On demand email response

• US 9,473,442 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Danny Y., Handy-Bosma, John H., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US14/027,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.13, 705/7.15, 705/7.22, 705/7.23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An improvement to an electronic mail program is disclosed. In particular, the improved electronic mail program enables a user to mark individual action items within a message and set attributes for each action item. In the preferred embodiment, attributes include priority, deadline, abstract, and responsibility. The electronic mail program stores the action items and associated attributes in a database and sends the message to one or more recipients. The electronic mail program then displays the message and action items to the recipients. Message recipients then navigate through the list of action items to read descriptions and to determine the priority and nature of the actions necessary. The responsibility attribute further indicates which recipient should respond to the action item. The improved electronic mail program updates the status of each action item in the database as recipients respond.

Claims

1. A method for updating a plurality of requested actions, the method comprising:

assigning, by one or more processors, first and second priorities or deadlines to first and second respective actions to be performed by first and second participants, respectively;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a message addressed from a sender to the first and second participants requesting the first and second participants to perform the first and second respective actions, in a list of action items, with the first and second respective priorities or deadlines, and including other information comprising basic information regarding a purpose of communication and data common to email messages comprising date and time, a name of the sender, subject of the message, and list of recipients provided by the sender, wherein a first respective action is marked by the sender with a first mark and a second respective action is marked by the sender with a second mark to mark each separate action, in the list of action items, within a single message with a respective level of urgency, and wherein the one or more processors stores the message, which includes action items and associated attributes comprising a priority, a deadline, an abstract, and a responsibility, in a message database;

sending, by the one or more processors via a network, a copy of the single message to first and second computers of the first and second participants, respectively; and

responsive to receipt of the copy of the single message by the first computer of the first participant, one or more processors of the first computer;

initiating display at the first computer to the first participant the list of action items of the copy of the single message;

retrieving the action items and associated attributes from the message database, separate from the other information provided by the sender;

receiving from the first participant a selected response of one of (a) a complete response to the first respective action, (b) an initial assessment of the first respective action, or (c) an indication that more time will be needed to provide a complete response to the first respective action;

updating the message database with the selected response received from the first participant for the first respective actions;

updating the copy of the single message with the selected response of one of the complete response to the first respective action, the initial assessment of the first respective action, or the indication that more time will be needed to provide the complete response to the first respective action, as received from the first participant; and

sending via the network the copy of the single message updated to the second computer of the second participant for display, wherein the second participant receives both the copy of the single message before the update and subsequently, the copy of the single message updated, including a status of each selected response by the first participant for the first respective actions, in the list of action items, from the first participant and enabling the second participant to view a thread comprising elements selected from a group consisting of individual action items, responses, and further action items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second priorities or deadlines in the associated attributes includes the priority for the first participant to perform the first respective actions compared to other actions in the list of all actions assigned to first participant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second priorities or deadlines in the associated attributes includes the deadline for the first participant to perform the first respective actions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message includes a description of the second respective action.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

inserting, by the one or more processors, the deadline of the associated attributes into a calendar of the first participant in response to the receipt of the message.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

inserting, by the one or more processors, the deadline of the associated attributes into a calendar of the sender of the message.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending, by the one or more processors, a reminder based on a determination that the deadline is expiring.

8. A data processing system for updating a plurality of requested actions, the data processing system comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable storage device, and a memory, having stored thereon program instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

first program instructions to;

(a) assign first and second priorities or deadlines to first and second respective actions to be performed by first and second participants, respectively,

(b) receive a message addressed from a sender to the first and second participants requesting the first and second participants to perform the first and second respective actions, in a list of action items, with the first and second respective priorities or deadlines, and including other information comprising basic information regarding a purpose of communication and data common to email messages comprising date and time, a name of the sender, subject of the message, and list of recipients provided by the sender, wherein a first respective action is marked by the sender with a first mark and a second respective action is marked by the sender with a second mark to mark each separate action, in the list of action items, within a single message with a respective level of urgency, and wherein the one or more processors stores the message, which includes action items and associated attributes comprising a priority, a deadline, an abstract, and a responsibility, in a message database, and

(c) send a copy of the single message via a network to first and second computers of the first and second participants, respectively; and

second program instructions, responsive to receipt of the copy of the single message by the first computer of the first participant, to;

initiate display at the first computer to the first participant the list of action items of the copy of the single message,

retrieve the action items and associated attributes from the message database, separate from the other information provided by the sender,

receive from the first participant a selected response of one of (a) a complete response to the first respective action, (b) an initial assessment of the first respective action, or (c) an indication that more time will be needed to provide the complete response to the first respective action,

update the message database with the selected response received from the first participant for the first respective actions,

update the copy of the single message with the selected response of one of the complete response to the first respective action, the initial assessment of the first respective action or the indication that more time will be needed to provide the complete response to the first respective action, as received from the first participant, and send the copy of the single message updated via the network to the second computer of the second participant for display, wherein the second participant receives both the copy of the single message before the update and subsequently, the copy of the single message updated, including a status of each selected response by the first participant for the first respective actions, in the list action items, from the first participant and enabling the second participant to view a thread comprising elements selected from a group consisting of individual action items, responses, and further action items, wherein the first program instructions and the second program instructions are stored on the storage device for execution by the one or more processors via the memory.

9. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the first and second priorities or deadlines in the associated attributes includes the priority for the first participant to perform the first respective actions compared to other actions in the list of all actions assigned to first participant.

10. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the first and second priorities or deadlines in the associated attributes includes the deadline for the first participant to perform the first respective actions.

11. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the message includes a description of the second respective actions.

12. The data processing system of claim 10, further comprising:

third program instructions, responsive to the receipt of the message, to insert the deadline of the associated attributes into a calendar of the first participant, wherein the third program instructions are stored on the storage device for execution by the one or more processors via the memory.

13. The data processing system of claim 10, further comprising:

third program instructions, to insert the deadline of the associated attributes into a calendar of the sender of the message, wherein the third program instructions are stored on the storage device for execution by the one or more processors via the memory.

14. The data processing system of claim 10, further comprising:

third program instructions, to send a reminder based on a determination that the deadline is expiring, wherein the third program instructions are stored on the storage device for execution by the one or more processors via the memory.

15. A computer program product for updating a plurality of requested actions, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions stored on the one or more storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions, for execution on first computer, to;

(a) assign first and second priorities or deadlines to first and second respective actions to be performed by first and second participants, respectively,

(b) receive a message addressed to the first and second participants requesting the first and second participants to perform the first and second respective actions, in a list of action items, with the first and second respective priorities or deadlines, and including other information comprising basic information regarding a purpose of communication and data common to email messages comprising date and time, a name of a sender, subject of the message, and list of recipients provided by the sender, wherein a first respective action is marked by a sender with a first mark and the second respective action is marked by the sender with a second mark to mark each separate action, in the list of action items, within a single message with a respective level of urgency, and wherein the message, which includes action items and associated attributes comprising a priority, a deadline, an abstract, and a responsibility, is stored in a message database, and

(c) send a copy of the single message via a network to the first and second participants at second and third respective computers, respectively; and

program instructions, for execution on the second computer, responsive to receipt of the message by the second computer of the first participant, to;

initiate display of the copy of the single message,

retrieve the action items and associated attributes from the message database, separate from the other information provided by the sender at the second computer to the first participant,

receive from the first participant a selected response of one of (a) a complete response to the first respective action, (b) an initial assessment of the first respective action, or (c) an indication that more time will be needed to provide the complete response to the first respective action,

update the message database with the selected response received from the first participant for the first respective actions,

update the copy of the single message with the selected response of one of the complete response to the first respective action, the initial assessment of the first respective action or the indication that more time will be needed to provide the complete response to the first respective action, as received from the first participant, and

send the copy of the single message updated via the network to the third computer of the second participant for display, wherein the second participant receives both the copy of the single message before the update and subsequently, the copy of the single message updated, including a status of each selected response by the first participant for the first respective actions, in the list of action items, from the first participant and enabling the second participant to view a thread comprising elements selected from a group consisting of individual action items, responses, and further action items.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first and second priorities or deadlines in the associated attributes includes the priority for the first participant to perform the first respective actions compared to other actions in the list of all actions assigned to first participant.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first and second priorities or deadlines in the associated attributes includes the deadline for the first participant to perform the first respective actions.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the message includes a description of the second respective actions.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

program instructions, for execution on the second computer, responsive to the receipt of the message, to insert the deadline of the associated attributes into a calendar of the first participant.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

program instructions, for execution on the first computer, to insert the deadline of the associated attributes into a calendar of the sender of the message; and

program instructions, for execution on the first computer, to send a reminder based on a determination that the deadline is expiring.