E-mail containing a web-based form

• US 7,653,694 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Witriol, Daniel B., Leen, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murray; Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/013,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/200, 706/2, 707/1, 715/200, 715/210, 715/221, 715/222, 715/234, 715/226, 715/709, 715/760, 715/780
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method is provided to enable an e-mail to display a Web-based form. A definition concerning an e-mail address may include form schema owned by a Web site. Alternatively, the definition may contain a link to a Web service that provides the form schema. An e-mail client may download the form schema from the Web service, preferably along with additional data such as information concerning previous e-mails sent to the e-mail address, a FAQ list concerning an e-mail distribution list if the e-mail address represents the e-mail distribution list, etc. The Web site owning the form schema may receive and process e-mail containing the form according to the metadata of the Web-based form.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying an e-mail containing a Web-based form, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an e-mail address in an e-mail client;

in response to receiving the e-mail address in the e-mail client, resolving the e-mail address, wherein resolving the e-mail address comprises;

querying at least one e-mail directory to resolve the e-mail address, the e-mail address being associated with the Web-based form, wherein querying the at least one e-mail directory comprises;

locating a form schema associated with the e-mail address and a corresponding Web site, and

populating an e-mail address object with the form schema, and

receiving the e-mail address object containing the form schema from the Web site;

upon receiving the e-mail address object containing the form schema, displaying the Web based form in the e-mail client;

receiving a signal to send the Web based form; and

sending the e-mail containing the Web based form along with data associated with the Web-based form upon receiving the signal to send the Web based form, wherein sending the e-mail containing the Web based form along with the data associated with the Web-based form comprises sending the e-mail to a Web server configured for;

receiving the e-mail containing the Web based form,

processing the Web based form, wherein processing the Web based form comprises processing the data associated with the Web based form to determine a person designated to respond to the Web based form, and

routing the Web based form to the determined designated person.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein populating the e-mail address object with the associated form schema comprises including a link to a Web service that provides the form schema.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein receiving the e-mail address object containing the form schema from the Web site further comprises providing additional data that can be downloaded along with the form schema.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein providing the additional data comprises providing the additional data comprising:

an item selected from a group comprising frequently asked questions, previous e-mails directed to the e-mail address, and information concerning a recipient of the e-mail.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein providing the additional data comprising the item selected from the group comprising the frequently asked questions associated with an e-mail distribution list, the e-mail distribution list comprising at least one of the following:

a description of the distribution list;

a purpose of the distribution list; and

a method of using the distribution list.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein sending the e-mail containing the Web based form along with the data associated with the Web based form further comprises sending metadata describing a nature of the Web based form.

7. A computing system for displaying and processing an e-mail containing a Web-based form, the computing system comprising:

a Web server operatively associated with a first computer of the computing system configured to;

host an e-mail directory,

provide custom fields used to store a form schema,

process the Web-based form according to metadata located in the Web-based form,

determine, based on the processed metadata, a location the Web-based form should be routed, and

route the Web-based form to the determined location; and

an e-mail client operatively associated with a second computer of the computing system configured to;

receive an e-mail address,

in response to receiving the e-mail address, resolve the e-mail address wherein the e-mail client being configured to resolve the e-mail address comprises the e-mail client being further configured to;

query at least one e-mail directory to resolve the e-mail address, wherein the e-mail address is associated with the Web-based form and a corresponding Web site;

locate a form schema associated with the e-mail address,

populate an e-mail address object with the associated form schema, and

receive the e-mail address object containing the form schema from the Web site, and

display the Web-based form upon receiving the e-mail address object containing the form schema, from the Web server, for rendering the Web-based form.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the e-mail address object populated with the associated form schema comprises includes a link to a Web service that provides the form schema.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the e-mail address object containing the form schema received from the Web site further operative to provide additional data that can be downloaded along with the form schema.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein additional data provided comprises:

an item selected from a group comprising frequently asked questions, previous e-mails directed to the e-mail address, and information concerning a recipient of the e-mail.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the additional data provided comprises the item selected from the group comprising the frequently asked questions associated with an e-mail distribution list, wherein the e-mail distribution list comprises at least one of the following:

a description of the distribution list;

a purpose of the distribution list; and

a method of using the distribution list.

12. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the web server is further configured to send the Web-based form along with data associated with the Web-based form upon receiving a signal to send the Web-based form.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the Web server is further configured to receive and process the e-mail form along with the data associated with the Web-based form.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the Web server being further configured to process the Web-based form along with the data associated with the e-mail comprises the Web server being configured to:

retrieve the data associated with the Web-based form from the e-mail; and

process the data associated with the Web-based form, wherein the Web server being configured to process the Web-based form associated with the data comprises the Web server being configured to;

determine whether the Web-based form is one of the following;

valid and invalid

in response to a determination that the Web-based form is invalid, send to a sender of the Web-based form a link to a page containing the Web-based form in an e-mail form for the sender to fill-in,

in response to a determination that the Web-based form is valid, determine whether the Web-based form is complete, and

in response to a determination that the Web-based form is not complete, suggest missing data based on content in the e-mail.

15. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the Web-based form is archived in a Web site associated with a destination address of the Web-based form.

16. The computing system of claim 13, wherein, in response to suggesting missing data based on the content in the e-mail for the sender to edit, the Web server is further configured to send a reply to the sender containing suggestions for missing data for the sender to edit.

17. A display device having rendered thereon a form in an e-mail, the display device comprising a window for:

receiving an e-mail address in an e-mail client;

in response to receiving the e-mail address;

querying at least one e-mail directory to resolve the e-mail address, the e-mail address being associated with the form, wherein querying the at least one e-mail directory comprises;

locating a form schema associated with the e-mail address, and

populating an e-mail address object with the associated form schema, and

receiving the e-mail address object containing the form schema associated with the e-mail;

displaying the e-mail, wherein the e-mail includes the form that is associated with a destination e-mail address of the e-mail;

displaying a panel including information concerning the destination e-mail address with which the form is associated; and

sending the e-mail containing the Web based form along with data associated with the Web-based form upon receiving a signal to send the Web based form, wherein sending the e-mail containing the Web based form along with the data associated with the Web-based form comprises sending the e-mail to a Web server configured for;

receiving the e-mail containing the Web based form,

processing the Web based form, wherein processing the Web based form comprises processing the data associated with the Web based form to determine a person designated to respond to the Web based form, and

routing the Web based form to the determined designated person.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein displaying the panel comprises displaying information associated with at least one of the following:

latest e-mails sent to the destination e-mail address;

how many times a user composing the e-mail has directed e-mails to the destination e-mail address;

all e-mails directed to the destination address;

a recipient of the e-mail; and

a FAQ list concerning an e-mail distribution list if the destination e-mail address is associated with the e-mail distribution list.