Automated out-of-office notification reminder

• US 9,369,416 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bos, Jeffrey Charles, Pinheiro, Gil, Kuo, Margaret Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, MEHULKUMAR J
• Application Number:
  US14/052,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709/207
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A method performed by a network element, and the network element, the method determining, according to a triggering event, whether out-of-office messaging is active for an electronic mail account; and providing a notification that the out-of-office messaging is active based on the determining.

Claims

1. A network element comprising:

a computer processor; and

a communications subsystem configured for sending and receiving electronic mail messages,

wherein the network element is configured to;

determine, via the computer processor, for a user of an electronic mail account, whether out-of-office messaging is active for the user of the electronic mail account;

upon determining that the out-of-office messaging is active, determine whether there has been use of the electronic mail account by the user of the electronic mail account prior to a return date configured for the out-of-office messaging;

upon determining that there has been use of the electronic mail account prior to the return date from a predefined location, provide a notification to the user of the electronic mail account that the out-of-office messaging is still active and restrict further notifications for a predetermined period; and

upon determining that there has been use of the electronic mail account prior to the return date from a location other than the predefined location, provide no notification to the user that the out-of-office messaging is still active.

2. The network element of claim 1, wherein the return date is configured on a user interface during out-of-office messaging activation.

3. The network element of claim 1, wherein the return date is parsed from a message sent within a user interface during out-of-office messaging activation.

4. The network element of claim 1, wherein the notification is one of a pop-up message, an electronic mail message, an instant message, and a short message service message.

5. The network element of claim 1, wherein the notification provides an option to deactivate the out-of-office messaging.

6. The network element of claim 1, wherein a format for the notification is configurable within the electronic mail account.

7. The network element of claim 1, wherein the network element is one of a server, a computing device, and a mobile device.

8. The network element of claim 1, further configured to:

determine whether the return date has passed; and

upon determining that the return date has passed, send a notification to the user of the electronic mail account asking whether the out of office messaging should be extended.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer processor of a network element are configured to:

determine, via the computer processor, for a user of an electronic mail account, whether out-of-office messaging is active for the user of the electronic mail account;

upon determining that the out-of-office messaging is active, determine whether there has been use of the electronic mail account by the user of the electronic mail account prior to a return date configured for the out-of-office messaging;

upon determining that there has been use of the electronic mail account prior to the return date from a predefined location, provide a notification to the user of the electronic mail account that the out-of-office messaging is still active and restrict further notifications for a predetermined period; and

upon determining that there has been use of the electronic mail account prior to the return date from a location other than the predefined location, provide no notification to the user that the out-of-office messaging is still active.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the return date is configured on a user interface during out-of-office messaging activation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the return date is parsed from a message set within a user interface during out-of-office messaging activation.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the notification is one of a pop-up message;

an electronic mail message;

an instant message, and a short message service message.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the notification provides an option to deactivate the out-of-office messaging.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein a format for the notification is configurable within the electronic mail account.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the network element is one of a server, a computing device and a mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to:

determine whether the return date has passed; and

upon determining that the return date has passed, send a notification to the user of the electronic mail account asking whether the out of office messaging should be extended.