Control E-Mail Download Through Instructional Requests

• US 20110161426A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nesbitt, Pamela A., DeLuca, Lisa Seacat
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,558 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 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

Method, system and computer program product for requesting e-mail messages. Download instructions for sending e-mail messages from an e-mail message database storing a plurality of e-mail messages to an e-mail client are received at an e-mail messaging system, the plurality of e-mail messages having accumulated due to inattention by a user. The e-mail messaging system sends e-mail messages from the e-mail message database to the e-mail client in accordance with the download instructions.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for requesting e-mail messages, comprising:

receiving, by an e-mail messaging system, download instructions for sending e-mail messages from an e-mail message database storing a plurality of e-mail messages to an e-mail client; and

the e-mail messaging system sending e-mail messages from the e-mail message database to the e-mail client in accordance with the download instructions, wherein the download instructions specify a priority order in which the e-mail messages are to be sent from the e-mail message database to the e-mail client.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download instructions are received from a user.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download instructions are received from the e-mail client.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download instructions further specify a number of the e-mail messages to be sent to the e-mail client at a time.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download instructions further specify one of e-mail messages to be sent to the e-mail client and e-mail messages not to be sent to the e-mail client.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the download instructions further specify one of e-mail messages to be sent from certain parties only and e-mail messages not to be sent from certain parties.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the priority comprises one of a priority based on historical factors, a priority based on an organizational structure, a priority based on a specified priority of the e-mail messages, or a priority based on one or more keywords in a subject line of the e-mail messages.

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

storing the e-mail messages in the e-mail message database.

9. A computer program product in a computer usable storage device for requesting e-mail messages, the computer program product having computer usable program code for:

receiving, by an e-mail messaging system, download instructions for sending e-mail messages from an e-mail message database storing a plurality of e-mail messages to an e-mail client; and

the e-mail messaging system sending e-mail messages from the e-mail message database to the e-mail client in accordance with the download instructions, wherein the download instructions specify a priority order in which the e-mail messages are to be sent from the e-mail message database to the e-mail client.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the download instructions are received from a user.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the download instructions are received from the e-mail client.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the download instructions further specify a number of the e-mail messages to be sent to the e-mail client at a time.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the download instructions further specify one of e-mail messages to be sent to the e-mail client and e-mail messages not to be sent to the e-mail client.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the download instructions further specify one of e-mail messages to be sent from certain parties only and e-mail messages not to be sent from certain parties.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the priority comprises one of a priority based on historical factors, a priority based on an organizational structure, a priority based on a specified priority of the e-mail messages, or a priority based on one or more keywords in a subject line of the e-mail messages.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing instructions, and

at least one processing unit for executing the instructions for preserving e-mail messages, the at least one processing unit executing the instructions to;

receive, by an e-mail messaging system, download instructions for sending e-mail messages from an e-mail message database storing a plurality of e-mail messages to an e-mail client; and

the e-mail messaging system send e-mail messages from the e-mail message database to the e-mail client in accordance with the download instructions, wherein the download instructions specify a priority order in which the e-mail messages are to be sent from the e-mail message database to the e-mail client.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the download instructions are received from one of a user or the e-mail client.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the download instructions further specify one of a number of the e-mail messages to be sent to the e-mail client at a time, e-mail messages to be sent to the e-mail client, and e-mail messages not to be sent to the e-mail client.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the download instructions further specify one of e-mail messages to be sent from certain parties only and e-mail messages not to be sent from certain parties.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the priority comprises one of a priority based on historical factors, a priority based on an organizational structure, a priority based on a specified priority of the e-mail messages, or a priority based on one or more keywords in a subject line of the e-mail messages.