Prioritizing electronic messages based upon geographical location of the recipient

• US 8,364,765 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Champlin-Scharff, George H., Patel, Heena
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US12/270,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 715/758, 379/90, 379/93
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of sorting electronic messages can include, for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, determining availability of a sender of each electronic message and determining an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message. The method further can include displaying the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of sorting electronic messages, the method comprising:

via a processor, for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, within the electronic messaging client determining availability of a sender of each electronic message according to, at least in part, a geographic location identifier contained within an electronic mail address of each sender of the electronic messages;

via the processor, determining an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message;

via the processor, displaying the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order;

via the processor, automatically reordering the electronic messages over time according to changing sender availability; and

via the processor, displaying the electronic messages within the view of the electronic messaging client in an order specified by the automatic reordering.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises, via the processor, determining a time zone for each sender.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises, via the processor, determining a location for each sender in relation to a location of a user of the electronic messaging client.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises:

via the processor, determining an availability time range for each sender;

via the processor, determining a time differential between the sender of each electronic message and a user of the electronic messaging client; and

via the processor, determining whether each sender is available according to a current local time for the user of the electronic messaging client and the time differential and the availability time range for each sender.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises determining, via the processor, availability from a directory of profiles of senders.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises, via the processor, determining availability of each sender according to presence information for each sender from an instant messaging system.

7. A system for system sorting electronic messages comprising:

a processor that executes an electronic messaging client that, for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, within the electronic messaging client determines availability of a sender of each electronic message according to, at least in part, a geographic location identifier contained within an electronic mail address of each sender of the electronic messages, determines an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message, and displays the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order;

wherein the electronic messaging client automatically reorders the electronic messages over time according to changing sender availability and displays the electronic messages within the view of the electronic messaging client in an order specified by the automatic reordering.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic messaging client further determines availability according to a time zone for each sender.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic messaging client further determines availability according to a location for each sender in relation to a location of a user of the electronic messaging client.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic messaging client further determines availability by determining an availability time range for each sender, determining a time differential between the sender of each electronic message and a user of the electronic messaging client, and determining whether each sender is available according to a current local time for the user of the electronic messaging client and the time differential and the availability time range for each sender.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic messaging client further determines availability of a sender of each electronic message by determining availability from a directory of profiles of senders.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic messaging client further determines availability of each sender by determining availability according to presence information for each sender from an instant messaging system.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable device comprising computer-usable program code stored thereon that sorts electronic messages, the computer-readable device comprising;

computer-usable program code that, for each of a plurality of electronic messages received in an electronic messaging client, determines within the electronic messaging client availability of a sender of each electronic message according to, at least in part, a geographic location identifier contained within an electronic mail address of each sender of the electronic messages;

computer-usable program code that determines an order for the electronic messages within the electronic messaging client according to availability of the sender of each electronic message;

computer-usable program code that displays the electronic messages within a view of the electronic messaging client in the order;

computer-usable program code that automatically reorders the electronic messages over time according to changing sender availability; and

computer-usable program code that displays the electronic messages within the view of the electronic messaging client in an order specified by the automatic reordering.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-usable program code that determines availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises:

computer-usable program code that determines an availability time range for each sender;

computer-usable program code that determines a time differential between the sender of each electronic message and a user of the electronic messaging client; and

computer-usable program code that determines whether each sender is available according to a current local time for the user of the electronic messaging client and the time differential and the availability time range for each sender.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-usable program code that determines availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises computer-usable program code that determines whether each sender is available according to presence information from an instant messaging system.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-usable program code that determines availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises computer-usable program code that determines availability according to a time zone for each sender.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-usable program code that determines availability of a sender of each electronic message further comprises computer-usable program code that determines availability from a directory of profiles of senders.