EMAIL ATTACHMENT HELPER

• US 20130232205A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gorecha, Saurabh, Baskaran, Arjun
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computing device receives instructions, from a user, to send an email message and determines if the email message includes an attachment. When the email message does not include an attachment, the computing device conducts a scan of text of the email message for implications that an attachment should be included. When the email message includes an attachment, the computing device conducts a scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment. The computing device provides, to the user, a notification when there is a positive result from the scan of the email text for implications that an attachment should be included or from the scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more computing devices, comprising:

receiving instructions, from a user, to send an email message;

determining if the email message includes an attachment;

conducting a scan of text of the email message for implications that an attachment should be included when the email message does not include an attachment;

conducting a scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment when the email message includes an attachment; and

provide, to the user, a notification when there is a positive result from the scan of the email text for implications that an attachment should be included or from the scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

holding the email message when there is a positive result from the scan of the email text for implications that an attachment should be included or from the scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes an option for user input to release the email message or cancel sending the email message, and wherein the method further comprises:

sending the email message when the user provides input to release the email message; and

return to an email editing screen when the user provides input to cancel sending the email message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by an email client application residing on a user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a webmail client residing on a network device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the type of attachment when the email message includes an attachment, wherein conducting a scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment includes comparing keywords in the email text to a file extension for the attachment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining configuration settings for an email attachment helper application.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the configuration settings include user configurable keywords.

9. A device, comprising:

one or more memories to store a plurality of instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute instructions in the one or more memories to;

store, in the memory, configuration settings for an email attachment helper application,

receive, from a user, instructions to send an email message,

determine if the email message includes an attachment,

conduct, based on the configuration settings, a scan of text of the email message for an implication that an attachment should be included when the email message does not include an attachment,

conduct, based on the configuration settings, a scan of the email text for an implication of a particular type of attachment when the email message includes an attachment,

holding the email message when there is a positive result from the scan of the email text for implications that an attachment should be included or for implications that a particular type of attachment should be included, and

present, to the user, a notification when there is a positive result from the scan of the email text for implications that an attachment should be included or for implications that a particular type of attachment should be included.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a user interface to solicit configuration settings for the email attachment helper application.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the notification includes an option for user input to release the email message or cancel sending the email message.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the device includes one of:

a tablet computer,

a smart phone,

a personal communications system (PCS) terminal,

a wireless device,

a laptop computer,

a portable gaming system,

a music-playing device

a personal computer, or

a set-top box.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the device includes an application server including a webmail interface.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect the type of attachment when the email message includes an attachment, wherein conducting a scan of the email text for implications of a particular type of attachment includes comparing keywords in the email text to a file extension for the attachment.

15. A method performed by one or more network devices, comprising:

receiving an outgoing email message from a sender email account;

determining if an attachment scanning feature is active for the sender email account;

determining that the outgoing email message does not includes an attachment;

conducting a scan of the text of the outgoing email message for an indication of an intended attachment;

holding the outgoing email message when the scan of the text indicates an intended attachment; and

sending, to the sender, a confirmation request when the scan of the text indicates an intended attachment.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, from the sender and in response to the confirmation request, a confirmation message to release the email message; and

sending the email message in response to the confirmation message.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, from the sender and in response to the confirmation request, a cancel message to stop sending the email message; and

not sending the email message in response to the cancel message.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the confirmation request includes one or more of:

a Short Message Service (SMS) message,

an instant message (IM),

a mobile IM (MIM), or

an email message.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating the confirmation request that includes identification of the outgoing email message, instructions for responding to the confirmation request, and a user input section to automatically generate a response to the confirmation request based on a user selection.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more network devices include a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail server.