Systems and methods for managing email

• US 7,296,058 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swiss Reinsurance Company
• Original Assignee: Employers Reinsurance Corp. (Swiss Re AG)
• Inventors: Throop, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US10/060,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20030145057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/224, 707/204, 705/4
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The invention provides for systematic email induction. Email is automatically scanned for email content. The content is then extracted and automatically loaded to a graphics database accessible from a network. The graphics database may for example be a FileNet repository. “Content” may include the written text of the email, graphic image attachments, electronic documents, and other file types. Preferably, content is associated with certain business tasks to facilitate future use of the content within automated workflow processes. Content is preferably stored within the graphics database as one or more single page TIFF files to memorialize the content for later use with the workflow processes.

Claims

1. A method for managing email content using an email server, an email induction server and a graphics database, the email server, the email induction server and the graphics database are in communication through a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at the email server an email via the network;

electronically monitoring the network email received at the email server for email content;

automatically extracting the content of the network email using the email induction server including;

analyzing the network email to determine whether the network email includes at least one enclosure,

if the network email includes at least one enclosure, determining whether the at least one enclosure is in a non-graphics image format, and

converting the content of the network email including the at least one enclosure having a non-graphics image format to a single page graphics image format;

loading the content of the network email into the graphics database accessible from the network; and

triggering tasks to be performed as part of a workflow process based on the content extracted from at least one of the network email and the at least one enclosure included with the network email, wherein triggering tasks includes prompting the user to perform a business task relating to the content of the email after storing the network email into the graphics database.

2. A method of claim 1, the step of automatically extracting the content comprising extracting attachments having a graphic image format from the email.

3. A method of claim 1, the step of automatically extracting the content comprising extracting electronic documents from the email.

4. A method of claim 1, the step of automatically extracting the content comprising extracting parsed text from the email.

5. A method of claim 1, the step of loading the content into a graphics database comprising loading the content of the network email into a data retrieval and storage repository.

6. A method of claim 1, the step of automatically extracting further comprising automatically extracting the content of the network email including graphic image attachments, documents and parsed text from the email;

and the step of loading further comprising the step of associating the extracted content of the network email with business tasks, and automatically triggering tasks to be performed as part of a workflow process based on the content extracted from the network email.

7. A method of claim 1, the step of electronically monitoring comprising periodically polling one or more email inboxes for new messages, the periodic polling is performed using the email induction server.

8. A method of claim 7, the step of periodically polling comprising polling the email inboxes at about every ten seconds.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically determining an organization associated with the network email, to authorize, or not authorize, the steps of electronically monitoring the network email, automatically extracting the content of the network email, and loading the content of the network email.

10. A method of claim 9, the step of automatically determining an organization comprising automatically comparing the organization with an authorization list.

11. A method of claim 10, further comprising forwarding the email to an electronic file for error handling in the event that the organization is not within the authorization list.

12. A method of claim 9, the step of automatically determining an organization comprising the step of interrogating a from-field of the email.

13. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically scanning the email for illegal text strings defined in a predetermined electronic file.

14. A method of claim 13, further comprising moving the message with one or more illegal text strings to an electronic file for error handling.

15. A method of claim 1, the step of automatically extracting the content comprising the step of converting the email, without enclosures, to a graphics image format.

16. A method of claim 15, the step of converting the email to a graphics image comprising converting the email to a TIFF image.

17. A method of claim 1, the step of automatically extracting the content comprising the step of interpreting enclosures of the email.

18. A method of claim 17, further comprising the step of converting the enclosures to one or more graphic images.

19. A method of claim 18, further comprising converting multiple graphic images to a single page graphic image.

20. A method of claim 19, the step of converting multiple graphic images to a single page graphic image comprising converting multiple graphic images to a TIFF image.

21. A method of claim 17, further comprising the step of converting each non-graphic image enclosures of the email to one or more graphic images.

22. A method of claim 21, further comprising the step of converting multiple graphic images to a single page graphic image.

23. A method of claim 21, the step of converting each of the non-graphic image enclosure comprising converting the non-graphic image enclosure to one or more TIFF images.

24. A method of claim 23, the step of converting to one or more TIFF images comprising converting multiple page TIFF images to a single page TIFF image.

25. A method of claim 21, the non-graphic image enclosures comprising one or more of spreadsheets, documents, rich text files, and postscript files.

26. A method of claim 17, further comprising converting .pdf files to one or more graphic images.

27. A method of claim 26, further comprising converting the one or more graphic images to a single page TIFF image.

28. A method of claim 17, further comprising converting graphic images to one or more TIFF images.

29. A method of claim 28, further comprising converting multi-page TIFF images to a single page TIFF image.

30. A method of claim 28, the graphic images comprising one or more of .pdf and .jpg files.

31. A method of claim 17, further comprising the step of converting each .wpd file to a .doc file.

32. A method of claim 31, further comprising converting each .doc file to one or more graphic images.

33. A method of claim 32, further comprising converting the images to a single page TIFF image.

34. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically formulating a overview file summarizing the content stored in the graphics database.

35. A system for managing email content of a network, comprising:

an email server configured to monitor incoming email of the network for content;

a graphics database for storing data files; and

an email induction server connected in communication with the email server and the graphics database through the network, the email induction server configured to;

(a) automatically extract content from the email by;

analyzing the email to determine whether the email includes at least one enclosure, and

if the email includes at least one enclosure, determining whether the at least one enclosure is in a non-graphics image format,

(b) convert the content of the email including the at least one enclosure having a non-graphics image to a single page graphics image,

(c) load the content of the converted email to the graphics database accessible from the network; and

(d) trigger tasks to be performed as part of a workflow process based on the content extracted from at least one of the email and the at least one enclosure included with the email, wherein the email induction server configured to prompt the user to perform a workflow activity relating to the content of the email after storing the network email into the graphics database.

36. A system of claim 35, the graphics database comprising a data retrieval and storage repository.

37. A system of claim 35, the email server communicating email between the induction server and the Internet, and one or more computers coupled to the database via the network, wherein incoming email from the Internet is available at the computers.

38. A system of claim 35, the email server configured to periodically poll email inboxes of the network for new email messages.

39. A system of claim 35, further comprising a management computer coupled to the database via the network, for managing the application software.

40. A system of claim 35, the graphics database comprising means for acknowledging receipt of loaded content, the receipt triggering automated workflow processes.

41. An email system for processing email for a network, the system comprising:

an email server configured to monitor incoming email of the network for content;

a graphics database for storing data files; and

an email induction server connected in communication with the email server and the graphics database though the network, the email induction server including application software configured to;

analyze the email to determine whether the email includes at least one enclosure,

if the email includes at least one enclosure, determine whether the at least one enclosure is in a non-graphics image format,

extract content from the email,

convert the content of the email including the at least one enclosure having a non-graphics image to a single page graphics image,

load the content of the converted email to the graphics database accessible from the network, and

trigger tasks to be performed as part of a workflow process based on the content extracted from at least one of the email and the at least one enclosure included with the email wherein the application software is configured to prompt the user to perform a workflow activity relating to the content of the email after storing the network email into the graphics database.

42. An email system of claim 41, the email induction server further configured to:

extract the content of the email including graphic image attachments, documents and parsed text from the email,

associate the extracted content of the email with business tasks, and

automatically trigger tasks to be performed as part of a workflow process based on the content extracted from the email.

43. A process for memorializing email content using an email sewer, an email induction server and a graphics database, wherein the email server, the email induction server and the graphics database are in communication though a network, the process comprising:

communicating email from a computer to the email server, wherein the email includes data describing an insurance claim submitted for processing;

automatically extracting the content of the email including the insurance claim data using the email induction server including;

analyzing the email to determine whether the email includes at least one enclosure,

if the email includes at least one enclosure, determining whether the at least one enclosure is in a non-graphics image format, and converting content of the email including the at least one enclosure having a non-graphics image format to one or more single page graphic images for storage within the graphics database in response to receiving the email at the email server,

automatically communicating acknowledgment to the email server that the content is graphically memorialized; and

triggering insurance claim processing tasks to be performed to process the submitted insurance claim data based on the content extracted from at least one of the email and the at least one enclosure included with the email wherein triggering insurance claim processing tasks includes prompting the user to further process the insurance claim.

44. A process of claim 43, further comprising triggering workflow associated with the email in response to the acknowledgment.

45. A process of claim 44, the email comprising an insurance claim, the workflow comprising further processing of the insurance claim.