MANAGING ELECTRONIC MAIL FOR AN END-USER THAT IS UNAVAILABLE

• US 20140214969A1
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Piccinini, Sandro, Sidoti, Stefano
• Granted Patent: US 9,722,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A first computer sends an electronic message transparently to a second computer of intended recipients of an electronic mail (e-mail), in response to the e-mail addresses of the intended recipients being entered, by a first end-user on the first computer, into a ‘To’ message header field of the e-mail. The second computer sends a Boolean value to the first computer, wherein one of the intended recipients is not available to respond to the e-mail. The first computer queries a repository to return to the first end-user contact information of backup contact entities to respond the e-mail for the intended recipients that are not available to respond to the e-mail. The first computer sends the e-mail to the backup contact entities that are available to respond to the e-mail. The first computer deletes the e-mail from each inbox of the backup contact entities that received but did not read the e-mail before the intended recipients read the e-mail.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a backup contact entity, the method comprising the steps of:

sending an electronic message transparently to a plurality of intended recipients of an electronic mail (e-mail) having metadata, wherein the sending of the electronic message is from a first computer to a second computer in response to e-mail addresses of the plurality of intended recipients being entered, by a first end-user on the first computer, into a ‘

To’

message header field of the e-mail;

sending a Boolean value from program code of the second computer to the first computer, wherein one of the plurality of intended recipients is associated with a configurable profile defining a preferred backup contact entity;

the first computer determining if the one of the plurality of intended recipients is available to respond to the e-mail based on the Boolean value;

the first computer querying a repository to return to the first end-user contact information of one or more backup contact entities to respond to the e-mail for the one of the plurality of intended recipients;

the first computer extracting from the contact information returned, the contact information of the one or more backup contact entities available to respond to the e-mail;

the first computer sending the e-mail to the one or more backup contact entities, and to the preferred backup contact entity if the one of the plurality of intended recipients is not available to respond to the e-mail; and

the first computer deleting the e-mail from each inbox of the backup contact entities and the preferred backup contact entity that received but did not read the e-mail before the one of the plurality of intended recipients read the e-mail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata, in the step of sending the electronic message, comprises the following:

a parameter indicating a ‘

To’

message header field of an e-mail is modified to include the one or more backup contact entities selected by the first end-user, a parameter value for storing contact information of entities to whom the e-mail was subsequently forwarded, parameter values indicating which of the one or more backup contact entities have or have not read the e-mail, a parameter value indicating whether the e-mail has been read by any of the intended recipients, and a list of the intended recipients included in the ‘

To’

message header field prior to the e-mail being modified.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information in the step of querying includes a name, a job title, a phone number, and an e-mail address of each of the one or more backup contact entities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of extracting comprises the first computer sending an additional electronic message to computers of the one or more backup contact entities associated with the contact information to determine which of the one or more backup contact entities are available to respond to the e-mail.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional electronic message is formatted and includes the following information:

an e-mail address of the first end-user, each e-mail address of the plurality of intended recipients, a string value that allows the additional electronic message to be recognized as an acknowledge message, and a randomly generated unique system identifier utilized to prevent a duplicate of the additional electronic message being sent to each of the plurality of intended recipients.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer sending the e-mail comprises:

sending the e-mail to the preferred backup contact entity if no contact information is received from the repository; and

inserting a notification within the e-mail if the preferred backup contact entity is a manager, wherein the notification includes a history of prior attempts to obtain the contact information of one or more backup contact entities to respond to the e-mail.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of deleting the e-mail comprises sending, to computers of each of the one or more backup contact entities that received but have not read the e-mail, an electronic message having program code deleting the e-mail.

8. A computer program product for selecting a backup contact entity, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to send an electronic message transparently to a plurality of intended recipients of an electronic mail (e-mail) having metadata, wherein the program instructions to send the electronic message is from a first computer to a second computer in response to e-mail addresses of the plurality of intended recipients being entered, by a first end-user on the first computer, into a ‘

To’

message header field of the e-mail;

program instructions to send a Boolean value from program code of the second computer to the first computer, wherein one of the plurality of intended recipients is associated with a configurable profile defining a preferred backup contact entity;

program instructions for the first computer to determine if the one of the plurality of intended recipients is available to respond to the e-mail based on the Boolean value;

program instructions for the first computer to query a repository to return to the first end-user contact information of one or more backup contact entities to respond to the e-mail for the one of the plurality of intended recipients;

program instructions for the first computer to extract from the contact information returned, the contact information of the one or more backup contact entities available to respond to the e-mail;

program instructions for the first computer to send the e-mail to the one or more backup contact entities, and to the preferred backup contact entity if the one of the plurality of intended recipients is not available to respond to the e-mail; and

program instructions for the first computer to delete the e-mail from each inbox of the backup contact entities and the preferred backup contact entity that received but did not read the e-mail before the one of the plurality of intended recipients read the e-mail.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the metadata comprises the following:

a parameter indicating a ‘

To’

message header field of an e-mail is modified to include the one or more backup contact entities selected by the first end-user, a parameter value for storing contact information of entities to whom the e-mail was subsequently forwarded, parameter values indicating which of the one or more backup contact entities have or have not read the e-mail, a parameter value indicating whether the e-mail has been read by any of the intended recipients, and a list of the intended recipients included in the ‘

To’

message header field prior to the e-mail being modified.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the contact information includes a name, a job title, a phone number, and an e-mail address of each of the one or more backup contact entities.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for the first computer to extract comprises the first computer sending an additional electronic message to computers of the one or more backup contact entities associated with the contact information to determine which of the one or more backup contact entities are available to respond to the e-mail.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the additional electronic message is formatted and includes the following information:

an e-mail address of the first end-user, each e-mail address of the plurality of intended recipients, a string value that allows the additional electronic message to be recognized as an acknowledge message, and a randomly generated unique system identifier utilized to prevent a duplicate of the additional electronic message being sent to each of the plurality of intended recipients.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for first computer to send the e-mail comprises:

program instructions to send the e-mail to the preferred backup contact entity if no contact information is received from the repository; and

program instructions to insert a notification within the e-mail if the preferred backup contact entity is a manager, wherein the notification includes a history of prior attempts to obtain the contact information of one or more backup contact entities to respond to the e-mail.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program instructions for the first computer to delete the e-mail comprises sending, to computers of each of the one or more backup contact entities that received but have not read the e-mail, an electronic message having program code deleting the e-mail.

15. A computer system for selecting a backup contact entity, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer readable memories, one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the one or more storage media for execution by the one or more processors via the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to send an electronic message transparently to a plurality of intended recipients of an electronic mail (e-mail) having metadata, wherein the program instructions to send the electronic message is from a first computer to a second computer in response to e-mail addresses of the plurality of intended recipients being entered, by a first end-user on the first computer, into a ‘

To’

message header field of the e-mail;

program instructions to send a Boolean value from program code of the second computer to the first computer, wherein one of the plurality of intended recipients is associated with a configurable profile defining a preferred backup contact entity;

program instructions for the first computer to determine if the one of the plurality of intended recipients is available to respond to the e-mail based on the Boolean value;

program instructions for the first computer to query a repository to return to the first end-user contact information of one or more backup contact entities to respond to the e-mail for the one of the plurality of intended recipients;

program instructions for the first computer to extract from the contact information returned, the contact information of the one or more backup contact entities available to respond to the e-mail;

program instructions for the first computer to send the e-mail to the one or more backup contact entities, and to the preferred backup contact entity if the one of the plurality of intended recipients is not available to respond to the e-mail; and

program instructions for the first computer to delete the e-mail from each inbox of the backup contact entities and the preferred backup contact entity that received but did not read the e-mail before the one of the plurality of intended recipients read the e-mail.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the metadata comprises the following:

a parameter indicating a ‘

To’

message header field of an e-mail is modified to include the one or more backup contact entities selected by the first end-user, a parameter value for storing contact information of entities to whom the e-mail was subsequently forwarded, parameter values indicating which of the one or more backup contact entities have or have not read the e-mail, a parameter value indicating whether the e-mail has been read by any of the intended recipients, and a list of the intended recipients included in the ‘

To’

message header field prior to the e-mail being modified.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the contact information includes a name, a job title, a phone number, and an e-mail address of each of the one or more backup contact entities.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for the first computer to extract comprises the first computer sending an additional electronic message to computers of the one or more backup contact entities associated with the contact information to determine which of the one or more backup contact entities are available to respond to the e-mail.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the additional electronic message is formatted and includes the following information:

an e-mail address of the first end-user, each e-mail address of the plurality of intended recipients, a string value that allows the additional electronic message to be recognized as an acknowledge message, and a randomly generated unique system identifier utilized to prevent a duplicate of the additional electronic message being sent to each of the plurality of intended recipients.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for first computer to send the e-mail comprises:

program instructions to send the e-mail to the preferred backup contact entity if no contact information is received from the repository; and

program instructions to insert a notification within the e-mail if the preferred backup contact entity is a manager, wherein the notification includes a history of prior attempts to obtain the contact information of one or more backup contact entities to respond to the e-mail.

21. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for the first computer to delete the e-mail comprises sending, to computers of each of the one or more backup contact entities that received but have not read the e-mail, an electronic message having program code deleting the e-mail.