SELECTION OF EMAIL ATTACHMENT STORAGE LOCATION

• US 20100306330A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: PHILLIPS, CHRISTOPHER, FRIEDMAN, JULIAN L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,269 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 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

When an email server has a message from a sender to multiple recipients with an attachment file, an attachment application is activated. The attachment application stores preferences of email users for online storage locations. The method carried out extracts details of an email sender and recipients for the email message to be sent with an attachment file and compares the email sender and recipients with the stored preferences for online storage locations to select a common online storage location for the sender and recipients. A directory is created at the common online storage location for uploading the attachment file to the selected online storage location and the address of the attachment file at the selected online storage location is added to the email message. If a common online storage location is not available, a new account can be generated for the recipients at an online storage location.

Claims

1. A method for selection of an email attachment storage location, comprising:

storing preferences of email users for online storage locations;

extracting details of an email sender and recipients for an email message to be sent with an attachment file;

comparing the email sender and recipients with the stored preferences for online storage locations to select a common online storage location for the sender and recipients;

uploading the attachment file to the selected online storage location; and

adding an address of the attachment file at the selected online storage location to the email message.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein storing preferences of email users for online storage locations includes security levels for the online storage locations;

and

wherein comparing the email sender and recipients compares the security levels to ensure a common online storage location has the required security level.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if there is more than one common online storage location, providing the email sender with a choice of online storage locations for selection.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if there are no common online storage locations, the method including:

creating an account at an online storage location for any recipients which do not have an account at the location;

sending the newly created account information to the recipients and using the online storage location as the selected online storage location.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if there are no common online storage locations, the method includes:

creating a directory at a public facing website;

sending the directory information to the recipients; and

using the online storage location as the selected online storage location.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, including generating a randomly selected username and password for the public facing website.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein storing preferences of email users for online storage locations includes storing email users login information for the online storage locations.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an online storage location is provided by a server accessible on a network.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein storing preferences of email users for online storage locations includes a designated storage location for attachments to an email message marked as confidential.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an expiry of an attachment file is set.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code stored on a tangible storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to store preferences of email users for online storage locations;

computer usable program code stored on a tangible storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to extract details of an email sender and recipients for an email message to be sent with an attachment file;

computer usable program code stored on a tangible storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to compare the email sender and recipients with the stored preferences for online storage locations to select a common online storage location for the sender and recipients;

computer usable program code stored on a tangible storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to upload the attachment file to the selected online storage location; and

computer usable program code stored on a tangible storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to add an address of the attachment file at the selected online storage location to the email message.

12. A system for selection of an email attachment storage location in the form of a hardware server, comprising:

a processor;

a data storage for storing preferences of email users for online storage locations;

an extracting module for extracting details of an email sender and recipients for an email message to be sent with an attachment file;

a comparing module for comparing the email sender and recipients with the stored preferences for online storage locations to select a common online storage location for the sender and recipients;

a creating module for creating a directory and uploading the attachment file to the selected online storage location; and

an update module for adding an address of the attachment file at the selected online storage location to the email message.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the system cooperates with an email server and activates when an email message with an attachment file is sent from an email server.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, including a user interface for entering preferences of email users.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the data storage for storing preferences of email users for online storage locations includes security levels for the online storage locations;

and

wherein the comparing module for comparing the email sender and recipients compares the security levels to ensure a common online storage location has the required security level.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12, including an option module for providing selection options to an email application if there is more than one common online storage location.

17. The system as claimed in claim 12, including an account generating module for creating an account at an online storage location for any recipients which do not have an account at the location.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the account generating module includes creating a directory at a public facing website.

19. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the data storage for storing preferences of email users for online storage locations includes a designated storage location for attachments to an email message marked as confidential.

20. The system as claimed in claim 12, including a module for optionally setting an expiry of an attachment file.

21. An apparatus for selection of an email attachment storage location, comprising:

means for storing preferences of email users for online storage locations;

means for extracting details of an email sender and recipients for an email message to be sent with an attachment file;

means for comparing the email sender and recipients with the stored preferences for online storage locations;

means, responsive to the means for comparing, for selecting a common online storage location for the sender and recipients;

means for uploading the attachment file to the selected online storage location; and

means for adding an address of the attachment file at the selected online storage location to the email message.