Method and apparatus for performing enterprise email management

• US 6,282,565 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1998
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kana Communications Inc. (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shaw, Mark, Rosen, Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/193,290
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 709/206, 709/203, 709/379, 709/93.01, 709/217, 709/200
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An enterprise email management system is disclosed. The enterprise mail system is designed to handle large volumes of email quickly and efficiently, responding through enterprise email system users or automated means. The enterprise email system processes incoming email using a set of configurable rules that examine each message for a specific attribute state condition and invoke a configurable action when the attribute satisfies the condition. A number of actions may be invoked such as routing a message to a specific mail queue. The enterprise email system assigns a mail queue timer when a message is moved into a mail queue. Each mail queue has a different mail queue timeout value that specifies the maximum amount of time that a message may sit idle within a mail queue. The enterprise email system may automatically move a message from a mail queue into a mailbox of an enterprise email system user that subscribed to the mail queue. A mailbox timer then set for the message and the mailbox timer is compared with a mailbox timeout value that specifies the amount of time that message may sit idle within a mail queue. If the mail queue timer expires, the message is returned to the mail queue from where it came. If the mail queue timer expires, then the message is routed to another mail queue or enterprise email user.

Claims

1. A method for processing electronic messages, said method comprising:

receiving a message in an enterprise mail system, said message from a message sender;

storing information about said message in an email database;

forwarding said message to an outside user with a return address set to an address associated with said enterprise mail system;

setting an outside user timer for said message when said message is forwarded;

forwarding a forwarded response message received from said outside user to a first entity using said information about said message stored in said email database if a response message is received before said outside timer expires, said forwarded response message having a return address set to an address associated with said enterprise mail system; and

else routing said message to a second entity if said outside timer expires before receiving said response message from said outside user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first entity comprises said message sender if a forward and track action was designated.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing information about said response message from said outside user in said email database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding said message to an outside user is initiated by a rule processor and said second entity comprises a mail queue.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding said message to an outside user is initiated by a first enterprise mail user and said second entity comprises said first enterprise mail user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first entity comprises an inside mail user if a collaborate action was designated.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said second entity comprises an inside mail user.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said second entity comprises said inside mail user.

9. A method for processing electronic messages, said method comprising:

receiving a message in an enterprise mail system, said message from a message sender;

processing said message with a rule processor;

forwarding said message to an outside user;

setting an outside user timer for said message when said message is forwarded to said outside user;

forwarding a forwarded response message received from said outside user to a first entity if said response message is received before said outside timer expires, said forwarded response message having a return address set to an address associated with said enterprise mail system; and

else routing said message to a second entity if said outside timer expires before receiving said response message from said outside user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

storing information about said message in an email database.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said first entity comprises said message sender if a forward and track action was designated.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said first entity comprises an inside mail user if a collaborate action was designated.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

storing information about said response message from said outside user in an email database.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said second entity comprises a mail queue.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said second entity comprises said inside mail user.

16. An electronic message processing system, said system comprising:

an email receiving module for a message, said message from a message sender;

an email database, said email database for storing information about said message; and

an email routing module, said email routing module forwarding said message to an outside user with a return address set to an address associated with said electronic message processing system, said email routing module setting an outside user timer for said message when said message is forwarded to said outside user, said email routing module forwarding a forwarded response message received from said outside user to a first entity if a response message is received before said outside timer expires, said forwarded response message having a return address set to an address associated with said enterprise mail system, else email routing module routing said message to a second entity if said outside timer expires before receiving said response message from said outside user.