TECHNIQUES TO MANAGE AND DISPLAY RELATED COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20100162132A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Saha, Sutirtha, Bapu, Kaladhar, Vankamamidi, Sandhya, Gupta, Abhishek K.
• Application Number:
  US12/342,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Techniques to manage and display related communications are described. A system may comprise a communication management tool (CMT) operative on a computer, the CMT comprising a threading component operative to associate a plurality of communications from a plurality of communication types with a conversation thread, and a display component operative to display communications in a conversation thread as a conversation view. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing communications received from a plurality of communication types via a communication management tool (CMT);

creating a thread among the communications; and

displaying the communications in the thread as a conversation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a communication comprises at least one of:

an email message, an instant message, a telephone call, a voicemail message, a fax, a text message, a chat message, a task, an appointment, or a webinar comment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new communication;

identifying a thread related to the new communication; and

associating the new communication with the related thread.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a thread for the new communication using at least one of;

a conversation index, a message ID, an in-reply-to field, a sender, a recipient, an email address, a telephone number, or a user selection of a thread.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a communication with an icon representing a communication type.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a communication with a directionality indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a communication to reply to in a thread;

prompting a selection of a communication type to use for the reply;

saving the reply according to the selected communication type as a communication; and

associating the reply communication with the thread.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the CMT is a customer relationship management application.

9. A computer implemented system, comprising:

a communication management tool (CMT) operative on a computer, the CMT comprising;

a threading component operative to associate a plurality of communications from a plurality of communication types with a conversation thread; and

a display component operative to display communications in a conversation thread as a conversation view.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a communication comprises at least one of:

a conversation index, a message ID, an in-reply-to field, a sender, a recipient, an email address, or a telephone number.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a communication type comprises at least one of:

email, an instant message, a telephone call, a voicemail message, a fax, a text message, a chat message, a task, an appointment, or a webinar comment.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the threading component is further operative to receive a new communication;

identify if a conversation thread exists for the new communication;

create a new conversation thread when no conversation thread exists for the new communication; and

associate the new communication with an existing conversation thread.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the display component is further operative to at least one of:

display a communication with an icon representing a communication type;

or display a communication with a directionality indicator.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the CMT is a customer relationship management application.

15. An article comprising a storage medium comprising instructions that if executed enable a system to:

store communications received from a plurality of communication types;

create a thread among the communications; and

display the communications in the thread as a conversation.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein a communication comprises at least one of:

an email message, an instant message, a telephone call, a voicemail message, a fax, a text message, a chat message, a task, an appointment, or a webinar comment.

17. The article of claim 15, the medium further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

receive a new communication;

identify a thread related to the new communication; and

associate the new communication with the related thread.

18. The article of claim 17, the medium further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

identify a thread for the new communication using at least one of;

a conversation index, a message ID, an in-reply-to field, a sender, a recipient, an email address, a telephone number, or a user selection of a thread.

19. The article of claim 15, the medium further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to at least one of:

display a communication with an icon representing a communication type;

or

display a communication with a directionality indicator.

20. The article of claim 15, the medium further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

receive a selection of a communication to reply to in a thread;

prompt a selection of a communication type to use for the reply;

save the reply according to the selected communication type as a communication; and

associate the reply communication with the thread.