×

Dynamic set operations when specifying email recipients

  • US 8,606,864 B2
  • Filed: 12/31/2010
  • Issued: 12/10/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method comprising:

  • at least one of one or more computing devices providing an electronic message user interface;

    at least one of the one or more computing devices identifying an electronic message to be sent by a user to a plurality of recipients, each of the plurality of recipients being uniquely identified with a recipient address to a recipient account for receiving electronic messages, wherein sent ones of the electronic message are stored within a non-transitory storage medium and are thereafter accessible by a corresponding one of the plurality of recipients;

    at least one of the one or more computing devices receiving user input into two different designation sections from the user via the electronic message user interface, said user input for a first one of the two different designation sections specifying a list name of a predefined list for a first set of two or more recipients, a user specified set operator, and a second set of one or more recipients, wherein said predefined list is maintained specifically for the user by an electronic messaging system to which the electronic message user interface is linked, wherein said user input for a second one of the two different designation sections including a third set of one of more recipients;

    at least one of the one or more computing devices mathematically evaluating the first set and the second set using the set operator to dynamically generate a replacement set, wherein the mathematically evaluating causes at least one recipient of the first set to be excluded, whereby the replacement set includes fewer recipients than a quantity of recipients included in the first set, wherein the at least one excluded recipient of the first set include one recipient referred to as a first-designated-section-excluded-recipient, wherein the third set includes the first-designated-section-excluded-recipient;

    at least one of the one or more computing devices creating a new predefined list from the replacement set;

    saving the new predefined list for future reuse by users, who are able to thereafter specify the new predefined list by name within the electronic message user interface, wherein the new redefined list consists of the replacement set of recipients, wherein the saving saves an expression by an expression name, wherein the expression comprises the name of the predefined list name for a first set of two or more recipients, the set operator, and the second set of one or more recipients, wherein the saved expression is thereafter able to be utilized to define the replacement set, wherein whenever the predefined list for the first set of two or more recipients is changed, the expression used after the new predefined list is dynamically evaluated as a new replacement set different from said replacement set by virtue of the change to the predefined list for the first set of two or more recipients; and

    at least one of the one or more computing devices receiving from the user a user selection of a send option from the electronic message user interface, wherein election of the send option causes the electronic message to be conveyed the replacement set of recipients as specified in the first one of the designation sections, wherein election of the send option also causes the electronic message to be conveyed to the third set of recipients as specified in the second one of the designation sections, wherein the first-designated-section-excluded-recipient is sent the electronic message but is not indicated in the sent electronic message as being included in the first one of the designated sections, and wherein if the first-designated-section-excluded-recipient was not included in the third set then the first-designated-section-excluded-recipient would not have been sent the electronic message.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×