System and method for automatically publishing electronic mail messages on the internet

• US 6,684,239 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Muller, Urs A, Jackel, Lawrence David, Flepp, Beat
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/572,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/246, 715/500.1, 715/500
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for publishing electronic mail messages on the Internet. A user selects an electronic mail message to be published and moves the selected electronic message to a designated folder. The electronic mail message is then processed to convert the electronic mail message into a format suitable for Internet publication. Once converted electronic mail message content is published on the Internet and accessible from any suitable browser software.

Claims

1. A method for automatically publishing a user'"'"'s electronic mail messages on the Internet, the method comprising:

providing a designated repository for one or more electronic mail messages;

receiving an electronic mail message in the designated repository;

processing the electronic mail message in the designated repository by converting the content in the electronic mail message to a Web format such that separate portions of the message are extracted and tagged with appropriate Web format identifiers; and

publishing the processed electronic mail message on the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated repository is an electronic mail message folder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic mail message folder is provided on an electronic mail message server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Web format is an HTML format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein publishing the electronic mail message on the Internet includes copying the processed electronic mail message to a Web server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a user may unpublish an electronic mail message by removing the electronic mail message from the designated repository.