SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING EMAIL MESSAGE REPLY

• US 20150172144A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karoubi, Stephane, Sharma, Ashish
• Granted Patent: US 9,614,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating email messaging combines the convenience of an auto-fill of the recipient fields in a standard email message with a blank canvas for composing a new, quick reply message. By selecting the quick reply feature that can be provided with the message view screen of an email utility, the user is shown a second user interface with a blank compose screen. The email recipients are automatically filled in from the message view screen of the current message. The quick reply message can be transmitted as an email message through the email utility.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating email messaging, comprising:

using a processor device coupled with a first user interface, performing steps of;

receiving a selection of a quick reply feature from a first user interface associated with a message view screen of an email utility;

responsive to receiving the selection, rendering a second user interface comprising a quick reply compose screen with a blank subject and body;

populating a recipient field of the quick reply compose screen with email clients from the message view screen; and

transmitting the quick reply compose screen as an email message to the email clients in the recipient field using the email utility.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising rendering a quick reply icon on the first user interface for selecting the quick reply feature on the message view screen.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein populating the recipient field comprises:

adding first email clients from a sender field of the message view screen;

adding second email clients from a recipient field of the message view screen; and

adding third email clients from a copy field of the message view screen.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising adding at least one additional email client to the recipient field.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the selection of the quick reply feature comprises receiving a signal generated from a user tapping the quick reply icon.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving input from a user in the body of the quick reply compose screen; and

receiving a command from the user to send the input to the email clients in the recipient field.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising tracking a number of times that a user selects the quick reply feature.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising charging a fee for use of the quick reply feature.

9. An information processing system for facilitating email messaging, said information processing system comprising:

access to an email utility;

a first user interface provided by the email utility;

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions; and

a processor device operably coupled with the memory and the first user interface and performing the computer-executable instructions comprising;

receiving a selection of a quick reply feature from the first user interface associated with a message view screen;

responsive to receiving the selection, rendering a second user interface comprising a quick reply compose screen with a blank subject and body;

populating a recipient field of the quick reply compose screen with email clients from the message view screen; and

transmitting the quick reply compose screen as an email message to the email clients in the recipient field using the email utility.

10. The information processing system of claim 9 further comprising a quick reply icon rendered on the first user interface, said quick reply icon, when selected by a user, activating the quick reply feature on the message view screen.

11. The information processing system of claim 9 wherein the computer-executable instructions for populating the recipient field comprise:

adding first email clients from a sender field of the message view screen;

adding second email clients from a recipient field of the message view screen; and

adding third email clients from a copy field of the message view screen.

12. The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions for populating the recipient field comprises adding at least one additional email client to the recipient field.

13. The information processing system of claim 10 wherein activating the quick reply feature is performed by the user tapping the quick reply icon.

14. The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

receiving input from a user in the body of the quick reply compose screen; and

receiving a command from the user to send the input to the email clients in the recipient field.

15. The information processing system of claim 9 further comprising:

tracking logic for tracking a number of times that a user selects the quick reply feature.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for tracking a number of times that a user selects the quick reply feature.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with computer-executable instructions stored thereon, said computer-executable instructions causing a computer to perform:

receiving a selection of a quick reply feature from a first user interface associated with a message view screen, said first user interface provided by an email utility;

responsive to receiving the selection, rendering a second user interface comprising a quick reply compose screen with a blank subject and body;

populating a recipient field of the quick reply compose screen with email clients from the message view screen; and

transmitting the quick reply compose screen as an email message to the email clients in the recipient field using the email utility.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise rendering a quick reply icon on the first user interface for selecting the quick reply feature on the message view screen.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise populating the recipient field by:

adding first email clients from a sender field of the message view screen;

adding second email clients from a recipient field of the message view screen; and

adding third email clients from a copy field of the message view screen.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

receiving input from a user in the body of the quick reply compose screen; and

receiving a command from the user to send the input to the email clients in the recipient field.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for charging a fee for use of the quick reply feature.