System and method for forwarding full header information in email messages

• US 7,624,347 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US10/327,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20040051735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/751, 709/206
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Systems and methods for forwarding full header information in email messages are presented. When an email message is received by a user, and the user chooses to forward the received email message, an option is provided to the user to either include the full header information of the received email in the forwarded email, or to not include the full header information of the received email in the forwarded email. The option may be presented to the user as a user-selectable option, such as a check box that the user can select or de-select.

Claims

1. In an email messaging system, a method comprising:

receiving an email message having full header information;

receiving an input to forward the received email message;

providing a text prompt configured to receive text from a user in the form of a body portion of a forwarding message; and

providing user-selectable options in response to receiving the input to forward the received email message, the user-selectable options comprising;

an option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

an option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message,

wherein, in response to selection of the option to include the full header information of the received email message in the forwarded email message, the text prompt is configured to not display the header information to the user and provide the full header information as an email attachment to the forwarded email message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing user-selectable options comprises:

providing a user-selectable icon configured to toggle between the option to include the full header information and the option to not include the full header information in response to being selected by a user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user the option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

forwarding the received email message with the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to include the full header information of the received email message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user the option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

forwarding the received email message without the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to not include the full header information of the received email message.

5. An email messaging system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage medium;

a user interface having an email message forwarding screen, the email message forwarding screen including a text prompt, the text prompt configured to receive text from a user in the form of a body portion of a forwarding message; and

a user selectable option on the email message-forwarding screen, the user-selectable option being selected from a group consisting of;

an option to include the full header information of a received email message in a forwarded email message; and

an option to not include the full header information of a received email message in a forwarded email message,

wherein, in response to selection of the option to include the full header information of the received email message in the forwarded email message, the text prompt is configured to not display the header information to the user and provide the full header information as an email attachment to the forwarded email message.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the user-selectable option is an icon being configured to toggle between the option to include the full header information and the option to not include the full header information in response to being selected by the user.

7. A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive an email message having full header information;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive an input to forward the received email message;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to provide a text prompt configured to receive text from a user in the form of a body portion of a forwarding message; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to provide user-selectable options in response to receiving the input to forward the received email message, the user-selectable options comprising;

an option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

an option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message,

wherein, in response to selection of the option to include the full header information of the received email message in the forwarded email message, the text prompt is configured to not display the header to the user and provide the full header information as an email attachment to the forwarded email message.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive the option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to forward the received email message with the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to include the full header information of the received email message.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive the option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to forward the received email message without the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to not include the full header information of the received email message.

10. An email messaging system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage component comprising;

logic adapted to receive an email message having full header information;

logic adapted to receive an input to forward the received email message;

logic adapted to provide a text prompt configured to receive text from a user in the form of a body portion of a forwarding message; and

logic adapted to provide user-selectable options in response to receiving the input to forward the received email message, the user-selectable options comprising;

an option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

an option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message,

wherein, in response to selection of the option to include the full header information of the received email message in the forwarded email message, the text prompt is configured to not display the header information to the user and provide the full header information as an email attachment to the forwarded email message.

11. The system of claim 10, the storage component further comprising:

logic adapted to receive the option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

logic adapted to forward the received email message with the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to include the full header information of the received email message.

12. The system of claim 10, the storage component further comprising:

logic adapted to receive the option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

logic adapted to forward the received email message without the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to not include the full header information of the received email message.

13. An email messaging system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage component, comprising;

means for receiving an email message having full header information;

means for receiving an input to forward the received email message;

means for providing a text prompt configured to receive text from a user in the form of a body portion of a forwarding message; and

means for providing user-selectable options in response to receiving the input to forward the received email message, the user-selectable options comprising;

an option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

an option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message,

wherein, in response to selection of the option to include the full header information of the received email message in the forwarded email message, the text prompt is configured to not display the header information to the user and provide the full header information as an email attachment to the forwarded email message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for providing user-selectable options comprises:

means for providing user-selectable icon configured to toggle between the option to include the full header information and the option to not include the full header information in response to being selected by the user.

15. The system of claim 13, the storage component further comprising:

means for receiving from the user the option to include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

means for forwarding the received email message with the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to include the full header information of the received email message.

16. The system of claim 13, the storage component further comprising:

means for receiving from the user the option to not include the full header information of the received email message in a forwarded email message; and

means for forwarding the received email message without the full header information of the received email message in response to receiving the option to not include the full header information of the received email message.