Tagging and tracking non-hypertext markup language based E-mail

• US 7,970,842 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cama, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US12/478,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-207, 709217-219, 709225-229, 709/250, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for tagging and tracking non-hypertext markup language based e-mail. An e-mail is converted from a non-hypertext markup language format to an encoded format. An item is identified in the e-mail. A tag is added to the item in the e-mail. The e-mail is converted from the encoded format back to the non-hypertext markup language format.

Claims

1. A data processing system for tagging and tracking non-hypertext markup language based e-mail, the data processing system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to select an e-mail for tracking, wherein the e-mail is based in non-hypertext markup language and the e-mail is created using Lotus Notes;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to convert the e-mail from a non-hypertext markup language format to an encoded format, wherein the encoded format is extensible markup language (XML);

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to identify an item in a set of items in the e-mail, wherein the item comprises;

at least one of hyperlink, attachment, or grouped content, wherein the grouped content has a plurality of sections, wherein a section is expandable to present additional content associated with the section, and wherein each section comprises a summary level and a full text level;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to add a tag to each item in the set of items in the e-mail, wherein the tag tracks an action associated with the item by a recipient of the e-mail; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to convert the e-mail from the encoded format back to the non-hypertext markup language format, wherein the e-mail includes the tag added to the item in the e-mail, and wherein the program instructions to convert the e-mail from the encoded format back to the non-hypertext markup language utilize Domino Extensible Language (DXL) in Lotus Notes to convert the encoded format back to the non-hypertext markup language.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions to identify the item in the set of items in the e-mail load a user preference file and identify the item based on the user preference file.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the tag contains information about at least one of a recipient, a sender, and the e-mail'"'"'s content.

4. A computer program product for tagging and tracking non-hypertext markup language based e-mail, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to select an e-mail for tracking, wherein the e-mail is based in non-hypertext markup language and the e-mail is created using Lotus Notes;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to convert the e-mail from a non-hypertext markup language format to an encoded format, wherein the encoded format is extensible markup language (XML);

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to identify an item in a set of items in the e-mail, wherein the item comprises;

at least one of hyperlink, attachment, or grouped content, wherein the grouped content has a plurality of sections, wherein a section is expandable to present additional content associated with the section, and wherein each section comprises a summary level and a full text level;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to add a tag to each item in the set of items in the e-mail, wherein the tag tracks an action associated with the item by a recipient of the e-mail; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to convert the e-mail from the encoded format back to the non-hypertext markup language format, wherein the e-mail includes the tag added to the item in the e-mail, and wherein the program instructions to convert the e-mail from the encoded format back to the non-hypertext markup language utilize Domino Extensible Language (DXL) in Lotus Notes to convert the encoded format back to the non-hypertext markup language.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the program instructions to identify the item in the set of items in the e-mail load a user preference file and identify the item based on the user preference file.

6. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the tag contains information about at least one of a recipient, a sender, and the e-mail'"'"'s content.