Web-based electronic mail server apparatus and method using full text and label indexing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for accessing and organizing electronic mail messages, comprising:
- a first memory storing mail messages;
means for adding and removing labels associated with mail messages, including system means for automatically adding and removing labels to and from mail messages by the system, and user means for adding labels to and removing labels from mail messages in accordance with user commands;
a second memory storing a full-text index of the mail messages stored in the first memory and for storing a label index denoting mail messages associated with the labels;
means for updating the full-text index and the label index when messages are added to the first memory, and means for updating the label index when labels are added to and removed from messages;
means for accessing the mail messages using queries composed on client computers connected to the first and second memories by a network the queries searching the full-text index and the label index to locate mail messages satisfying the queries, the mail messages satisfying the queries including messages stored in the first memory prior to at least a subset of the queries being composed on the client computers; and
means for sending the located mail messages to the client computers over the network.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a computerized distributed mail system, a plurality of client computers are connected to each other via a network. Each client computer is configured to execute client mail application programs. A mail service system is also connected to the network. The system is for executing server mail programs on server computers. The mail service system includes an index server for storing mail messages in message files, and for storing a full-text index of the mail messages. In addition, the system includes means for accessing the mail messages by the plurality of client computers by searching the full-text index using queries.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for accessing and organizing electronic mail messages, comprising:
-
a first memory storing mail messages;
means for adding and removing labels associated with mail messages, including system means for automatically adding and removing labels to and from mail messages by the system, and user means for adding labels to and removing labels from mail messages in accordance with user commands;
a second memory storing a full-text index of the mail messages stored in the first memory and for storing a label index denoting mail messages associated with the labels;
means for updating the full-text index and the label index when messages are added to the first memory, and means for updating the label index when labels are added to and removed from messages;
means for accessing the mail messages using queries composed on client computers connected to the first and second memories by a network the queries searching the full-text index and the label index to locate mail messages satisfying the queries, the mail messages satisfying the queries including messages stored in the first memory prior to at least a subset of the queries being composed on the client computers; and
means for sending the located mail messages to the client computers over the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for accessing and organizing electronic mail messages, comprising the steps of:
-
storing mail messages in a first memory;
storing a full-text index of the mail messages in a second memory;
adding and removing labels associated with mail messages and storing the labels and locations associated with the labels in a third memory including automatically adding and removing labels to and from mail messages by the system, and adding and removing labels to and from mail messages in accordance with user commands;
storing a label index denoting mail messages associated with the labels;
updating the full-text index and the label index when messages are added to the first memory;
updating the label index when labels are added and removed to and from messages;
accessing the mail messages using queries composed on client computers connected to the first and second memories by a network, the queries searching the full-text index and the label index to locate mail messages satisfying the queries, the mail messages satisfying the queries including messages stored in the first memory prior to at least a subset of the queries being composed on the client computers; and
sending the located mail messages to the client computers over the network. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification