Marking email as partially reviewed based on scrolling extent

• US 8,219,629 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haynes, Thomas R., Sun, Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATSIKIS, KOSTAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/162,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

An extent to which a user has reviewed an email is estimated, and a review value is assigned to the email based upon the estimated extent of review. A visual indicator associated with the email is displayed, wherein the appearance of the visual indicator is determined at least by the review value. In an exemplary embodiment, the email contains one or more recipient email addresses, wherein each recipient email address is associated with a recipient review value. In the exemplary embodiment, a visual indicator is displayed corresponding to the recipient review value associated with each recipient email address.

Claims

1. A method to selectively mark email as partially reviewed, comprising:

estimating an extent to which a user has partially reviewed an email, wherein said estimating the extent to which the user has partially reviewed the email comprises,

determining an amount of a body of the email that has been scrolled through,

computing the scrolled through amount of the body of the email divided by a length of the body of the email to generate a review value that represents an estimated portion of the email that has been partially reviewed;

assigning the review value to the email; and

displaying a visual indicator associated with the email, wherein the appearance of the visual indicator is determined at least by the review value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the review value is also based on at least one of a type of the email, a value associated with a sender email address of the email, and a value associated with a user input.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the visual indicator comprise at least one of a colored graphic and a numerical display of the review value.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said estimating the extent to which a user has reviewed an email is also based on user interaction with a preview pane.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the visual indicator is located within at least one of an inbox and a preview pane.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the email comprises one or more recipient email addresses, wherein each recipient email address is associated with a recipient review value, further comprising displaying a visual indicator corresponding to the recipient review value associated with each recipient email address.

7. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

a network adapter coupled with the processor, the network adapter operable to receive an e-mail from another data processing system; and

a review tool for selectively marking email as partially reviewed, wherein the review tool is configured to;

estimate an extent to which a user has partially reviewed an email, wherein the review tool configured to estimate the extent to which the user has partially reviewed the email comprises the review tool configured to,

determine an amount of a body of the email that has been scrolled through,

compute the scrolled through amount of the body of the email divided by a length of the body of the email to generate a review value that represents an estimated portion of the email that has been partially reviewed;

assign the review value to the email; and

display a visual indicator associated with the email, wherein the appearance of the visual indicator is determined at least by the review value.

8. The data processing system of claim 7 wherein the review value is also based on at least one of a type of the email, a value associated with a sender email address of the email, and a value associated with a user input.

9. The data processing system of claim 7 wherein the visual indicator comprise at least one of a colored graphic and a numerical display of the review value.

10. The data processing system of claim 7 wherein the extent to which a user has reviewed an email is also based on user interaction with a preview pane.

11. The data processing system of claim 7 wherein the visual indicator is located within at least one of an inbox and a preview pane.

12. The data processing system of claim 7 wherein the email comprises one or more recipient email addresses, wherein each recipient email address is associated with a recipient review value, wherein the review tool is further configured to display a visual indicator corresponding to the recipient review value associated with each recipient email address.

13. The data processing system of claim 7 further comprising a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program that embodies the review tool.

14. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing program instructions for selectively marking email as partially reviewed, the program instructions configured to:

estimate an extent to which a user has partially reviewed an email, wherein the program instructions configured to estimate the extent to which the user has partially reviewed the email comprises the program instructions configured to,

determine an amount of a body of the email that has been scrolled through,

compute the scrolled through amount of the body of the email divided by a length of the body of the email to generate a review value that represents an estimated portion of the email that has been partially reviewed;

assign the review value to the email; and

display a visual indicator associated with the email, wherein the appearance of the visual indicator is determined at least by the review value.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the review value is also based on at least one of a type of the email, a value associated with a sender email address of the email, and a value associated with a user input.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the visual indicator comprise at least one of a colored graphic and a numerical display of the review value.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the extent to which a user has reviewed an email is also based on user interaction with a preview pane.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the visual indicator is located within at least one of an inbox and a preview pane.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the email comprises one or more recipient email addresses, wherein each recipient email address is associated with a recipient review value, wherein the program instructions are further configured to display a visual indicator corresponding to the recipient review value associated with each recipient email address.