System and method for in-place editing of an electronic mail message using a separate program
First Claim
1. A method for operating a container object to display a message item, the message item being stored in a message store, the container object being invoked by an email client application in response to an input, the method comprising the steps of:
- retrieving from the message store header data and body data, each associated with the message item;
creating a server object associated with a program module, the program module being operative for rendering the body data;
providing the body data to the program module; and
displaying a mail note associated with the message item, the message item including a command region, a header region and a body region,the command region including commands associated with both the container object and the program module;
the header region including at least a portion of the header data; and
the body region including at least a portion of the body data as rendered by the program module.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An email client invokes a DocObject-enabled mail note to display an email message and related features of the user interface. The mail note, which is a DocObject container, creates a DocObject server by invoking a DocObject-enabled word processor. The mail note provides a view port in which the word processor displays and edits the body of the email message. The word processor provides its formatting and editing features in the context of the mail note. OLE menu merging provides both email and word processing interoperability while editing the message. Programming interfaces between the mail note and the word processor allow the mail note to translate message data back and forth between the word processor'"'"'s format and the format imposed by the email client. This ensures that messages created with the word processor can be read by other email clients.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for operating a container object to display a message item, the message item being stored in a message store, the container object being invoked by an email client application in response to an input, the method comprising the steps of:
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retrieving from the message store header data and body data, each associated with the message item; creating a server object associated with a program module, the program module being operative for rendering the body data; providing the body data to the program module; and displaying a mail note associated with the message item, the message item including a command region, a header region and a body region, the command region including commands associated with both the container object and the program module; the header region including at least a portion of the header data; and the body region including at least a portion of the body data as rendered by the program module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer system for employing a container object to display a message item, comprising:
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a processing unit; an input device connected to the processing unit; and a display device coupled to the processing unit for displaying the object; the processing unit, responsive to instructions from a program module running on the computer system, being operative to; invoke the container object in response to an input from the input device; retrieve body data associated with the message item; create a server object associated with a program module, the program module being operative for rendering the body data in the container object; providing the body data to the program module; and displaying on the display a mail note including the body data, the body data being rendered by the program module. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for operating a container object to display a message item, the computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:
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retrieving from a message store body data associated with the message item; creating a server object associated with a program module, the program module being operative for rendering the body data; providing the body data to the program module; displaying a mail note including a command region and a body region, the command region including commands associated with both the container object and the program module, the body region including at least a portion of the body data as rendered by the program module; retrieving from the message store attachment data associated with the message item; providing the attachment data to the program module; and displaying the attachment data in the body region, the attachment data being displayed by the program module in association with the body data. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for operating a container object to edit a message item, the container object being invoked by an email client application in response to input, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a server object associated with a program module; displaying a mail note associated with said message item, the mail note including a command region, a header region and a body region, the command region including commands associated with both the container object and the program module and the body region including body data rendered by the program module; extracting the body data from the program module; forming the message item, the message item including a header and a body, the body comprising the body data; and transmitting the message item to an intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer system for operating a container object to edit a message item, comprising:
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a processing unit; an input device connected to the processing unit; and a display device coupled to the processing unit for displaying the object; the processing unit, responsive to instructions from a program module running on the computer system, being operative to; create a container object in response to input from the input device; create a server object associated with a program module, the server object being in communication with the container object; display a mail note including a command region, a header region and a body region, the command region including commands associated with both the container object and the program module and the body region including body data rendered by the program module; transfer the body data from the program module to the container object; form the message item, the message item comprising the body data; and transmit the message item to an intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for operating a container object to store a message item, the computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:
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creating a server object associated with a program module; display a mail note including a command region and a body region, the command region including commands associated with both the container object and the program module, and the body region including body data, the body data being rendered by the program module; extracting the body data from the program module; forming a message item including the body data and an attachment list; displaying attachment data in the body region, the attachment data being rendered by the program module in association with the body data; extracting the attachment data from the program module; storing the attachment data in an attachment list; and transmitting the message item to an intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification