usable program code that determines availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises:

computer-usable program code that determines an availability time range for each sender;

computer-usable program code that determines a time differential between the sender of each electronic message and a user of the electronic messaging client; and

computer-usable program code that determines whether each sender is available according to a current local time for the user of the electronic messaging client and the time differential and the availability time range for each sender.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-usable program code that determines availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises computer-usable program code that determines whether each sender is available according to presence information from an instant messaging system.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that automatically reorders the electronic messages over time according to changing sender availability; and

computer-usable program code that displays the electronic messages within the view of the electronic messaging client in an order specified by the automatic reordering.