System and method for composing, processing, and organizing electronic mail message items
First Claim
1. In an electronic mail system for transmitting a message item, a method for sending to a plurality of recipients a message item and automatically tallying responses of said plurality of recipients to said message item, comprising the steps of:
- creating said message item, said message item including a query, a plurality of predefined responses, and a plurality of first voter properties that correspond to a name associated with each of said plurality of recipients;
transmitting said message item to said plurality of recipients;
receiving a reply message item that is a message item form for display from at least one of said recipients, said reply message item including reply data corresponding to one of said predefined responses stored in a second voter property that associates said reply data with said recipient;
tallying said response in a copy of the transmitted message item, the response tally corresponding to said reply data included in said reply message item, providing a name for said recipient, which sent said reply data, based upon one of said plurality of first voter properties and said second voter property; and
wherein said response and said name are displayed in said reply message item when said reply message item is opened.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an electronic mail system environment, a system and method for automatically checking recipients'"'"' names, providing message flags, providing custom forms, and providing an autoresponse feature. Recipients'"'"' names are resolved in the background, while the user of the e-mail system is composing the message. The user easily resolves ambiguous names by using a context menu. The resolved ambiguous names are automatically used to create nicknames, which are used to resolve ambiguous names in the future. Message flags allow a sender or recipient to identify required follow-up action and a deadline. The recipient may use the message flags to quickly determine which messages require follow-up action. The e-mail system notifies a recipient when a due date is approaching or when a follow-up action is past due. A custom forms feature allows a user to create and share custom forms without requiring the form to be published or installed by other user. The custom form'"'"'s attributes are transmitted to the recipient as an element of the e-mail message. An autoresponse feature allows a sender to create a message that includes voting buttons corresponding to the possible responses to a query. A recipient replies by selecting one of the voting buttons. The recipient'"'"'s vote is automatically tallied in the sender'"'"'s copy of the message, thus allowing the sender to view a vote tally, a list of the recipients, and their response.
75 Citations
19 Claims
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1. In an electronic mail system for transmitting a message item, a method for sending to a plurality of recipients a message item and automatically tallying responses of said plurality of recipients to said message item, comprising the steps of:
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creating said message item, said message item including a query, a plurality of predefined responses, and a plurality of first voter properties that correspond to a name associated with each of said plurality of recipients; transmitting said message item to said plurality of recipients; receiving a reply message item that is a message item form for display from at least one of said recipients, said reply message item including reply data corresponding to one of said predefined responses stored in a second voter property that associates said reply data with said recipient; tallying said response in a copy of the transmitted message item, the response tally corresponding to said reply data included in said reply message item, providing a name for said recipient, which sent said reply data, based upon one of said plurality of first voter properties and said second voter property; and wherein said response and said name are displayed in said reply message item when said reply message item is opened. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In an electronic mail system for transmitting and receiving message items, a method for selecting one of a plurality of predefined responses in reply to a message item that includes a query, comprising the steps of:
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opening said message item, said message item including response data corresponding to said plurality of predefined responses, displaying a plurality of voting buttons, each said voting button corresponding to one of said predefined responses; receiving input corresponding to the selection of one of said voting buttons; creating a reply message item, said reply message item including a plurality of properties, said plurality of properties including a vote property; storing reply data in said vote property, said reply data corresponding to said selected one of said voting buttons, and said vote property identifying a name associated with a recipient, said recipient being the sender of said reply message item; and tallying said reply data and said vote property in a copy of the message item and displaying the reply data when said reply message item is opened, wherein the reply message item is a message item form for display. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for selecting one of a plurality of predefined responses in reply to a message item that includes a query, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by said computer, perform the steps of:
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opening said message item, said message item including response data corresponding to said plurality of predefined responses, displaying a plurality of voting buttons, each said voting button corresponding to one of said predefined responses; receiving input corresponding to the selection of one of said voting buttons; creating a reply message item, said reply message item including a plurality of properties, said plurality of properties including a vote property; storing reply data in said vote property, said reply data corresponding to said selected one of said voting buttons, and said vote property identifying a name for a recipient, said recipient being the sender of said reply data; and tallying said reply data and vote property in a copy of the message item and displaying the reply data when said reply message item is opened, wherein the reply message item is a message item form for display. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A computer readable medium on which is stored a computer program for sending to a plurality of recipients a message item and automatically tallying responses of said plurality of recipients to said message item, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by said computer, perform the steps of:
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creating said message item, said message item including a query and a plurality of predefined responses, and a plurality of first voter properties that correspond to a name associated with each of said plurality of recipients; transmitting said message item to said plurality of recipients; receiving a reply message item that is a message item form for display from at least one of said recipients, said reply message item including reply data corresponding to one of said predefined responses stored in a second voter property that associates said reply data with said recipient; tallying said response in a copy of the transmitted message item, the response tally corresponding to said reply data included in said reply message item, providing said name of said recipient that sent said reply data based upon one of said plurality of first voter properties and said second voter property; and wherein said response and said name are displayed in said reply message item when said reply message item is opened. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer system for sending to a plurality of recipients a message item and automatically tallying the responses of said plurality of recipients, comprising:
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a central processing unit (CPU); an input device coupled to said CPU for receiving data input by a user; a pixel-based display device coupled to said CPU for displaying data; and said CPU being operative to; create said message item, said message item including a query and a plurality of predefined responses; transmit said message item to said plurality of recipients; receive a reply message item that is a message item form for display from one of said recipients, said reply message item including a reply property, said reply property including reply data; open said reply message item; tally said reply message item in a copy of the transmitted message item, said reply tally corresponding in part to at least said reply data included in said reply message item; and display a name within said reply message item to associate said reply data with said one of said recipients.
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Specification