UPLOADING ATTACHMENT TO SHARED LOCATION AND REPLACING WITH A LINK

• US 20120278405A1
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Costenaro, Daniel Paul, Brown, Jedidiah, Meisels, Joshua Adam
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching

Abstract

The size of attachments to an electronic message are examined before the message is sent to determine if the attachments exceed a size threshold. When the size of the attachments exceed the threshold, one or more of the attachments are uploaded to a shared location that is accessible to the recipients of the message. A link replaces each attachment that was uploaded to the shared location. Permissions are automatically set at the shared location such that each of the recipients of the message are able to access the uploaded attachment.

Claims

1. A method for replacing an attachment to an electronic message with a link to the attachment at a shared location, comprising:

detecting an attachment to an electronic message that is addressed to a recipient;

determining a size of the attachment;

determining when the size exceeds a predetermined threshold and when the size exceeds the predetermined threshold;

uploading the attachment to a shared location;

setting permissions for the attachment at the shared location such that the recipient is able to access the attachment;

removing the attachment from the electronic message; and

inserting a link to the attachment at the shared location; and

sending the electronic message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically downloading the attachment before the electronic message is displayed by the recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the shared location based on a type of the attachment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the shared location based on the type of the attachment comprises setting the shared location to at least one of:

a first shared location when the type of attachment is a picture;

a second shared location when the type of attachment is a word processing document; and

a third shared location when the type of attachment is a video.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared location is selected based on one or more shared locations received from a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user interface option within the electronic message that when selected automatically uploads the attachment to the shared location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is user configurable.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical menu within the electronic message that comprises an option for sending a link to the attachment in place of the attachment and an option for managing permissions of the attachment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the permissions for the attachment at the shared location such that the recipient is able to access the attachment comprises determining each recipient of the message and setting a default set of permissions for each of the recipients.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for replacing an attachment to an electronic message with a link to the attachment at a shared location, comprising:

detecting an attachment to an electronic message that is addressed to a recipient;

determining a size of the attachment;

determining when the size exceeds a predetermined threshold and when the size exceeds the predetermined threshold;

uploading the attachment to a shared location that is associated with an online service;

automatically setting permissions for the attachment at the shared location such that the recipient is able to access the attachment;

removing the attachment from the electronic message; and

inserting a link to the attachment at the shared location; and

sending the electronic message.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising automatically downloading the attachment and removing the link from the electronic message before the electronic message is displayed by the recipient.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising determining the shared location based on a type of the attachment.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein determining the shared location based on the type of the attachment comprises setting the shared location to at least one of:

a first shared location when the type of attachment is a picture;

a second shared location when the type of attachment is a word processing document; and

a third shared location when the type of attachment is a video.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying a graphical menu within the electronic message that comprises an option for sending a link to the attachment in place of the attachment and an option for managing permissions of the attachment.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein setting the permissions for the attachment at the shared location such that the recipient is able to access the attachment comprises determining each recipient of the message and setting a default set of permissions for each of the recipients.

16. A system for replacing an attachment to an electronic message with a link to the attachment at a shared location, comprising:

a network connection that is configured to connect to a network;

a processor, memory, and a computer-readable storage medium;

an operating environment stored on the computer-readable storage medium and executing on the processor;

a messaging application; and

an attachment manager operating in conjunction with the messaging application that is configured to perform actions comprising;

detecting an attachment to an electronic message that is addressed to a recipient;

determining a size of the attachment;

determining when the size exceeds a predetermined threshold and when the size exceeds the predetermined threshold;

uploading the attachment to a shared location that is associated with an online service;

automatically setting permissions for the attachment at the shared location such that the recipient is able to access the attachment;

removing the attachment from the electronic message; and

inserting a link to the attachment at the shared location; and

sending the electronic message.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising automatically downloading the attachment and removing the link from the electronic message before the electronic message is displayed by the recipient.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising determining the shared location based on a type of the attachment.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the shared location is based on determining a type of the attachment that is at least one of:

a first shared location when the type of attachment is a picture;

a second shared location when the type of attachment is a word processing document; and

a third shared location when the type of attachment is a video.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising displaying a graphical menu within the electronic message that comprises an option for sending a link to the attachment in place of the attachment and an option for managing permissions of the attachment.