Granularly selecting a subset of recipients who can reply to a sender's e-mail

• US 7,877,448 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Janakiraman, Janani, Vaidyanathan, Basu
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESAI, MARGISHI V
• Application Number:
  US11/780,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for assigning reply status to an outgoing electronic mail (e-mail) message. While creating an e-mail message, an interface is provided for granularly assigning or denying reply privileges to recipients of an outgoing e-mail message. Reply status is assigned by selecting a subset of recipients by name, e-mail address, and/or e-mail group who may reply to the e-mail. As the recipient'"'"'s reply status is modified, the outgoing e-mail is updated, revising the reply e-mail address for each recipient. When the recipient is granted reply status, the e-mail address of the original sender is provided as the reply e-mail address. However, in the event the recipient is not granted reply status, the e-mail address of an automated, unmanned e-mail account is provided as the reply e-mail address.

Claims

1. In a data processing device, a method comprising:

a processor executing a utility to perform the functions of;

automatically assigning a first reply status to an e-mail being transmitted to one or more first e-mail recipients, said first reply status allowing a reply e-mail from the one or more first e-mail recipients to be returned to a primary location corresponding to an e-mail address from which the e-mail is being transmitted;

associating a second reply status to the e-mail transmitted to second e-mail recipients that are not among the one or more first e-mail recipients, wherein the second e-mail recipients are not granted reply status, said second reply status causing a reply to the e-mail from the second e-mail recipients to be dynamically routed to a secondary location that is different from the primary location, wherein the secondary location is an automated, unnamed e-mail account;

receiving a reply e-mail to the e-mail;

checking the “

sent from”

address within the reply e-mail to determine whether the reply e-mail originated from one of the primary or secondary e-mail recipients; and

when the sent from address is one of the primary e-mail recipients, forwarding the reply e-mail to an inbox of the mail user agent (MUA); and

when the sent from address is one of the secondary e-mail recipients, forwarding the reply e-mail to the secondary location;

wherein reply privilege to the inbox of the MUA is denied to reply e-mail originating from the secondary e-mail recipients for whom reply privilege has not been assigned.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first selection of the second e-mail recipients;

detecting a second selection of the second reply status; and

linking the secondary location as a reply address for copies of the e-mail transmitted to the second e-mail recipients;

wherein the primary location is automatically assigned as the reply address to the e-mail, and copies of the e-mail to be transmitted to the second e-mail recipients are subsequently re-assigned the secondary location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the primary location is the inbox of the e-mail address; and

the automated, unnamed email account is the junk mailbox of the e-mail address.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a reply e-mail to the e-mail;

checking the reply address within the reply e-mail;

when the reply address is the primary location, forwarding the reply e-mail to an inbox of the mail user agent; and

when the reply address is the secondary location, forwarding the reply e-mail to the secondary location.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the automated, unnamed e-mail account is a separate e-mail address from the e-mail address from which the e-mail is transmitted.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying an interface for receiving an assignment of a reply status for-e-mail recipients;

receiving one or more selections from among allowing or denying a privilege by one or more e-mail recipients to reply to an e-mail using the primary location as a reply address;

dynamically linking one of the first location and the second location as a reply e-mail address for an e-mail recipient, based on an assigned reply status for the e-mail recipient.

selectively embedding an assigned reply address to copies of the e-mail transmitted, according to the assigned reply status;

transmitting each copy of the e-mail to respective e-mail recipients, said copy being embedded with the assigned reply address according to the assigned reply status;

wherein an e-mail reply generated by one of the first e-mail recipients is delivered back to an inbox of the mail user engine from which the e-mail originated; and

wherein e-mail replies generated by one of the second e-mail recipients are sent to the secondary location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said assigning reply status further comprises:

outputting one or more of the name, e-mail address, or name and e-mail address of one or more recipients to the interface along with a selection icon that enables selection of a reply status from among (a) allow e-mail reply to the primary location and (b) do not allow reply to the primary location;

prompting for selection of a reply status, where the selection is one of;

(a) allow or (b) do not allow;

receiving a selection to identify the reply status of the recipient of the outgoing e-mail; and

assigning the reply status according to the name and/or e-mail address of a recipient.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

linking a status content message to general content of the e-mail, based on the reply status of the recipient of the copy of the e-mail, said message including instructions indicating whether permission is granted to reply to the e-mail, and when permission is not granted, said instructions including “

do not reply”

instructions for e-mail recipients not assigned a reply privilege; and

transmitting the status content message for publishing along with general e-mail content of the transmitted copy of the e-mail that is provided to the e-mail recipient that is assigned the particular reply status.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

program code on the computer readable storage medium that when executed by a processor provides the functions of;

automatically assigning a first reply status to an e-mail being transmitted to one or more first e-mail recipients, said first reply status allowing a reply e-mail from the one or more e-mail recipients to be returned to a primary location corresponding to an e-mail address from which the e-mail is being transmitted;

associating a second reply status to the e-mail transmitted to second e-mail recipients that are not among the one or more first e-mail recipients, wherein the second e-mail recipients are not granted reply status, said second reply status causing a reply to the e-mail from the second e-mail recipients to be dynamically routed to a secondary location that is different from the primary location, wherein the secondary location is an automated, unnamed e-mail account;

receiving a reply e-mail to the e-mail;

checking the “

sent from”

address within the reply e-mail to determine whether the reply e-mail originated from one of the primary or secondary e-mail recipients; and

when the sent from address is one of the primary e-mail recipients, forwarding the reply e-mail to an inbox of the mail user agent (MUA); and

when the sent from address is one of the secondary e-mail recipients, forwarding the reply e-mail to the secondary location;

wherein reply privilege to the inbox of the MUA is denied to reply e-mail originating from the secondary e-mail recipients for whom reply privilege has not been assigned.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the program code for associating further comprises code for:

detecting a first selection of the second e-mail recipients;

detecting a second selection of the second reply status; and

linking the secondary location as a reply address for copies of the e-mail transmitted to the second e-mail recipients;

wherein the primary location is automatically assigned as the reply address to the e-mail, and copies of the e-mail to be transmitted to the second e-mail recipients are subsequently re-assigned the secondary location.

11. The computer product code of claim 10, wherein:

the primary location is the inbox of the e-mail address; and

the automated, unnamed e-mail account is the junk mailbox of the e-mail address.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising code for:

receiving a reply e-mail to the e-mail;

checking the reply address within the reply e-mail;

when the reply address is the primary location, forwarding the reply e-mail to an inbox of the mail user agent; and

when the reply address is the secondary location, forwarding the reply e-mail to the secondary location.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program code for determining the secondary location includes code for assigning a separate e-mail address from the e-mail address from which the e-mail is transmitted.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the program code further comprises code for:

displaying an interface for receiving an assignment of a reply status for-e-mail recipients;

receiving one or more selections from among allowing or denying a privilege by one or more e-mail recipients to reply to an e-mail using the primary location as a reply address;

dynamically linking one of the first location and the second location as a reply e-mail address for an e-mail recipient, based on an assigned reply status for the e-mail recipient;

selectively embedding an assigned reply address to copies of the e-mail transmitted, according to the assigned reply status;

transmitting each copy of the e-mail to respective e-mail recipients, said copy being embedded with the assigned reply address according to the assigned reply status;

wherein an e-mail reply generated by one of the first e-mail recipients is delivered back to an inbox of the mail user engine from which the e-mail originated; and

wherein e-mail replies generated by one of the second e-mail recipients are sent to the secondary location.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the code for assigning reply status further comprises code for:

outputting one or more of the name, e-mail address, or name and e-mail address of one or more recipients to the interface along with a selection icon that enables selection of a reply status from among (a) allow e-mail reply to the primary location and (b) do not allow reply to the primary location;

prompting for selection of a reply status, where the selection is one of;

(a) allow or (b) do not allow;

receiving a selection to identify the reply status of the recipient of the outgoing e-mail; and

assigning the reply status according to the name and/or e-mail address of a recipient.

16. The computer product of claim 14, further comprising code for:

linking a status content message to general content of the e-mail, based on the reply status of the recipient of the copy of the e-mail, said message including instructions indicating whether permission is granted to reply to the e-mail, and when permission is not granted, said instructions including “

do not reply”

instructions for e-mail recipients not assigned a reply privilege; and

transmitting the status content message for publishing along with general e-mail content of the transmitted copy of the e-mail that is provided to the e-mail recipient that is assigned the particular reply status.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a processor component;

an input/output (I/O) mechanism that enables entry of e-mail reply status;

a mechanism for transmitting and receiving e-mails and reply e-mails from and to a mail user agent (MUA) executing on the device; and

a utility executing on the processor component and which comprises codes that enables completion of the functions of;

automatically assigning a first reply status to an e-mail being transmitted to one or more first e-mail recipients, said first reply status allowing a reply e-mail from the one or more e-mail recipients to be returned to a primary location corresponding to an e-mail address from which the e-mail is being transmitted; and

associating a second reply status to the e-mail transmitted to second e-mail recipients that are not among the one or more first e-mail recipients, wherein the second e-mail recipients are not granted reply status, said second reply status causing a reply to the e-mail from the second e-mail recipients to be dynamically routed to a secondary location that is different from the primary location, wherein the secondary location is an automated, unnamed e-mail account, wherein said associating includes;

detecting a first selection of the second e-mail recipients;

detecting a second selection of the second reply status; and

linking the secondary location as the reply address for copies of the e-mail transmitted to the second e-mail recipients;

wherein the primary location is automatically assigned as the reply address to the e-mail, and copies of the e-mail to be transmitted to the second e-mail recipients are subsequently re-assigned the secondary location;

wherein when the primary location is the inbox of the e-mail address and the secondary location is the junk mailbox of the e-mail address;

receiving a reply e-mail to the e-mail; and

performing one of a sequence of processes from among;

(1) checking the reply address within the reply e-mail;

when the reply address is the primary location, forwarding the reply e-mail to an inbox of the mail user agent; and

when the reply address is the secondary location, forwarding the reply e-mail to the secondary location; and

(2) checking the “

sent from”

address within the reply e-mail to determine whether the reply e-mail originated from one of the primary or secondary e-mail recipients;

when the sent from address is one of the primary e-mail recipients, forwarding the reply e-mail to an inbox of the mail user agent (MUA); and

when the sent from address is one of the secondary e-mail recipients, forwarding the reply e-mail to the secondary location;

wherein reply privilege to the inbox of the MUA is denied to reply e-mail originating from the secondary e-mail recipients for whom reply privilege has not been assigned.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein said program code comprises code for:

outputting one or more of the name, e-mail address, or name and e-mail address of one or more recipients to the interface along with a selection icon that enables selection of a reply status from among (a) allow e-mail reply to the primary location and (b) do not allow reply to the primary location;

prompting for selection of a reply status, where the selection is one of;

(a) allow or (b) do not allow status;

receiving a selection to identify the reply status of the outgoing e-mail;

assigning reply status according to the name and/or e-mail address of a recipient;

linking a status message to general content of the e-mail, based on the reply status of the recipient of the copy of the e-mail, said status message including instructions indicating whether permission is granted to reply to the e-mail, said when permission is not granted, said instructions including “

do not reply”

instructions for e-mail recipients not assigned a reply privilege; and

transmitting the status message for publishing along with general e-mail content of the transmitted copy of the e-mail provided to the e-mail recipient that is assigned the particular reply status.