Electronic mail information associated with native application data

• US 5,734,901 A
• Filed: 09/26/1995
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Cleron, Michael Andrew, Fisher, Stephen, Sidhu, Gursharan S., Holleran, Patrick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chavis, John Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/534,121
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 395/650, 395/700, 395/680
• US Class Current: 712/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A computer implemented method and apparatus for providing the functions of electronic mail in a computer system which is integrated within a display or a window under control of a first application program which does not support electronic mail functionality. A set if mail routines displays a mailer on a first portion of the application program'"'"'s display with application program data displayed in a second portion of the application program'"'"'s display. The mail routines allow the user to modify the data in the application program via functionality of the application program and modify the mailer via the functionality of the mail routines. The mail routines further allow the user to perform electronic mail functions provided by the mail routines, wherein the electronic mail functions include using the application program data as content of mail messages processed by the mail routines. The functionality of the mail routines can be provided via an event preprocessor inserted into an event processing loop in the application program, wherein the event preprocessor determines whether events are pertinent to the mail routines. If so, the preprocessor processes the events to provide the electronic mail functionality and allows events which are pertinent to the application program to be processed by the application program.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of integrating electronic mail functionality into an application program which does not support said electronic mail functionality, said application program displayed on a computer display, comprising the following steps:

a. executing a set of mail routines wherein said set of mail routines associates a mailer object to said application program and associates a mailer datum object to data native to said application program to thereby integrate said electronic mail functionality into said application program;

b. displaying said mailer on a first portion of said application program and displaying said mailer datum on a second portion of said application program;

c. enabling said user, through said mail routines, to modify said data native to said application program via functionality of said application program and modify said mailer via said functionality of said mail routines; and

d. enabling said user, through said mail routines, to perform electronic mail functions provided by said mail routines by enabling and detecting user modification of said mailer and performing said electronic mail functions responsive thereto; and

wherein said step of enabling said user to perform electronic mail functions provided by said mail routines includes saving said application program data displayed in said second portion of said application program'"'"'s display as content of mail messages processed by said mail routines.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a contraction/expansion toggle, and responsive to user selections thereto, compressing the displayed representation of said mailer to a condensed representation in said first portion of said display, and further responsive to other user selections, expanding the displayed representation of said mailer to an original expanded state in said first portion of said display, said contraction/expansion toggle providing a plurality of displayed representations of said integration of said electronic mail functionality into said application program.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein said mailer comprises a header which enables user control of said mail functionality provided by said set of mail routines including the following:

a. an origination field indicating the user from whom said mailer is received;

b. a destination field indicating the user to whom the mailer is addressed;

c. a subject field indicating a subject to which the mailer pertains;

d. an attachments field indicating any additional files to be associated and transmitted with said mailer.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein said mail routines include an event preprocessor inserted into an event processing loop in said application program, said event preprocessor determining whether events are pertinent to said electronic mail functions, and responsive thereto, if said events are pertinent to said electronic mail functions, servicing said events to perform said electronic mail functions, and further, alerting said application program that said events require servicing by said application program if said events are pertinent to said application program.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein said step of said event preprocessor determining if said events are pertinent to said electronic mail functions includes determining whether an event has occurred which requires said modification of said mailer.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein said step of said event preprocessor alerting said application program that said events require servicing by said application program includes issuing a flag to said application program indicating that said application program should handle said event.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said step of saving said application program data as content of said mail messages processed by said mail routines includes saving multiple representations of said application program data for said application program in a mail message processed by said mail routines.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein said step of saving said multiple representations of said data includes saving said data in a native format of said application program and in an interchange format.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the interchange format of said data comprises a standard interchange representation of said data.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the interchange format of said data comprises an image representation of said data.

11. An apparatus in a computer system for integrating electronic mail functionality into an application program which does not support said electronic mail functionality comprising:

a. a first circuit executing a set of mail routines which causes the association of a mailer object to said application program and the association of a mailer datum object to data native to said application program to thereby integrate electronic mail functionality into said application program;

b. a second circuit, coupled to said first circuit, displaying said mailer which enables user control of said mail functionality provided by said set of mail routines on a first portion of an application window along with data native to said application program displayed in a second portion of said window;

c. a third circuit coupled to said second circuit and enabling said user to modify said data native to said application program via functionality of said application program and to modify said mailer via said functionality of said second circuit; and

d. a fourth circuit coupled to said third circuit and enabling said user to perform electronic mail functions provided by said second circuit by enabling and detecting user modification of said mailer and performing said electronic mail functions responsive thereto; and

wherein

said fourth circuit includes a sixth circuit saving said application program data displayed in said second portion of said application program'"'"'s display as content of mail messages created by said first, second, and third circuits, wherein said sixth circuit saving said application program data as content of said mail messages processed by said mail routines includes a circuit saving multiple representations of said application program data for said application program in a mail message processed by said mail routines.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said circuit saving said multiple representations of said application program data saves said data in a native format of said application program and in an interchange format.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said second circuit includes an event preprocessor inserted into an event processing loop in said application program, said event preprocessor including a circuit for determining whether events are pertinent to said mail functions, and responsive thereto, if said events are pertinent to said mail functions, servicing said events to perform said functions, and further, alerting said application program that said events require servicing by said application program if said events are pertinent to said application program.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said event preprocessor includes a fifth circuit alerting said application program that said events require servicing by said application program, said fifth circuit including a circuit issuing a flag to said application program indicating that said application program should handle said event.

15. A computer-implemented method of adding electronic mail functionality to an application program which lacks said electronic mail functionality comprising the following steps:

a. executing a set of mail routines wherein said set of mail routines associates a mailer object to said application program and associates a mailer datum object with data native to said application program to thereby integrate said electronic mail functionality into said application program;

b. inserting an event preprocessor into an event loop of said application program;

c. said event preprocessor displaying said mailer on a first portion of said window along with data processed by said application program displayed in a second portion of said window;

d. providing a set of mail routines which may be invoked by said event preprocessor or said application program to provide electronic mail functions to said application program;

e. said event preprocessor detecting events effecting said mailer and

f. responsive to said events effecting said mailer, said event preprocessor processing said events to invoke said mail routines;

wherein said step of providing a set of mail routines which may be invoked by said event preprocessor or said application program to provide said electronic mail functions to said application program includes saving said data processed by said application program as content of mail messages processed by said mail routines and wherein said step of saving said application program data as content of said mail messages processed by said mail routines includes saving multiple representations of said application program data in a mail message processed by said mail routines.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 wherein said step of saving said multiple representations of said data includes saving said data in a native format of said application program and in an interchange format.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 15 further comprising the step of said event preprocessor alerting said application program that certain of said events require servicing by said application program.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17 wherein said step of said event preprocessor alerting said application program that certain of said events require servicing by said application program includes issuing a flag to said application program indicating that said application program should handle said certain of said events.