User interface for context sensitive creation of electronic mail message handling rules

• US 7,653,879 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Arcuri, Michael Philip, Madhusoodanan, Julie, Kakumani, Raja Charu Vikram, Daley, Paul, White, Christopher Cameron, Bacioiu, Radu, Sareen, Chaitanya Dev
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, ANDREA NATAE
• Application Number:
  US10/663,291
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 715/514, 715/708, 715/752, 715/706, 715/713
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A contextually sensitive user interface for defining an e-mail message handling rule is provided. The user interface includes one or more user interface objects for specifying conditions for the rule and one or more user interface objects for defining the actions to be performed if the specified conditions are met. The conditions that are displayed within the user interface for selection are chosen, at least in part, based upon the context in which a request to create the e-mail handling rule is received. The displayed conditions may be based, in part, upon the contexts of reading an e-mail message, creating an e-mail message, creating an alert subscription, or selecting a user name.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface for defining an electronic message handling rule, the method comprising:

receiving a request to create the electronic message handling rule, wherein receiving the request to create the electronic message handling rule comprises receiving the request to create the electronic message handling rule from a user interface button displayed within an electronic message reading pane;

in response to the request, identifying a context in which the request to create the electronic message handling rule was received, the identified context being associated with receiving a subscription alert, wherein receiving the subscription alert comprises;

receiving an electronic mail message,

parsing the electronic mail message to determine whether the electronic mail message was generated by the subscription alert,

in response to determining that the electronic mail message was generated by the subscription alert, providing the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, and

providing a preview of the electronic mail message generated by the subscription alert, wherein providing the preview of the electronic mail message generated by the subscription alert comprises providing the preview of the electronic mail message in the reading pane; and

providing, in response to a selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, a user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule comprises customizing a contents of the user interface based on the identified context associated with an operation on the electronic mail message, the operation comprising one of the following;

reading the electronic mail message, selecting the electronic mail message, and creating the subscription alert associated with the electronic mail message, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing;

a first user interface object for defining at least one condition for the electronic message handling rule, wherein the at least one condition is automatically pre-selected and a user does not make any selections regarding the at least one condition,

a second user interface object for defining at least one action to be performed when the at least one condition is satisfied, wherein the at least one action to be performed comprises at least one of the following;

displaying a new item alert window, selecting a sound, playing the selected sound, previewing the selected sound, moving the electronic mail message to a selected folder, speaking selected text, and previewing the selected text, and

a third user interface object for defining the electronic message handling rule that contains all possible actions and all possible conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first user interface object for defining the at least condition for the electronic message handling rule comprises providing a subset of all possible conditions for the electronic message handling rule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on an identity of a sender of the received electronic mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on a subject of the received electronic mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on an identity of at least one intended recipient of the electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on an identity of the intended recipient of the created electronic mail message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on a subject of the created electronic mail message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the at least one condition for the electronic message handling rule comprises defining the at least one condition to be associated with receiving an alert electronic mail message generated as a result of the subscription alert.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on the selected name.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, in response to the selection of the user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule further comprises providing a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the rule based on a subject of the received electronic mail message when the context comprises selecting a name.

11. A contextually sensitive user interface for defining an electronic message handling rule, the user interface comprising:

a first user interface object provided to a display device for defining at least one condition for the electronic message handling rule, wherein the at least one condition is automatically pre-selected and a user does not make any selections regarding the at least one condition, based on an identified context in which a request to create the electronic message handling rule was received, the identified context corresponding to receiving a subscription alert, wherein receiving the subscription alert comprises;

receiving an electronic mail message,

parsing the electronic mail message to determine whether the electronic mail message was generated by the subscription alert,

in response to determining that the electronic mail message was generated by the subscription alert, providing a user interface button for creating the electronic message handling rule, and

providing a preview of the electronic mail message generated by the subscription alert, wherein providing the preview of the electronic mail message generated by the subscription alert comprises providing the preview of the electronic mail message in a reading pane of a software for proving the electronic mail message;

a second user interface object for defining at least one action to be performed if the at least one specified condition is satisfied, wherein the at least one action to be performed comprises at least one of the following;

displaying a new item alert window, selecting a sound, playing the selected sound, previewing the selected sound, moving the electronic mail message to a selected folder, speaking selected text, and previewing the selected text; and

a third user interface object for defining the electronic message handling rule that contains all of the possible actions and all of the possible conditions.

12. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on the identity of a sender of the electronic mail message when the identified context comprises reading the electronic mail message.

13. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on a subject of the electronic mail message when the identified context comprises reading the electronic mail message.

14. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on an identity of at least one intended recipient of the electronic mail message when the identified context comprises reading the electronic mail message.

15. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on an identity of the intended recipient of the electronic mail message when the identified context comprises creating the electronic mail message.

16. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on a subject of the electronic mail message when the identified context comprises creating the electronic mail message.

17. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on the selected name when the identified context comprises selecting a name.

18. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object for setting a condition for the electronic message handling rule based on a subject of a received electronic mail message when the identified context comprises selecting a name.

19. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 11, further comprising a fourth user interface object containing a subset of all actions for defining the at least one condition and the at least one action for handling the electronic message.

20. The contextually sensitive user interface of claim 19, wherein the fourth user interface object contains at least one commonly utilized action to be performed.

21. A system for providing a user interface for defining an electronic message handling rule, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive a request to create the electronic message handling rule from a user interface button displayed within an electronic message reading pane;

in response to the request, identify a context in which the request to create the electronic message handling rule was received, wherein the identified context comprises a context selected from one of;

a creation of an alert subscription comprising a generation of an alert electronic mail message and a receipt of the alert subscription comprising;

a receipt of the generated alert electronic mail message,

a parsing of the generated alert electronic message to determine whether the generated alert electronic mail message was generated by the alert subscription, and

in response to a determination that the generated alert electronic mail message was generated by the alert subscription, a provision of a user interface button for configured to create the electronic message handling rule, and

a preview of the generated alert electronic mail message generated by the alert subscription, wherein the preview of the generated alert electronic mail message generated by the alert subscription comprises providing the preview of the generated alert electronic mail message in the reading pane; and

provide a user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule, wherein a contents of the user interface is customized based on the identified context associated with an operation on the electronic mail message, the operation comprising one of the following;

a reading of an electronic mail message, selecting the electronic mail message, and a creation of the alert subscription associated with the electronic mail message, wherein the user interface for defining the electronic message handling rule comprises;

a first user interface portion for defining at least one condition for the electronic message handling rule, wherein the at least one condition is automatically pre-selected and a user does not make any selections regarding the at least one condition,

a second user interface portion for defining at least one action to be performed if the at least one condition is satisfied, wherein the at least one action to be performed comprises at least one of the following;

a display of a new item alert window, a selection of a sound, a playing of the selected sound, a preview of the selected sound, a moving of the electronic message to a selected folder, a speaking of selected text, and a preview of the selected text, and

a third user interface portion for defining the electronic message handling rule that contains all possible actions and all possible conditions.