System for collecting and storing email addresses with associated descriptors in a bookmark list in association with network addresses of electronic documents using a browser program

• US 6,804,704 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Elhady, Nabil
• Application Number:
  US09/641,362
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/724
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method, article of manufacture and apparatus for executing a browser program to collect and store electronic mail addresses is provided. More particularly, the browser program, when executed, accesses an electronic document containing at least one electronic mail address. The electronic document is then parsed to identify the electronic mail address or addresses, and the electronic mail address or addresses are stored.

Claims

1. A method for collecting electronic mail addresses, comprising:

executing a browser program to access an electronic document having a network address and containing at least one electronic mail address;

parsing the electronic document to identify the at least one electronic mail address; and

storing the network address and the at least one electronic mail address in association with the network address in a bookmark list;

wherein a descriptor associated with the at least one electronic mail address is collected from the electronic document and stored in association with the at least one electronic mail address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored in a data structure located in a computer executing the browser program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser program is executed from a client computer connected via a network to a server computer containing the electronic document.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and the electronic document is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic mail address Is stored as a subcategory of the network address in the bookmark list.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access the electronic document through accessing the stored at least one electronic mail address associated with the network address of the electronic document.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to cause the browser program to collect electronic mail addresses from at least one linked electronic document pointed to by pointers contained in the electronic document.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to send an electronic mall message to the at least one electronic mail address.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to send an electronic mail message to an owner of the electronic document.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access a Home page of an owner of the electronic document.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing further comprising storing the at least one electronic mail address in an address book, and wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored in the address book in association with the network address.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access a bookmark entry associated with the at least one electronic mail address.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptor is identified by HTML tags contained within the electronic document.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic mail address comprises a plurality of electronic mail addresses and wherein the step of storing comprises storing selected ones of the plurality of electronic mail addresses according to one or more user-provided parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more user-provided parameters comprise at least one of a keyword and a time condition.

17. A computer-readable medium having instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising:

executing a browser program to access an electronic document having a network address and containing at least one electronic mail address;

parsing the electronic document to identify the at least one electronic mail address; and

storing the network address and the at least one electronic mail address in association with the network address in a bookmark list;

wherein a descriptor associated with the at least one electronic mail address is collected from the electronic document and stored in association with the at least one electronic mail address.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored in a data structure located in a computer executing the browser program.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the browser program is executed from a client computer connected via a network to a server computer containing the electronic document.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the network address is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and the electronic document is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored as a subcategory of the network address in the bookmark list.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access the electronic document through accessing the stored at least one electronic mail address associated with the network address of the electronic document.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to cause the browser program to collect electronic mail addresses from at least one linked electronic document pointed to by pointers contained in the electronic document.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to send an electronic mail message to the at least one electronic mail address.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to send an electronic mail message to an owner of the electronic document.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access a Home page of an owner of the electronic document.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the step of storing further comprising storing the at least one electronic mail address in an address book, and wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored in the address book in association with the network address.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access a bookmark entry associated with the at least one electronic mail address.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the descriptor is identified by HTML tags contained within the electronic document.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one electronic mail address comprises a plurality of electronic mail addresses and wherein the step of storing comprises storing selected ones of the plurality of electronic mail addresses according to one or more user-provided parameters.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more user-provided parameters comprise at least one of a keyword and a time condition.

33. An apparatus for collecting at least one electronic mail address from at least one electronic document located on a network at a network address, comprising:

a memory containing a browser program;

a processor configured to execute the browser program;

wherein the browser program, when executed by the processor, performs a method comprising;

accessing the at least one electronic document;

parsing the electronic document to identify the at least one electronic mail address, and

storing the network address and the at least one electronic mail address in association with the network address in a bookmark list;

wherein a descriptor associated with the at least one electronic mail address is collected from the electronic document and stored in association with the at least one electronic mail address.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored in a data structure located in a computer executing the browser program.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the browser program is executed from a client computer connected via a network to a server computer containing the electronic document.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the network address is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and the electronic document is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored as a subcategory of the network address in the bookmark list.

39. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access the electronic document through accessing the stored at least one electronic mail address associated with the network address of the electronic document.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to cause the browser program to collect electronic mail addresses from at least one linked electronic document pointed to by pointers contained in the electronic document.

41. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to send an electronic mail message to the at least one electronic mail address.

42. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to send an electronic mail message to an owner of the electronic document.

43. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access a Home page of an owner of the electronic document.

44. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the step of storing further comprising storing the at least one electronic mail address in an address book, and wherein the at least one electronic mail address is stored in the address book in association with the network address.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising providing a user of the browser program with an option to access a bookmark entry associated with the at least one electronic mail address.

46. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the descriptor is identified by HTML tags contained within the electronic document.

47. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one electronic mail address comprises a plurality of electronic mail addresses and wherein the step of storing comprises storing selected ones of the plurality of electronic mail addresses according to one or more user-provided parameters.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the one or more user-provided parameters comprise at least one of a keyword and a time condition.