Method and apparatus for monitoring multiple electronic mail systems
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring multiple electronic mail systems comprising:
- configuring an e-mail system polling process on a user machine for a plurality of e-mail systems, said user machine including a video display, where said configuring includes designating a plurality of e-mail system accessors corresponding to said plurality of e-mail systems and designating an activation schedule for said plurality of e-mail system accessor;
polling said plurality of e-mail systems from said user machine based upon said activation schedule;
retrieving data from said e-mail systems concerning e-mail intended for said user;
storing said data on said user machine in a format that permits the storage of data pertaining to said plurality of e-mail systems; and
visually displaying an indication in a consolidated fashion on said video display that there is at least one message from at least one e-mail system for said user when there is at least one message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for monitoring multiple electronic mail systems includes the steps of: a) configuring an e-mail system polling process on a user'"'"'s machine; b) polling a number of e-mail systems from the user'"'"'s machine; c) retrieving data from the e-mail systems concerning mail intended for the user; and d) storing the data on the user'"'"'s machine in a format that permits the storage and retrieval of data pertaining to the plurality of e-mail systems. The polling can be accomplished in the background while the user is performing other tasks on the computer system. An apparatus for monitoring multiple electronic mail systems includes a digital processor, read/write memory coupled to the digital processor, and at least one external communication channel coupled to the digital processor permitting the digital processor to communicate with a plurality of external electronic mail systems. A poller of the apparatus is operative to generate inquiries over the communication channel to the plurality of electronic mail systems, a data retriever is operative to receive data concerning mail intended for a designated user, and a data handler is operative to store and retrieve data concerning the mail for the designated user. An article of manufacture of the present invention includes the poller, data retriever, and data handler stored in a machine-readable storage medium.
119 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring multiple electronic mail systems comprising:
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configuring an e-mail system polling process on a user machine for a plurality of e-mail systems, said user machine including a video display, where said configuring includes designating a plurality of e-mail system accessors corresponding to said plurality of e-mail systems and designating an activation schedule for said plurality of e-mail system accessor; polling said plurality of e-mail systems from said user machine based upon said activation schedule; retrieving data from said e-mail systems concerning e-mail intended for said user; storing said data on said user machine in a format that permits the storage of data pertaining to said plurality of e-mail systems; and visually displaying an indication in a consolidated fashion on said video display that there is at least one message from at least one e-mail system for said user when there is at least one message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for monitoring multiple electronic mail systems comprising:
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a digital processor; a video display coupled to said digital processor; read/write memory coupled to said digital processor; at least one external communications channel coupled to said digital processor permitting said digital processor to communicate with a designated plurality of external electronic mail systems; a poller at least partially stored in said read/write memory and executable on said digital processor, said poller being operative to initiate inquiries based upon an activation scheme over said at least one communications channel to said designated plurality of electronic mail systems pertaining to a designated user; a data retriever at least partially stored in said read/write memory and executable on said digital processor, said data retriever being operative to receive data concerning mail intended for said designated user from said designated plurality of electronic mail systems; a database handler at least partially stored in said read/write memory and executable on said digital processor, said database handler being operative to store and retrieve said data concerning mail for said designated user from said designated plurality of electronic mail systems; and a displayer at least partially stored in said read/write memory and executable on said digital processor, said displayer being operative to selectively display data stored by said data handler on said video display. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An article of manufacture for monitoring multiple electronic mail systems comprising:
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a machine-readable storage medium; a poller stored in said storage medium and including program instructions to initiate inquiries over at least one communications channel to a designated plurality of electronic mail systems based upon an activation scheme; a data retriever stored in said storage medium and including program instructions to receive data concerning mail intended for a designated user from said designated plurality of electronic mail systems; a data handler stored in said storage medium and including program instructions to store and retrieve said data concerning mail for said designated user from said designated plurality of electronic mail systems; and a displayer stored in said storage medium and including program instructions to selectively display data stored by said data handler on a video display. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An e-mail database structure stored in a machine-readable memory comprising:
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a plurality of mail headers corresponding to a plurality of e-mail systems that are being monitored for messages for a designated user; and a message block corresponding to each detected message for said designated user from said plurality of e-mail systems, wherein each message block is linked with an e-mail header of said plurality of e-mail headers corresponding to the e-mail system from which it was derived. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A machine readable media containing machine executable instructions to implement a process that monitors multiple electronic mail systems, the process comprising:
- configuring an e-mail system polling proves an a user machine for a plurality of e-mail system, said user machine including a video display, where said configuring includes designating a plurality of e-mail system accessors corresponding to said plurality of e-mail systems designating an activation schedule for said plurality of e-mail system accessors;
polling said plurality of e-mail systems from said user machine based upon said activation schedule;
retrieving data from said e-mail systems concerning e-mail intended for said user;
storing said data on said user machine in format that permits the storage of data pertaining to said plurality of e-mail systems; and
visually displaying an indication in a consolidated fashion on said video display that there is at least one message from at least one e-mail system for said user when there is at least one message.
- configuring an e-mail system polling proves an a user machine for a plurality of e-mail system, said user machine including a video display, where said configuring includes designating a plurality of e-mail system accessors corresponding to said plurality of e-mail systems designating an activation schedule for said plurality of e-mail system accessors;
Specification