Mechanism for facilitating organization and accessing of emails

• US 8,024,410 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rajkumar R. Madnani
• Inventors: Madnani, Rajkumar R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano, Sargon
• Application Number:
  US11/820,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 715/752, 715/758
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A mechanism is disclosed for generating a composite email for an email conversation. The composite email includes content automatically extracted from a plurality of the emails in the email conversation, and may be generated in response to a user accessing just one of the emails in the email conversation. A mechanism is also disclosed for discovering and recovering lost emails in an email conversation. A mechanism is further disclosed for automatically moving emails from one container to another after an email has been read. These and other advantageous email generating, manipulation, and organization mechanisms are disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method, comprising:

accessing a particular electronic mail message (email) that is part of an email conversation, wherein the email conversation spans across a plurality of separate emails, wherein all of the emails that are part of the email conversation have a unique identifier associated therewith that indicates that the emails are part of the email conversation, and wherein the particular email is currently located in a first logical container;

extracting the unique identifier and content from the particular email;

accessing, based at least partially upon the unique identifier, an email conversation data structure, wherein the email conversation data structure comprises information indicating which emails are part of the email conversation and information indicating a particular logical container as the logical container to which emails that are part of the email conversation are to be moved;

accessing one or more other emails indicated by the email conversation data structure as being part of the email conversation;

extracting content from the one or more other emails;

automatically generating a composite email which includes the content extracted from the particular email and the content extracted from the one or more other emails;

after accessing the particular email;

determining whether the particular email should be moved from the first logical container to another logical container; and

in response to a determination that the particular email should be moved, moving the particular email from the first logical container to the particular logical container indicated in the email conversation data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the email conversation data structure having information indicating a particular logical container as the logical container to which emails that are part of the email conversation are to be moved;

receiving user input indicating a particular logical container as the logical container to which emails that are part of the email conversation are to be moved;

accessing the email conversation data structure; and

updating the email conversation data structure to include information indicating the particular logical container as the logical container to which emails that are part of the email conversation are to be moved.

3. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 2.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular email is automatically moved when the particular email is closed after having been accessed.

5. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 4.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the particular email should be moved comprises:

determining whether the particular email has been acknowledged as having been read.

7. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 6.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the particular email should be moved comprises:

determining whether automatic movement functionality has been activated.

9. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 8.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after accessing the one or more other emails;

determining whether any of the one or more other emails should be moved; and

in response to a determination that one or more of the other emails should be moved, moving at least a subset of the one or more other emails to the particular logical container.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to the email conversation data structure having information indicating a particular logical container as the logical container to which emails that are part of the email conversation are to be moved;

receiving user input indicating a particular logical container as the logical container to which emails that are part of the email conversation are to be moved;

accessing the email conversation data structure; and

updating the email conversation data structure to include information indicating the particular logical container as the logical container to which emails that are part of the email conversation are to be moved.

12. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 11.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular email and the subset of the one or more other emails are automatically moved when the particular email and the subset of the one or more other emails are closed after having been accessed.

14. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 13.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether any of the one or more other emails should be moved comprises:

determining whether any of the one or more other emails have been acknowledged as having been read.

16. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 15.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether any of the one or more other emails should be moved comprises:

determining whether automatic movement functionality has been activated.

18. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 17.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether any of the one or more other emails should be moved comprises:

determining whether any of the one or more other emails are already located in the particular logical container.

20. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 19.

21. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 10.

22. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.