Method for extracting and managing message addresses
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for extracting and managing electronic mail addresses in an electronic mail system, comprising:
- storing a virtual address book comprising records for electronic mail addresses, the records comprising a plurality of fields including;
i) an electronic mail address;
ii) a name associated with the electronic mail address; and
iii) information regarding prior interaction with the electronic mail address;
receiving a request from a user, via a user interface, to establish a priority rule for ordering records, wherein establishing the priority rule includes receiving a selection from the user of at least one field corresponding to the information regarding prior interaction with the electronic mail address for which a higher priority is assigned to for ordering records;
storing the user established priority rule;
in response to the user starting to input text to populate an address field of a new electronic mail message, identifying records in the virtual address book matching the user'"'"'s partially inputted text;
ordering the identified records based on the user established priority rule and the information regarding prior interaction with the electronic mail addresses; and
displaying an ordered list of names corresponding to said ordering of the identified records;
in response to user selection of a name from the ordered list, auto-completing the text being inputted by the user using data from the record associated with the selected name.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is disclosed for extracting and maintaining in a virtual address book one or more electronic mail addresses from one or more of the various address fields (e.g., “Fromm,” “To,” “Cc,” “Bcc”) of one or more e-mail messages either transmitted from or received at a predetermined network node (e.g., a client or server). Electronic mail addresses stored in the virtual address book may be made available to “auto-complete” capabilities utilized during the addressing of electronic mail messages.
48 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for extracting and managing electronic mail addresses in an electronic mail system, comprising:
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storing a virtual address book comprising records for electronic mail addresses, the records comprising a plurality of fields including; i) an electronic mail address; ii) a name associated with the electronic mail address; and iii) information regarding prior interaction with the electronic mail address; receiving a request from a user, via a user interface, to establish a priority rule for ordering records, wherein establishing the priority rule includes receiving a selection from the user of at least one field corresponding to the information regarding prior interaction with the electronic mail address for which a higher priority is assigned to for ordering records; storing the user established priority rule; in response to the user starting to input text to populate an address field of a new electronic mail message, identifying records in the virtual address book matching the user'"'"'s partially inputted text; ordering the identified records based on the user established priority rule and the information regarding prior interaction with the electronic mail addresses; and displaying an ordered list of names corresponding to said ordering of the identified records; in response to user selection of a name from the ordered list, auto-completing the text being inputted by the user using data from the record associated with the selected name. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification