Methods and systems for saving draft electronic communications

• US 9,110,846 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Buchheit, Paul T., Lim, Jing Yee, Singh, Sanjeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tammy
• Application Number:
  US14/199,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 455/574, 455/500, 715/224, 715/235
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Methods and systems for saving draft electronic communications, such as web e-mails, are described herein. One such described method comprises automatically saving a draft web-email in the e-mail web page. A second such described method comprises saving a draft web e-mail in a cookie residing on the client machine. A third such described method comprises automatically saving a draft web e-mail at the host that provides the Web e-mail service. A fourth such described method comprises interacting with a central installed client component to save a draft web e-mail one the user'"'"'s machine at the client side.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a host system having one or more processors, the method comprising:

on the host system;

sending a web e-mail page to a client system via a communications network, the web e-mail page including an input region for composing an e-mail message;

prior to receiving from the client system, via the communications network, a user-initiated command to send the e-mail message,

receiving inputs from the client system via the communications network, wherein the received inputs include text inputs made by a user while composing the e-mail message in the input region of the web e-mail page; and

periodically auto-saving at the host system a backup copy of at least some of the received user text inputs to the web e-mail page, wherein the backup copy comprises a stored draft e-mail message; and

wherein the method includes, at the host system, receiving incremental changes to the e-mail message as the user composes the e-mail message, and making corresponding incremental changes to the stored draft e-mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, including, at the host system, receiving user inputs to a plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page, and saving the received user inputs to the plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page in the backup copy.

3. The method of claim 2, including, at the host system, in response to a request from the client system, retrieving the backup copy, and sending the backup copy to the client system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the backup copy comprises a backup copy of the e-mail message being composed by the user in the input region of the web e-mail page.

5. The method of claim 1, including, at the host system, receiving incremental changes to the user inputs to the web e-mail page.

6. The method of claim 1, including, at the host system, receiving user inputs to a plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page, and saving the received user inputs to the plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page in the backup copy.

7. The method of claim 6, including, at the host system, in response to a request from the client system, retrieving the backup copy, and sending the backup copy to the client system.

8. A host computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs including instructions for;

prior to receiving from a client system, via a communications network, a user-initiated command to send an e-mail message composed in a web e-mail page that includes an input region for composing the e-mail message,

receiving inputs from the client system via the communications network, wherein the received inputs include text inputs made by a user while composing the e-mail message in the input region of the web e-mail page; and

periodically auto-saving at the host computer system a backup copy of at least some of the received user text inputs to the web e-mail page, wherein the backup copy comprises a stored draft e-mail message; and

wherein the one or more programs include instructions for receiving, at the host computer system, incremental changes to the e-mail message as the user composes the e-mail message, and making corresponding incremental changes to the stored draft e-mail message.

9. The host computer system of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for receiving, at the host computer system, user inputs to a plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page, and saving the received user inputs to the plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page in the backup copy.

10. The host computer system of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, at the host computer system, responding to a request from the client system by retrieving the backup copy and sending the backup copy to the client system.

11. The host computer system of claim 8, wherein the backup copy comprises a backup copy of the e-mail message being composed by the user in the input region of the web e-mail page.

12. The host computer system of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for receiving, at the host computer system, incremental changes to the user inputs to the web e-mail page.

13. The host computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for receiving, at the host computer system, user inputs to a plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page, and saving the received user inputs to the plurality of distinct input fields of the web e-mail page in the backup copy.

14. The host computer system of claim 13, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for responding to a request from the client system by retrieving the backup copy, and sending the backup copy to the client system.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by a host computer system, the one or more programs including instructions for:

prior to receiving from a client system, via a communications network, a user-initiated command to send an e-mail message composed in a web e-mail page that includes an input region for composing the e-mail message,

receiving inputs from the client system via the communications network, wherein the received inputs include text inputs made by a user while composing the e-mail message in the input region of the web e-mail page; and

periodically auto-saving at the host computer system a backup copy of at least some of the received user text inputs to the web e-mail page, wherein the backup copy comprises a stored draft e-mail message; and

wherein the one or more programs include instructions for receiving, at the host computer system, incremental changes to the e-mail message as the user composes the e-mail message, and making corresponding incremental changes to the stored draft e-mail message.