Integrating email functionality into a word processor by incorporating an email GUI within the word processor

• US 6,405,225 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Hai, Apfel, Darren A., Antos, Christopher, Rayson, Steve, Buchthal, David M., Carlson, Andrew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar B.
• Application Number:
  US09/098,778
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 707/526, 707/530, 707/531, 707/501, 707/513, 707/515, 707/500, 709/206
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An Envelope provides the integration of the functionality of an electronic mail (email) application program and the functionality of a document editor. Users can more easily generate and edit sophisticated documents for email transmission by invoking an Envelope that provides the user with the functions of an email client. A user that is editing a document in a document editor, such as a word processor or spreadsheet application can invoke the Envelope within the user interface of the document editor. The Envelope has its own user interface that is fully functional within the confines of the document editor'"'"'s user interface to provide the user with the functionality of the email client application program. With the Envelope invoked, the user is enabled to execute many of the email client'"'"'s functions while still editing the document within the document editor'"'"'s user interface. Thus, the rich document editing functionality of the document editor is maintained, while the functionality of the email client is simultaneously accessible to the user. Envelope data generated during the editing process is saved with the document and available when the document is next edited or is opened as an email message.

Claims

1. A method for generating an electronic mail (email) message within a document editor comprising a Document Editor User Interface (DEUI), by invoking an Envelope operative for integrating the functionality of an email client and the document editor, the Envelope comprising Envelope Data and Message Body data, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a document in a portion of the DEUI in the document editor;

invoking the Envelope from within the document editor;

in response to invoking the Envelope, displaying an Envelope User Interface (EUI) associated with the email message within a portion of the DEUI, the EUI being integrated with the DEUI to appear as a toolbar of the DEUI;

incorporating the document into the Message Body data of the Envelope, the Message Body data being associated with the email message;

receiving Envelope data as input within the document editor, the Envelope data being associated with the email message; and

in response to an input signal, invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message in accordance with the Envelope data associated with the email message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Message Body data comprises plain text.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Message Body data comprises rich text.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Message Body data comprises Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Envelope data comprises at least one addressee.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Envelope data comprises at least one Internet location for publishing the Message Body on a website.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the Envelope data comprises at least one subject.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the Envelope data persists with respect to the email message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the Envelope data persists with respect to the Envelope.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the EUI comprises a command bar for invoking the functionality of the email client.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the EUI comprises a display area for displaying the Envelope data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the EUI is displayed within a frame of the DEUI.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message comprises the step of publishing the Message Body to a website.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message further comprises the step of notifying users that the email message has been published to the website.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message further comprises the step of enabling the receipt of comments from users having access to the website.

16. A computer system for generating an electronic mail (email) message comprising Message Body data and Envelope data within a document editor, comprising:

a processing unit;

an input device connected to the processing unit; and

a display device connected to the processing unit;

the processing unit, responsive to instructions from an Envelope running on the computer system, being operative to;

open the document editor in a window, the document editor comprising a Document Editor User Interface (DEUI) and display the DEUI on the display device;

display a document in a portion of the DEUI in the document editor;

display an Envelope User Interface (EUI) in a portion of the DEUI in the window on the display device, wherein the EUI is integrated within the DEUI so as to appear as a toolbar of the DEUI;

incorporate the document into the Message Body data of the email message;

receive Envelope data from the input device, the Envelope data associated with the email message;

display selected portions of the Envelope data within a portion of the EUI;

in response to the receipt of a send signal from the input device, invoke the Envelope to transmit the email message comprising the Envelope data, and the Message Body data in accordance with the Envelope data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the Message Body data comprises a selected one of plain text, rich text, and Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the Envelope data comprises at least one addressee and at least one subject.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the Envelope data persists with respect to the email message.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the Envelope data persists with respect to the Message Body data.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the EUI is displayed within a frame of the DEUI and comprises:

a command bar for invoking the functionality of an email client; and

a display area for displaying the Envelope data.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the step of invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message comprises the step of publishing the Message Body data to a website.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the step of invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message further comprises the step of notifying users that the Message Body data has been published to the website.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the step of invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message further comprises the step of enabling the receipt of comments from users having access to the website.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the Envelope data persists with respect to a data file containing the Message Body data.

26. A computer readable medium on which is stored computer-executable instructions for generating an electronic mail (email) message within a document editor opened in a single window, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer, operative to perform the steps of:

retrieving message content data associated with the email message from a message data file;

retrieving message address data associated with the email message from the message data file;

opening the document editor for modifying the message content data;

within the single window, displaying the email message in the document editor including a message content region and a message address region, the message content region including at least a portion of the message content data, the message address region including at least a portion of the message address data; and

transmitting the email message by invoking an object interface for providing the message content data and the message address data to an email client and for integrating the functionality of an email client with that of the document editor.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the message content data comprises a selected one of plain text, rich text, and Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the document editor is a selected one of a word processor application program, a spreadsheet application program, a data base application program, and a graphical presentation application program.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the object interface conforms to the Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) interface standard.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the message content region comprises a first plurality of command bars and the message address region comprises a second plurality of command bars.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the first plurality of command bars of the message content region provide control of the document editor.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the second plurality of command bars of the message address region provide control of the email client.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the message address data associated with the email message persists with respect to the message data file.

34. A method for generating an electronic mail (email) message within a document editor by invoking an Envelope operative for integrating the functionality of an email client within the document editor, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a Document object having a Document interface;

creating an Envelope object having an Envelope interface, the Envelope interface integrated within the Document interface so as to appear as a toolbar of the Document interface, the Envelope interface further capable of sending function calls to the Document interface and receiving function calls from the Document object;

sending a first function call to the Document interface for transmitting a Message Body of a document to the Envelope object;

sending a second function call to the Document interface for transmitting attachments of the document to the Envelope object;

sending an email message containing the Message Body and the attachments, to a predefined recipient, wherein the Message Body comprises the Document; and

in response to a completion of the sending the email message step, closing the document.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the closing the document step comprises closing the Envelope interface.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the first function call comprises a GetBody function call.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the second function call comprises a SetAttach function call.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the closing the document step comprises sending a third function call to the Document object.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the third function call comprises a CloseNote function call.

40. A method for generating an electronic mail (email) message within a document editor by invoking an Envelope operative for integrating the functionality of an email client and the document editor within the document editor, the method comprising the steps of:

opening an Envelope User Interface (EUI) within the document editor as an integral portion of a Document Editor User Interface (DEUI);

retrieving from a first message data file a Document object having a Document interface;

retrieving from a second message data file an Envelope object having an Envelope interface, the Envelope interface capable of sending function calls to the Document interface and receiving function calls from the Document object;

sending a first function call to the Envelope interface for retrieving a Message Body of a document from the Envelope object;

sending a second function call to the Envelope interface for retrieving attachments of the document from the Envelope object;

sending a third function call to the Envelope interface for retrieving Envelope data associated with the document from the Envelope object;

displaying the Message Body within the DEUI; and

displaying the Envelope data within the EUI, which is integrated within a portion of the DEUI displayed in the document editor, so as to appear as a toolbar of the DEUI.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the first function call comprises a SetBody function call.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the second function call comprises a GetAttach function call.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the third function call comprises a GetHeaderInfo function call.

44. A method for generating an electronic mail (email) message within a document editor by invoking an Envelope operative for integrating the functionality of an email client and the document editor, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving Envelope data as input to the Envelope, the Envelop data associated with the email message;

receiving Message Body text as input to the document editor;

displaying a Document Editor User Interface (DEUI) comprising the Message Body text;

displaying the Message Body text in an editing region of the DEUI;

displaying an Envelope User Interface (EUI) integrated within the DEUI

as one of a plurality of toolbars, the EUI comprising the Envelope data associated with the email message; and

in response to an input signal, invoking the Envelope to transmit the email message in accordance with the Envelope data associated with email message,

wherein the email message comprises a Message Body field and an attached data field, the Message Body field comprises the Message Body text displayed in the document editor.