Method and system for e-mail chain group discussions

• US 6,970,907 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ullmann, Lorin Evan, Kubik, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIDDIQI, MOHAMMAD A
• Application Number:
  US09/714,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/217, 709/220, 709/246, 715/758, 715/759
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

A system and method for reformatting chain forwarded and chain replied electronic messages into thread-of-discussion messages for improved readability and reader comprehension. The chained electronic messages are parsed into discussion entries which are then sorted by a preferred order, such as last-to-first by date of creation. Extraneous fields and data which are not part of the substantive discussion are removed from the discussion entries. Long or full electronic mail addresses are replaced by abbreviations or preferred nicknames which may be found in an address book. Finally, the sorted discussion entries with source abbreviations or preferred nicknames are combined and output as a thread-of-discussion format message.

Claims

1. A method for creating thread-of-discussion electronic mail messages for chained electronic mail messages in an electronic mail system, said method comprising the steps of:

parsing text of the body of a single chained electronic mail message into discussion entries, said parsing being performed by finding delimiters and message segment indicators within the text of the chained electronic mail message which indicate the beginning and ending of two or more discussion entries wherein each discussion entry represents quoted text or content produced during a previously-performed message forward or message reply operation;

sorting said discussion entries into a preferred order;

reducing the discussion entries to discussion information by eliminating redundant and unnecessary information from said discussion entries; and

outputting the sorted, reduced discussion entries into a single message having a thread-of-discussion message format.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of parsing the text of a chained electronic mail message into discussion entries comprises parsing a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol message.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of parsing the text of a chained electronic mail message into discussion entries comprises parsing a Hyper Text Markup Language message.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of sorting said discussion entries into a preferred order comprises sorting the discussion entries into a first-to-last order based upon timestamps associated with the discussion entries.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of sorting said discussion entries into a preferred order comprises sorting the discussion entries into a last-to-first order based upon timestamps associated with the discussion entries.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of reducing the discussion entries to discussion information comprises removing extraneous non-discussion field and formatting information from the discussion entries.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of outputting the sorted, reduced discussion entries into a thread-of-discussion message format further comprises replacing full electronic mail addresses for authors of said discussion entries with short names or abbreviations associated with the full electronic mail addresses.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a step of merging text from a chained electronic mail message with text from other chained electronic messages associated with a common chain group.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a step of automatically addressing a new electronic mail message to one or more of members of an associated chain group, said new electronic mail message containing said sorted, reduced discussion entries in a thread-of-dicussion format.

10. A computer-readable medium containing program code for creating thread-of-discussion electronic mail messages for chained electronic mail messages in an electronic mail system, said electronic mail system being capable of executing program code, said program code when executed causing the electronic mail system to perform the steps of:

parsing the text of the body of a single chained electronic mail message into discussion entries, said parsing being performed by finding delimiters and message segment indicators within the text of the chained electronic mail message which indicate the beginning and ending of two or more discussion entries wherein each discussion entry represents quoted text or content produced during a previously-performed message forward or message reply operation;

sorting said discussion entries into a preferred order;

reducing the discussion entries to discussion information by eliminating redundant and unnecessary information from said discussion entries; and

outputting the sorted, reduced discussion entries into a single message having a thread-of-discussion message format.

11. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein said program code for parsing the text of a chained electronic mail message into discussion entries comprises program code for parsing a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol message.

12. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein said program code for parsing the text of a chained electronic mail message into discussion entries comprises program code for parsing a Hyper Text Markup Language message.

13. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein said program code for sorting said discussion entries into a preferred order comprises program code for sorting the discussion entries into a first-to-last order based upon timestamps associated with the discussion entries.

14. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein said program code for sorting said discussion entries into a preferred order comprises program code for sorting the discussion entries into a last-to-first order based upon timestamps associated with the discussion entries.

15. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein said program code for reducing the discussion entries to discussion information comprises removing extraneous non-discussion field and formatting information from the discussion entries.

16. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein said program code for outputting the sorted, reduced discussion entries into a thread-of-discussion message format further comprises program code for replacing full electronic mail addresses for authors of said discussion entries with short names or abbreviations associated with the full electronic mail addresses.

17. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 further comprising program code for performing the step of merging text from a chained electronic mail message with text from other chained electronic messages associated with a common chain group.

18. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 10 further comprising program code for step of automatically addressing a new electronic mail message to one or more of members of an associated chain group, said new electronic mail message containing said sorted, reduced discussion entries in a thread-of-dicussion format.

19. A system for producing thread-of-discussion formatted electronic messages for chained electronic messages in an electronic mail system, said electronic mail system having a processor suitable for executing program code, and said electronic mail system having a means for receiving chained-transmitted electronic messages via a computer network, said system comprising:

a message parser for parsing text in a body section of a single chained electronic message into discussion entries by finding delimiting indicators within the text of chained electronic message which indicate the beginning and ending of two or more discussion entries wherein each discussion entry represents quoted text or content produced during a previous-performed message forward or message reply operation;

an entry sorter for sorting discussion entries into a preferred order;

an information reducer for removing extraneous message information, data, and fields which are unrelated to substantive discussion; and

a message output creator for creating a thread-of-discussion message containing said sorted and reduced discussion entries.

20. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said message parser is adapted to parse Simple Mail Transfer Protocol messages.

21. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said message parser is adapted to parse Hyper Text Markup Language messages.

22. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said entry sorter is adapted to sort discussion entries into a first-to-last order based upon timestamps associated with each discussion entry.

23. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said entry sorter is adapted to sort discussion entries into a last-to-first order based upon timestamps associated with each discussion entry.

24. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said message output creator further comprises a short name label creator for substituting full electronic mail addresses associated with said discussion entries with short names associated with said full electronic mail addresses.

25. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said message output creator further comprises a short name label creator for substituting full electronic mail addresses associated with said discussion entries with abbreviations of said full electronic mail addresses.

26. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said message parser is adapted to merge two or more chained electronic messages associated with a chain group.

27. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said message output creator further comprises and automatic message address generator for automatically addressing a new electronic message to one or more members of a chain group.