Keeping track of a detached e-mail attachment

• US 9,275,371 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., Polozoff, Alexandre, Kang, Kwang S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMARTH, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US11/186,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,876 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/217, 709/200, 715/530
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system, computer program product and method of keeping track of an attachment that has been detached from an e-mail message are provided. Generally, a table on which an attachment that has been detached from an e-mail message is cross-referenced to its storage location is used. Further, a link is inserted into the e-mail message to facilitate access to the detached attachment. If the attachment is ever moved from its storage location to a new storage location, the cross-referencing table is updated to reflect the new storage location. The link is also updated to facilitate access to the attachment at the new storage location.

Claims

1. A method of keeping track of an attachment to an email message, the attachment having a name and having been stored at an original storage location on a system, the e-mail message having a link inserted therein to the original storage location, the method comprising:

determining whether the attachment is moved from the original storage location to a new storage location, the new storage location including a trash bin; and

updating the link inserted in the e-mail message to facilitate access to the attachment at the new storage location, wherein updating the link includes;

inserting a first statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was moved to the trash bin in response to the attachment being moved to the trash bin;

or

inserting a second statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was deleted in response to the attachment being deleted and not being moved to the trash bin and replacing the link inserted in the e-mail message with the second statement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a reference table in which the name of the attachment and the original storage location are cross-referenced to each other is used, the original storage location being changed to the new storage location when the attachment is moved to the new storage location.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the reference table is further used to cross-reference the name and the storage location of the attachment to the e-mail message by inserting a name for the e-mail message in the reference table, the name of the attachment in the reference table is a first link that provides a user access to the attachment in response to the user asserting the first link in the reference table and the name for the e-mail message in the reference table is a second link that provides the user access to the e-mail message in response to the user asserting the second link in the reference table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the attachment stored at the original storage location or at the new storage location is moved to the trash bin and a user clicks on the link inserted in the e-mail message, the user is prompted to indicate whether or not the attachment is to be restored and in response to the user indicating that the attachment is to be restored, restoring the attachment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in response to the name of the attachment being changed, inserting a third statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the name of the attachment was changed.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein in response to the attachment stored at the original storage location or at the new storage location being modified, inserting a fourth statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was modified.

7. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium for keeping track of an attachment to an e-mail message, the attachment having a name and having been stored at an original storage location on a system, the e-mail message having a link inserted therein to the original storage location, the computer program product comprising:

code data for determining whether the attachment is moved from the original storage location to a new storage location, the new storage location including a trash bin; and

code data for updating the link inserted in the e-mail message to facilitate access to the attachment at the new storage location, wherein updating the link includes;

inserting a first statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was moved to the trash bin in response to the attachment being moved to the trash bin;

or

inserting a second statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was deleted in response to the attachment being deleted and not being moved to the trash bin and replacing the link inserted in the e-mail message with the second statement.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein a reference table in which the name of the attachment and the original storage location are cross-referenced to each other is used, the original storage location being changed to the new storage location when the attachment is moved to the new storage location.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the reference table is further used to cross-reference the name and the storage location of the attachment to the e-mail message by inserting a name for the e-mail message in the reference table, the name of the attachment in the reference table is a first link that provides a user access to the attachment in response to the user asserting the first link in the reference table and the name for the e-mail message in the reference table is a second link that provides the user access to the e-mail message in response to the user asserting the second link in the reference table.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein when the attachment stored at the original storage location or at the new storage location is moved to the trash bin and a user clicks on the link inserted in the e-mail message, the user is prompted to indicate whether or not the attachment is to be restored and in response to the user indicating that the attachment is to be restored, restoring the attachment.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein in response to the name of the attachment being changed, inserting a third statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the name of the attachment was changed.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein in response to the attachment stored at the original storage location or at the new storage location being modified, inserting a fourth statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was modified.

13. A system for keeping track of an attachment to an e-mail message, the attachment having a name and having been stored at an original storage location on the system, the e-mail message having a link inserted therein to the original storage location, the system comprising:

at least one storage device for storing code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to determine whether the attachment is moved from the original storage location to a new storage location, the new storage location including a trash bin, and to update the link inserted in the e-mail message to facilitate access to the attachment at the new storage location, wherein updating the link includes;

inserting a first statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was moved to the trash bin in response to the attachment being moved to the trash bin;

or

inserting a second statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was deleted in response to the attachment being deleted and not being moved to the trash bin and replacing the link inserted in the e-mail message with the second statement.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein a reference table in which the name of the attachment and the original storage location are cross-referenced to each other is used, the original storage location being changed to the new storage location when the attachment is moved to the new storage location.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the reference table is further used to cross-reference the name and the storage location of the attachment to the e-mail message by inserting a name for the e-mail message in the reference table, the name of the attachment in the reference table is a first link that provides a user access to the attachment in response to the user asserting the first link in the reference table and the name for the e-mail message in the reference table is a second link that provides the user access to the e-mail message in response to the user asserting the second link in the reference table.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein when the attachment stored at the original storage location or at the new storage location is moved to the trash bin and a user clicks on the link inserted in the e-mail message, the user is prompted to indicate whether or not the attachment is to be restored and in response to the user indicating that the attachment is to be restored, restoring the attachment.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein in response to the name of the attachment being changed, inserting a third statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the name of the attachment was changed.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein in response to the attachment stored at the original storage location or at the new storage location being modified, inserting a fourth statement into the e-mail message indicating when and by whom the attachment was modified.