Management of email threads

• US 7,930,356 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McMahan, Paul F., Sun, Lin, Gawor, Jaroslaw
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali; Farhad
• Application Number:
  US12/121,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A method and system are provided for managing email threads. The method includes receiving a plurality of separate email threads. The method further includes generating associations between at least two email threads of the plurality of separate email threads. The method further includes displaying the associations of the at least two email threads. As a result, users can conveniently view the associated email threads and perform operations on particular email threads.

Claims

1. A method for managing email threads in an email system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of separate email threads at an email client on a first computer;

generating associations between at least two email threads of the plurality of separate email threads;

facilitating display of the associations of the at least two email threads; and

enabling a user to select a plurality of emails as current reply targets of a reply using a single reply email from the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating associations comprises:

generating a tag; and

tagging each of the at least two email threads with the tag.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising publishing the associations to a plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein, in relation to enabling the user to select the plurality of emails as current reply targets of the reply using the single reply email from the user, one of the emails is a primary reply target and at least one of the other emails are reply targets from the same email thread as the primary reply target.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein, in relation to enabling the user to select the plurality of emails as current reply targets of the reply using the single reply email from the user, one of the emails is a primary reply target and at least one of the other emails are reply targets from a different email thread from that of the primary reply target.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the user a selection of at least one email thread of the associated email threads;

receiving a command from the user; and

performing an operation on the emails of non-selected email threads based on the command.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the user a selection of at least one email thread of the associated email threads;

receiving a command from the user; and

performing an operation on the emails of the selected email threads based on the command.

8. An executable software product stored on a computer-readable storage device containing program instructions for managing email threads, the program instructions for:

receiving a plurality of separate email threads at an email client on a first computer;

generating associations between at least two email threads of the plurality of separate email threads;

facilitating display of the associations of the at least two email threads; and

enabling a user to select a plurality of emails as current reply targets of a reply using a single reply email from the user.

9. The executable software product of claim 8 wherein generating associations comprises:

generating a tag; and

tagging each of the at least two email threads with the tag.

10. The executable software product of claim 8 further comprising publishing the associations to a plurality of users.

11. The executable software product of claim 8 wherein, in relation to enabling the user to select the plurality of emails as current reply targets of the reply using the single reply email from the user, one of the emails is a primary reply target and at least one of the other emails are reply targets from the same email thread as the primary reply target.

12. The executable software product of claim 8 wherein, in relation to enabling the user to select the plurality of emails as current reply targets of the reply using the single reply email from the user, one of the emails is a primary reply target and at least one of the other emails are reply targets from a different email thread from that of the primary reply target.

13. The executable software product of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving from the user a selection of at least one email thread of the associated email threads;

receiving a command from the user; and

performing an operation on the emails of non-selected email threads based on the command.

14. The executable software product of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving from the user a selection of at least one email thread of the associated email threads;

receiving a command from the user; and

performing an operation on the emails of the selected email threads based on the command.

15. An email system comprising:

a first email client configured to execute on a first computer in communication with a server coupled to a network, wherein the first email client is configured to perform functions for;

receiving a plurality of separate email threads;

generating associations between at least two email threads of the plurality of separate email threads;

facilitating display of the associations of the at least two email threads; and

enabling a user to select a plurality of emails as current reply targets of a reply using a single reply email from the user.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first email client is further configured to perform functions for:

generating a tag; and

tagging each of the at least two email threads with the tag.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the first email client is further configured to perform functions for publishing the associations to a plurality of users.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein one of the emails of the selected plurality of emails is a primary reply target, and at least one of the other emails of the selected plurality of emails are reply targets from the same email thread as the primary reply target.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein one of the emails of the selected plurality of emails is a primary reply target, and at least one of the other emails of the selected plurality of emails are reply targets from a different email thread from that of the primary reply target.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the first email client is further configured to perform functions for:

receiving from the user a selection of at least one email thread of the associated email threads;

receiving a command from the user; and

performing an operation on the emails of non-selected email threads based on the command.