Second Person Review of E-Mail

• US 20110106903A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John C. Lowe
• Original Assignee: John C. Lowe
• Inventors: Lowe, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An email review tool gives users a simple, quick, and safe method of initiating review of an email document. The email review tool may provide a window to a user which allows the user to select another person to review the email or skip the review process and send the email directly to the recipients. Transmission of the email is thus deferred until the email has been reviewed.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. An email review tool comprising:

a first graphical window presented to an email sender when the email sender attempts to send an email document to an addressee, the first graphical window informing the email sender that the email document should be reviewed by a second person before the email document is sent to the addressee, the first graphical window additionally including;

a reviewer field configured to receive information identifying a reviewer of the email document,

a skip review option through which the email sender directs that a second person review should be skipped and the email document transmitted to the addressee, and

a send for review option through which the email sender transmits the email document to the reviewer identified in the reviewer field.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first graphical window further includes:

an option to return the email sender to an email editing program.

16. The email review tool of claim 14, wherein the first graphical window further includes:

an author field configured to receive authorship information from the email sender.

17. The email review tool of claim 14, wherein the first graphical window further includes:

a priority field configured to receive priority information relating to an urgency of the second person review of the email document.

18. The email review tool of claim 14, wherein the first graphical window further includes:

a comment field configured to receive comments from the email sender relating to the second person review of the email document.

19. The email review tool of claim 14, further comprising:

a second graphical window presented to the reviewer of the email document, the second graphical window configured to allow the reviewer to view the email document and edit the email document, the second graphical window additionally including a review complete option through which the reviewer indicates that the second person review is complete.

20. A method comprising:

displaying a graphical window to a user of an email program when the user selects a send option of the email program, the graphical window including

a review field configured to receive information identifying at least one reviewer of an email document,

a skip review option through which the user directs that a second person review of the email document should be skipped and the email document transmitted to an addressee of the email document, and

a send for review option through which the user initiates transmission of the email document to the reviewer identified in the review field.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the graphical window further includes:

an author field configured to receive authorship information from the user.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the graphical window further includes:

a priority field configured to receive priority information relating to the second person review of the email document.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the graphical window further includes:

a comment field configured to receive comments from the user relating to the second person review of the email document.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein a subject line of the email document received by the reviewer includes a standard textual identifier that is used to identify the email document received by the reviewer as an email requesting second person review.

25. A computer-readable medium containing programming instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to implement a method comprising:

displaying a graphical window to a user of an email program, the graphical window including

a review field configured to receive information identifying at least one reviewer of an email document,

a comments field in which the user enters a message to the reviewer identified in the review field, and

a send for review option through which the user initiates transmission of the email document to the reviewer identified in the review field.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the graphical window further includes:

a skip review option through which the user directs that a second person review of the email document should be skipped and the email document transmitted to an addressee of the email document.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the graphical window is displayed to the user when the user selects a send option of the email program.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the graphical window further includes:

an author field configured to receive authorship information from the user.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the graphical window further includes:

a priority field configured to receive priority information relating to the second person review of the email document.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein a subject line of the email document received by the reviewer includes a standard textual identifier that is used to identify the email document received by the reviewer as an email requiring second person review.

31-36. -36. (canceled)