Exporting an email thread to a persistent chat room

• US 8,903,922 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wyatt, Denise
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aguiar, Johnny
• Application Number:
  US13/192,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 715/751, 715/752, 715/753, 370/352, 370/353
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A method, an apparatus and computer readable storage media facilitate establishing an email thread utilizing an email application used by a client device that communicates with other client devices across a network, where the email thread includes at least one email circulated to a group of users over the network relating to a discussion topic. The email application is linked with a synchronous communication application so as to establish a real-time discussion between at least some of the users of the group in relation to the topic utilizing the synchronous communication application and so that each email of the email thread is accessible via a graphical user interface associated with the synchronous communication application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing an email thread utilizing an email application used by a client device configured to communicate with other client devices across a network, the email thread comprising a plurality of emails circulated to a group of users over the network relating to a discussion topic;

linking the email application with a synchronous communication application to establish a real-time discussion between at least some of the users of the group in relation to the discussion topic utilizing the synchronous communication application;

in response to establishing the real-time discussion in relation to the discussion topic utilizing the synchronous communication application, exporting the plurality of emails of the email thread from the email application to a storage location accessible by users associated with the real-time discussion, wherein only emails preceding establishing the real-time discussion are exported to the storage location, and each email of the email thread is accessible from the storage location via a graphical user interface associated with the synchronous communication application; and

sending an alert message to a user utilizing the email application in response to the user sending an email to other users of the group in relation to the discussion topic after establishing the real-time discussion utilizing the synchronous communication application.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising inviting users from the group to engage in the real-time discussion utilizing the synchronous communication application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an invitation to engage in the real-time discussion is sent to the invited users via an email utilizing the email application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the number of invited users is less than the total number of users within the group.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising deleting each email of the email thread from the email application in response to exporting the plurality of emails of the email thread to the storage location.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising identifying each email of the email thread based upon content within a subject matter field of each email.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronous communication application is integrated with the email application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time discussion comprises instant messaging between users of the group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time discussion comprises video conferencing between users of the group.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface device configured to enable communications over a network;

a memory configured to store instructions for;

an email application to facilitate email communications between client devices over the network;

a synchronous communication application to facilitate a real-time discussion between client devices; and

an email to synchronous communication application to link the email application with the synchronous communication application; and

a processor configured with logic to execute and control operations of the email application, the synchronous communication application and the email to synchronous communication application to;

establish an email thread of the email application, the email thread comprising a plurality of emails circulated to a group of users over the communication network relating to a discussion topic; and

link the email application with the synchronous communication application to establish the real-time discussion between at least some of the users of the group in relation to the discussion topic utilizing the synchronous communication application;

in response to establishing the real-time discussion in relation to the discussion topic utilizing the synchronous communication application, exporting the plurality of emails of the email thread from the email application to a storage location accessible by users associated with the real-time discussion, wherein only emails preceding establishing the real-time discussion are exported to the storage location, and each email of the email thread is accessible from the storage location via a graphical user interface associated with the synchronous communication application; and

send an alert message to a user utilizing the email application in response to the user sending an email to other users of the group in relation to the discussion topic after establishing the real-time discussion utilizing the synchronous communication application.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to control operations of the email to synchronous communication application to invite users from the group to engage in the real-time discussion utilizing the synchronous communication application.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to send an invitation to engage in the real-time discussion to users via an email utilizing the email application.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a number of invited users is less than the total number of users within the group.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to control operations of the email to synchronous communication application to delete each email of the email thread from the email application in response to exporting the plurality of emails of the email thread to the storage location.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the email application, the synchronous communication application, and the email to synchronous communication application are integrated as a single software application.

16. One or more storage devices comprising computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

establish an email thread utilizing an email application used by a client device configured to communicate with other client devices across a network, the email thread comprising a plurality of emails circulated to a group of users over a network relating to a discussion topic;

link the email application with a synchronous communication application to establish a real-time discussion between at least some of the users of the group in relation to the topic utilizing the synchronous communication application;

in response to establishing the real-time discussion in relation to the discussion topic utilizing the synchronous communication application, exporting the plurality of emails of the email thread from the email application to a storage location accessible by users associated with the real-time discussion, wherein only emails preceding establishing the real-time discussion are exported to the storage location, and each email of the email thread is accessible from the storage location via a graphical user interface associated with the synchronous communication application; and

send an alert message to a user utilizing the email application in response to the user sending an email to other users of the group in relation to the discussion topic after establishing the real-time discussion utilizing the synchronous communication application.

17. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, and further comprising instructions operable to invite users from the group to engage in the real-time discussion utilizing the synchronous communication application.

18. The one or more storage devices of claim 17, and further comprising instructions operable to send an invitation to engage in the real-time discussion to the invited users via an email utilizing the email application.

19. The one or more storage devices of claim 17, wherein the number of invited users is less than the total number of users within the group.

20. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, and further comprising instructions operable to delete each email of the email thread from the email application in response to exporting the plurality of emails of the email thread to the storage location.

21. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, and further comprising instructions operable to identify each email of the email thread based upon content within a subject matter field of each email.

22. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, wherein the instructions operable to establish the real-time discussion comprises instructions operable to establish instant messaging between users of the group.

23. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, wherein the instructions operable to establish the real-time discussion comprises instructions operable to establish video conferencing between users of the group.