ELECTRONIC MAIL READ RECEIPT PROCESSING

• US 20140344369A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goldberg, Itzhack, Kahn, Bruce A., Mizrachi, Boaz
• Granted Patent: US 11,159,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Processing electronic mail includes receiving an electronic mail having a read receipt request and determining, using a processor, that the electronic mail includes a read receipt distribution list. The read receipt distribution list specifies at least one sender-defined user including a subset of at least one recipient of the electronic mail. Using the processor, a read receipt is sent to the sender of the electronic mail and to each user specified on the read receipt distribution list responsive to detecting an opening of the electronic mail by at least one recipient of the electronic mail.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an electronic mail comprising a read receipt request;

determining, using a processor, that the electronic mail includes a read receipt distribution list, wherein the read receipt distribution list specifies at least one sender-defined user comprising a subset of at least one recipient of the electronic mail; and

sending, using the processor, a read receipt to the sender of the electronic mail and to each user specified on the read receipt distribution list responsive to detecting an opening of the electronic mail by at least one recipient of the electronic mail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a read receipt to the sender of the electronic mail and to each user specified on the read receipt distribution list comprises sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the read receipt distribution list specifies the selected user responsive to an input from the sender.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail is performed responsive to a read receipt subscription request from the selected user to receive read receipts for the sender.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail is performed responsive to an automated determination by the processor that the read receipt meets at least one predetermined condition, wherein the selected user is specified by the at least one predetermined condition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one predetermined condition comprises determining that the electronic mail is tagged with a predefined tag.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting a forwarding of the electronic mail from a recipient to a user that is not a recipient or a sender of the electronic mail, providing a notification of the forwarding to the sender of the electronic mail.

8. A system comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

receiving an electronic mail comprising a read receipt request;

determining that the electronic mail includes a read receipt distribution list, wherein the read receipt distribution list specifies at least one sender-defined user comprising a subset of at least one recipient of the electronic mail; and

sending a read receipt to the sender of the electronic mail and to each user specified on the read receipt distribution list responsive to detecting an opening of the electronic mail by at least one recipient of the electronic mail.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein sending a read receipt to the sender of the electronic mail and to each user specified on the read receipt distribution list comprises sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the read receipt distribution list specifies the selected user responsive to an input from the sender.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail is performed responsive to a read receipt subscription request from the selected user to receive read receipts for the sender.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail is performed responsive to an automated determination by the processor that the read receipt meets at least one predetermined condition, wherein the selected user is specified by the at least one predetermined condition.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one predetermined condition comprises determining that the electronic mail is tagged with a predefined tag.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to initiate an executable operation comprising:

responsive to detecting a forwarding of the electronic mail from a recipient to a user that is not a recipient or a sender of the electronic mail, providing a notification of the forwarding to the sender of the electronic mail.

15. A computer program product for processing electronic mail, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, using the processor, an electronic mail comprising a read receipt request;

determining, using the processor, that the electronic mail includes a read receipt distribution list, wherein the read receipt distribution list specifies at least one sender-defined user comprising a subset of at least one recipient of the electronic mail; and

sending, using the processor, a read receipt to the sender of the electronic mail and to each user specified on the read receipt distribution list responsive to detecting an opening of the electronic mail by at least one recipient of the electronic mail.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein sending a read receipt to the sender of the electronic mail and to each user specified on the read receipt distribution list comprises sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the read receipt distribution list specifies the selected user responsive to an input from the sender.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail is performed responsive to a read receipt subscription request from the selected user to receive read receipts for the sender.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein sending a read receipt to a selected user that is not the sender or a recipient of the electronic mail is performed responsive to an automated determination by the processor that the read receipt meets at least one predetermined condition, wherein the selected user is specified by the at least one predetermined condition.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one predetermined condition comprises determining that the electronic mail is tagged with a predefined tag.