Collaborative email filtering

• US 8,775,527 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick Joseph, Callanan, Sean, Srikanth, Hema, Zimmet, Carol Sue
• Primary Examiner(s): KHAJURIA, SHRIPAL K
• Application Number:
  US12/335,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A first filter input is received from a first recipient of an email including a plurality of recipients. The first filter input is associated with the email. Further, the first filter input is propagated to at least another of the plurality of recipients of the email.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computer device, a first filter input from a first recipient of a received email including a plurality of recipients, the first filter input corresponding to the received email;

associating the first filter input with the received email, wherein the first filter input includes a characterization of the received email;

propagating the characterization of the received email of the first filter input to at least another of the plurality of recipients of the received email;

modifying the received email based upon, at least in part, the first filter input, including embedding the first filter input within a header of the modified received email;

receiving, at a computer device, a second filter input from a second recipient of the received email; and

aggregating the first filter input and the second filter input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characterization of the received email of the first filter input is indicative of a perceived importance of the received email.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the received email includes providing an indicator of perceived importance of the received email.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the received email based upon, at least in part, the first filter input further comprises at least one of:

modifying the received email based upon a status of the first recipient; and

modifying the received email based upon one or more rules defined for the at least another of the plurality of recipients.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the status of the first recipient is based upon, at least in part, a position of the first recipient in an organization.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating the second filter input with the received email;

propagating the second filter input to the at least another of the plurality of recipients of the received email; and

embedding the aggregated first and second filter inputs within the header of the modified received email.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing, via a graphical user interface, the first recipient of the received email to select the first filter input.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the received email is viewable through the graphical user interface and wherein the first filter input is selectable via a menu available from the graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing other emails from being accessed within an inbox associated with each of the plurality of recipients until the modified received email has been opened.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first filter input from a first recipient of a received email including a plurality of recipients, the first filter input corresponding to the received email;

associating the first filter input with the received email, wherein the first filter input includes a characterization of the received email;

propagating the characterization of the received email of the first filter input to at least another of the plurality of recipients of the received email;

modifying the received email based upon, at least in part, the first filter input, including embedding the first filter input within a header of the modified received email;

receiving, at a computer device, a second filter input from a second recipient of the received email; and

aggregating the first filter input and the second filter input.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the characterization of the received email of the first filter input is indicative of a perceived importance of the received email.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for modifying the received email include instructions for providing an indicator of perceived importance of the received email.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for modifying the received email based upon, at least in part, the first filter input further comprise instructions for at least one of:

modifying the received email based upon a status of the first recipient; and

modifying the received email based upon one or more rules defined for the at least another of the plurality of recipients.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions for:

associating the second filter input with the received email;

propagating the second filter input to the at least another of the plurality of recipients of the received email and

embedding the aggregated first and second filter inputs within the header of the modified received email.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions for:

preventing other emails from being accessed within an inbox associated with each of the plurality of recipients until the modified received email has been opened.

16. A computing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory architecture coupled with the processor;

one or more software modules executed on the processor and the memory architecture, wherein the one or more software modules are configured to cause the processor to perform operations including;

receiving a first filter input from a first recipient of a received email including a plurality of recipients, the first filter input corresponding to the received email;

associating the first filter input with the received email, wherein the first filter input includes a characterization of the received email;

propogating the characterization of the received email of the first filter input to at least another of the plurality of recipients of the received email;

modifying the received email based upon, at least in part, the first filter input, including embedding the first filter input within a header of the modified received email;

receiving a second filter input from a second recipient of the received email; and

aggregating the first filter input and the second filter input.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the characterization of the received email of the first filter input is indicative of a perceived importance of the received email.

18. The computing system of claim 16, wherein modifying the received email based upon, at least in part, the first filter input further includes at least one of:

modifying the received email based upon a status of the first recipient; and

modifying the received email based upon one or more rules defined for the at least another of the plurality of recipients.

19. The computing system of claim 16 further comprising:

associating the second filter input with the received email;

propagating the second filter input to the at least another of the plurality of recipients of the received email; and

embedding the aggregated first and second filter inputs within the header of the modified received email.

20. The computing system of claim 16, further comprising:

preventing other emails from being accessed within an inbox associated with each of the plurality of recipients until the modified received email has been opened.