System and method for tailoring of electronic messages

• US 7,747,692 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Larsen, Per Buch
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US11/765,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method for tailoring of electronic messages by combining in a composite electronic message information with an indication that at least one portion thereof is targeted for at least one predetermined class of recipient; performing a comparison of the indication contained in a received composite message with a predetermined indication of whether a recipient is of a class intended to receive the indicated portion; and passing the indicated portion to the recipient in dependence on the comparison.

Claims

1. A system for tailoring electronic messages to, and receiving the electronic messages by, a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, the system, comprising:

an author processor for generating an electronic message including a multitude of message parts, and for combining with said message parts a multitude of message indicators to form at least part of a composite message, said message indicators identifying, for each of said message parts, a recipient class for which said each of the message parts is intended for viewing by; and

a plurality of reader processors, each of the reader processors for receiving from one of the recipients one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by said one of the recipients, for receiving the composite message from the author processor, and for identifying selected ones of the message parts in the composite message for viewing by said one of the recipients by comparing said one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by said one of the recipients with the message indicators in the composite message to determine, for each of the message parts, whether said one of the recipients has selected to view said each of the message parts.

2. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

3. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined indication comprises a text string of which at least one character indicates a desired class.

4. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

5. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein at least one targeted portion of the electronic message comprises text.

6. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, further comprising means for allowing a user to change the predetermined indication whereby different portions of prior and future electronic messages are passed to the recipient in dependence on a changed comparison.

7. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing to an author a message template containing the indication of at least one portion thereof and allowing the author to enter message information.

8. A method for tailoring electronic messages to, and receiving the electronic messages by, a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, the method comprising the steps of:

using an author processor for generating an electronic message including a multitude of message parts, and for combining with said message parts a multitude of message indicators to form at least part of a composite message, said message indicators identifying, for each of said message parts, a recipient class for which said each of the message parts is intended for viewing by; and

using a plurality reader processors, each of the reader processors for receiving from one of the recipients one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by said one of the recipients, for receiving the composite message from the author processor, and for identifying selected ones of the message parts in the composite message for viewing by said one of the recipients by comparing said one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by said one of the recipients with the message indicators in the composite message to determine, for each of the message parts, whether said one of the recipients has selected to view said each of the message parts.

9. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

10. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined indication comprises a text string of which at least one character indicates a desired class.

11. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, wherein at least one targeted portion of the electronic message comprises text.

12. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, further comprising providing to an author a message template containing the indication of at least one portion thereof and allowing the author to enter message information.

13. A method according to claim 8, comprising the further step of the recipient providing a personal interest profile including one or more indicators identifying groups of messages to be received by the recipient.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the personal interest profile includes one or more recipient templates, each of the recipient templates identifying a group of parts of a respective message to be received by the recipient.

15. A method for producing tailored electronic messages to, and receiving the electronic messages by, a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an electronic message with an indication that at least one portion of the message is targeted for recipients for at least a predetermined one of said classes of recipients, said electronic message including a multitude of message parts, and a multitude of message indicators to form a composite message, said message indicators identifying, for each of said message parts, a recipient class for which said each of the message parts is intended for viewing by; and

using a plurality of reader processors, each of the reader processors for receiving from one of the recipients one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by said one of the recipients, for receiving the composite message, and for identifying selected ones of the message parts in the composite message for viewing by said one of the recipients by comparing said one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by said one of the recipients with the message indicators in the composite message to determine, for each of the message parts, whether said one of the recipients has selected to view said each of the message parts.

16. The method for producing a tailored electronic message according to claim 15, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

17. The method for producing a tailored electronic message according to claim 15, wherein the indicated at least one portion of the electronic message comprises text.

18. The method for producing a tailored electronic message according to claim 15, further comprising the step of providing to an author a message template containing the indication of at least one portion thereof and allowing the author to enter message information.

19. A method for processing a tailored electronic messages, the method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a composite electronic message including a multitude of message parts and a multitude of message indicators, said message indicators identifying, for each of said message parts, a recipient class for which said each of the message parts is intended for viewing by; and

receiving from a recipient one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by the recipient, and identifying selected ones of the message parts in the composite message for viewing by the recipient by comparing said one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by the recipient with the message indicators in the composite message to determine, for each of the message parts, whether the recipient has selected to view said each of the message parts.

20. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 19, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

21. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined indication comprises a text string of which at least one character indicates a desired class.

22. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 19, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

23. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 19, wherein the indicated at least one portion of the electronic message comprises text.

24. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 19, further comprising the step of allowing a user to change the predetermined indication whereby different portions of prior and future electronic messages are passed to the recipient in dependence on a changed comparison.

29. A computer program product comprising computer program code means for performing the method of claim 24.

30. A computer readable medium carrying the computer program product of claim 29.

25. A tailored electronic message to a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, said tailored message being for use with a reader processor and comprising:

a multitude of message parts combined with a multitude of message indicators to form a composite message, said message indicators identifying, for each of the message parts, a recipient class for which said each of the message parts is intended for viewing by; and

wherein the reader processor receives from a recipient one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by the recipient, and identifies selected ones of the message parts in the composite message for viewing by the recipient by comparing said one or more recipient indicators pre-selected by the recipient with the message indicators in the composite message to determine, for each of the message parts, whether the recipient has selected to view said each of the message parts.

26. The tailored electronic message according to claim 25, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

27. The tailored electronic message according to claim 25, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

28. The tailored electronic message according to claim 25, wherein the indicated at least one portion of the electronic message comprises text.