Method and Apparatus for Aggregating E-Mail Reply Data

• US 20100138499A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc, Belz, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/327,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138499A1
• 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 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

A method is disclosed comprising sending an original e-mail message to a plurality of recipients, and receiving a plurality of received e-mails. For each of the plurality of received e-mails, the method includes determining if each received e-mail is a reply to the original e-mail message, and extracting data from each received e-mail that is a reply to the original e-mail message. The extracted data is aggregated to form aggregated data, and information relating to the aggregated data is displayed. The information may be displayed on a computer monitor along with the original e-mail message.

Claims

1. A method comprising

sending a first original e-mail message to a plurality of recipients;

receiving a plurality of received e-mails;

for each of the plurality of received e-mails, determining if each received e-mail is a reply to the first original e-mail message;

extracting data from each received e-mail that is a reply to the first original e-mail message, wherein each received e-mail includes transmission content and body content, and wherein the step of extracting eliminates some of the body content information;

aggregating the extracted data to form aggregated data; and

displaying information relating to the aggregated data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying the information on a computer monitor along with the first original e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is a summary of the aggregated data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

inserting the information into an aggregate e-mail message;

and

sending the aggregate e-mail message via a data network to a specific recipient.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein

wherein the first original e-mail message is sent from an original e-mail address;

and

wherein the aggregate e-mail message is sent to the original e-mail address.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

the step of aggregating is performed by an e-mail server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

the step of aggregating is performed by an e-mail client computer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying the information within the original e-mail message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein

the aggregated data includes at least one number which indicates how many recipients have responded.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein

the number indicates the percentage of recipients who have responded.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein

the aggregated data includes at least one number which indicates how many recipients have provided a specific type of response.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein

the number indicates the percentage of recipients who have provided a specific type of response.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein

the aggregated data includes information specifying which recipients have not responded to the original e-mail message.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising

in response to selection of a first followup flag, saving information related to the first original e-mail message in a to do list located in computer memory, and saving information related to reply e-mail messages to the first original e-mail message in the to do list;

and

in response to selection of a second followup flag, saving information related to a second original e-mail message into the do list, and saving information related to reply e-mail messages to the second original e-mail message in the to do list.

15. An apparatus comprising

means for sending a first original e-mail message to a plurality of recipients;

means for receiving a plurality of received e-mails;

means for determining if each received e-mail is a reply to the first original e-mail message;

means for extracting data from each received e-mail that is a reply to the first original e-mail message, wherein each received e-mail includes transmission content and body content, and wherein the means for extracting eliminates some of the body content information;

means for aggregating the extracted data to form aggregated data; and

means for displaying information relating to the aggregated data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the means for displaying information relating to the aggregated data comprises means for displaying the aggregated data along with the first original e-mail message.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the information is a summary of the aggregated data.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising

means for inserting the information into an aggregate e-mail message;

and

means for sending the aggregate e-mail message out onto the internet via a data network to a specific recipient.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein

the means for sending the first original e-mail message comprises means for sending the first original e-mail message from an original e-mail address;

and

the means for sending the aggregate e-mail message comprises means for sending the aggregate e-mail message to the original e-mail address.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the means for aggregating includes an e-mail server.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the means for aggregating includes an e-mail client computer.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the means for displaying information related to the aggregated data comprises means for displaying the aggregated data within the original e-mail message.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the aggregated data includes at least one number which indicates how many recipients have responded.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein

the number indicates the percentage of recipients who have responded.

25. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the aggregated data includes at least one number which indicates how many recipients have provided a specific type of response.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein

the number indicates the percentage of recipients who have provided a specific type of response.

27. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein

the aggregated data includes information specifying which recipients have not responded to the original e-mail message.

28. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising

means for saving information related to the first original e-mail message in a to do list and saving information related to reply e-mail messages to the first original e-mail message in the to do list in response to selection of a first followup flag;

and

means for saving information related to a second original e-mail message in the to do list, and saving information related to reply e-mail messages to the second original e-mail message in the to do list in response to selection of a second followup flag.

29. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform the steps of:

sending a first original e-mail message to a plurality of recipients;

receiving a plurality of received e-mails;

for each of the plurality of received e-mails, determining if each received e-mail is a reply to the first original e-mail message;

extracting data from each received e-mail that is a reply to the first original e-mail message, wherein each received e-mail includes transmission content and body content, and wherein the step of extracting eliminates some of the body content information;

aggregating the extracted data to form aggregated data; and

displaying information relating to the aggregated data.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein

the information is a summary of the aggregated data.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor, perform the further steps of:

inserting the information into an aggregate e-mail message; and

sending the aggregate e-mail message via a data network to a specific recipient.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein

the aggregated data includes at least one number which indicates how many recipients have responded.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein

the aggregated data includes at least one number which indicates how many recipients have provided a specific type of response.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein

the aggregated data includes information specifying which recipients have not responded to the original e-mail message.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor, perform the further steps of:

in response to selection of a first followup flag, saving information related to the first original e-mail message in a to do list located in computer memory, and saving information related to reply e-mail messages to the first original e-mail message in the to do list; and

in response to selection of a second followup flag, saving information related to a second original e-mail message into the do list, and saving information related to reply e-mail messages to the second original e-mail message in the to do list.