Downloading web-based email

• US 8,862,688 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalbag, Rohit Satish
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US10/700,030
• Time in Patent Office: 3,998 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/205, 709/203, 709/217, 715/752, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

Web-based email methods and systems for downloading emails from an email service provider'"'"'s servers to a user'"'"'s local system and/or other local storage medium are provided. The user can select the emails to download and the systems and methods can retrieve the selected emails from storage. The text of the emails can be reformatted into a text file. The systems and methods can present a web page to the user from which the email text file can be downloaded. The web page can include attachments to the emails. The text files can be concatenated into a one or more text files and the attachments can be compressed into one or more files. Optionally, the text file(s) and the compressed file(s) can be emailed to an alternate email address. Optionally, the email text and attachments can be formatted for viewing by a local email client.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a plurality of emails from a web-based email system, comprising:

employing a file conversion application to process the plurality of emails into text files;

concatenating the text files to provide at least one concatenated file;

processing attachments of the plurality of emails into at least one compressed file, wherein the attachments are processed independently from the text files such that the at least one compressed file is separate from the at least one concatenated file

presenting a web page including the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file in downloadable form associated with a download option and/or an email option for the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file;

receiving an input indicating a selection of the download option or the email option; and

transmitting the at least one concatenated file according to the selection,

wherein the downloadable form of the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file is formatted to allow email client applications to process the downloadable form in a manner similar to normal emails, whereby an email client operating on a local system can browse, view, send and/or reply to downloaded text files and/or attachments respectively associated with the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file as a user would for other emails processed by the email client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page incorporates in downloadable form the at least one concatenated file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page incorporates in downloadable form the at least one compressed file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting according to the selection of the download option comprises:

transmitting the at least one compressed file to a system external to the web-based email system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting according to the selection of the email option comprises:

attaching the at least one concatenated file to an email generated by the web-based email system and transmitting the email to at least one email address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting according to the selection of the email option comprises attaching the at least one compressed file to the email prior to transmitting.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising modifying the email prior to transmitting.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising formatting the at least one concatenated file or the at least one compressed file into a form executable by an email client application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one compressed file is obtained by processing the attachments according to a received preferences input.

10. A method of archiving and transmitting emails, comprising:

designating at least two of the emails to be archived to obtain designated emails;

processing the designated emails with a file conversion application to obtain text files therefrom;

concatenating the text files to obtain a concatenated file;

processing attachments of the designated emails into a compressed file, wherein the attachments are processed independently from the text files such that the compressed file is separate from the concatenated file;

generating a web page including the concatenated file and/or the compressed file in downloadable form associated with a download option and/or an email option for the concatenated file and/or the compressed file;

receiving an input indicating a selection of the download option or the email option; and

transmitting the concatenated file according to the selection,

wherein the downloadable form of the concatenated file and/or the compressed file is formatted to allow email client applications to process the downloadable form in a manner similar to normal emails, whereby an email client operating on a local system can browse, view, send and/or reply to downloaded text files and/or attachments respectively associated with the concatenated file and/or the compressed file as a user would for other emails processed by the email client.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the web page incorporates in downloadable form the concatenated file or the compressed file.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein

transmitting according to the selection of the download option comprises transmitting the at least one compressed file to a system external to a web-based email system, and

transmitting according to the selection of the email option comprises attaching the at least one concatenated file to an email generated by the web-based email system and transmitting the email to at least one email address.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising formatting the concatenated file or the compressed file into a form executable by an email client application.

14. The method of claim 10,

wherein designating the at least one of the emails is in response to receiving an indication of a selection of the at least one of the emails.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to transmit a plurality of emails from a web-based email system, the instructions controlling the computer system to:

process the plurality of emails with a set of file conversion instructions to convert the plurality of emails into text files;

concatenate the text files to provide at least one concatenated file;

process attachments of the plurality of emails into at least one compressed file, wherein the attachments are processed independently from the text files such that the at least one compressed file is separate from the at least one concatenated file;

present a web page including the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file in downloadable form associated with a download option and/or an email option for the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file;

receive an input indicating a selection of the download option or the email option; and

transmit the at least one concatenated file according to the selection,

wherein the downloadable form of the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file is formatted to allow email client applications to process the downloadable form in a manner similar to normal emails, whereby an email client operating on a local system can browse, view, send and/or reply to downloaded text files and/or attachments respectively associated with the at least one concatenated file and/or the at least one compressed file as a user would for other emails processed by the email client.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the web page incorporates in downloadable form the concatenated file or the compressed file.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for controlling the computer system to transmit the at least one concatenated file according to the selection of the download option comprises instructions to transmit the at least one compressed file to a system external to the web-based email system, and

wherein the instructions for controlling the computer system to transmit the at least one concatenated file according to the selection of the email option comprises instructions to attach the at least one concatenated file to an email generated by the web-based email system and transmit the email to at least one email address.

18. A web-based email application on non-transitory computer-readable medium, the application comprising instructions to transmit emails from a storage medium associated with the web-based email application to a storage medium associated with a processing system controlled by a user of the web-based email application, the application transmitting the emails by:

using a set of file conversion instructions to process the emails into text files;

concatenating the text files to obtain a concatenated file;

processing a plurality of attachments of the emails into a compressed file, wherein the plurality of attachments are processed independently from the text files such that the compressed file is separate from the concatenated file;

generating a web page including a download option and/or an email option for at least one of the concatenated file and the compressed file;

incorporating the concatenated file and/or the compressed file into the web page in downloadable form;

receiving an input indicating a selection of the download option or the email option; and

transmitting at least one of the concatenated file and the compressed file according to the selection,

wherein the downloadable form of the concatenated file and/or the compressed file is formatted to allow email client applications to process the downloadable form in a manner similar to normal emails, whereby an email client operating on a local system can browse, view, send and/or reply to downloaded text files and/or attachments respectively associated with the concatenated file and/or the compressed file as a user would for other emails processed by the email client.

19. The web-based email application of claim 18, wherein

transmitting according to the selection of the download option comprises transmitting the at least one of the concatenated file and the compressed file to a system external to a web-based email system, and

transmitting according to the selection of the email option comprises attaching the at least one of the concatenated file and the compressed file to an email generated by the web-based email system and transmitting the email to at least one email address.