Pre-send evaluation of E-mail communications

• US 10,305,830 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Manning, Sara L., Dougherty, Jesse M., Thomas, Shawn M., Waddoups, Nathan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US13/971,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206, 709245, 715824, 715821, 715810, 715764
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A system for identifying attributes associated with content of an e-mail message and alerting a user includes a client device programmed to allow a user to create an e-mail message including at least one recipient and a message content, a server programmed to check an attribute of the e-mail message, and to send the e-mail message, and one or more information stores in communication with the server, the information stores including information about the e-mail message. The server is programmed to query the information stores to obtain information about the e-mail message as the message is being composed by the user, and the server sends a mail tip to the client regarding the e-mail message. The client is programmed to provide the mail tip to the user, the mail tip being formatted and positioned by the client so that it is integrated within a header section of the e-mail message.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a user to information associated with sending of an e-mail message, comprising:

receiving at a server an e-mail compose event causing the server to evaluate the e-mail message, wherein the server determines whether at least one recipient is restricted from receiving message content included in a body of the e-mail message;

obtaining information from at least one information source in order to evaluate the e-mail message;

based on the obtained information and the message content, validating the message content;

in response to validating the message content, determining whether user attention is required; and

if user attention is required, sending a response from the server to a client device regarding the e-mail message and generating a notification to the user indicating the at least one recipient of the e-mail message is not authorized to receive the message content included in the body of the e-mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification further comprises a dialog box, the dialog box being programmed to require the user to acknowledge the dialog box before sending the e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning an indication of the response between a ribbon and an address field in a header section of the e-mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the e-mail message comprises a plurality of attributes checked by a server in communication with the client device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a size of the e-mail message exceeds a threshold, (2) a number of recipients contained in the e-mail message exceeds a threshold, (3) the e-mail message contains a restricted attachment, (4) the e-mail message contains an improperly formed Simple Mail Transport Protocol address, and (5) the e-mail message contains a reply-all response from a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a recipient is out of office, (2) the recipient is external to an organization, (3) the recipient'"'"'s mailbox is full, (4) the recipient has restricted access, (5) the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address is misspelled, and (6) the recipient is no longer employed in the organization.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a size of a distribution list exceeds a threshold, (2) the distribution list is a moderated distribution list, (3) the distribution list has restrictions regarding access, and (4) the distribution list includes members external to an organization.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device is selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a desktop e-mail client, and (2) a mobile device client.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an indication of the response is displayed by the client device within a given period of time of the e-mail compose event.

10. A computing device for alerting a user to information associated with sending of an e-mail message, comprising:

a memory for storing executable program code; and

a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to;

receive at a server an e-mail compose event causing the server to evaluate the e-mail message, wherein the server determines whether at least one recipient is restricted from receiving message content included in a body of the e-mail message;

obtain information from at least one information source in order to evaluate the e-mail message;

based on the obtained information and the message content, validate the message content;

in response to validating the message content, determine whether user attention is required; and

if user attention is required, send a response from the server to the computing device regarding the e-mail message and generate a notification to the user indicating the at least one recipient of the e-mail message is not authorized to receive the message content included in the body of the e-mail message.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the notification includes a dialog box, the dialog box being programmed to require the user to acknowledge the dialog box before sending the e-mail message.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to position an indication of the response between a ribbon and an address field in a header section of the e-mail message.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the e-mail message comprises a plurality of attributes checked by a server in communication with the computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a size of the e-mail message exceeds a threshold, (2) a number of recipients contained in the e-mail message exceeds a threshold, (3) the e-mail message contains a restricted attachment, (4) the e-mail message contains an improperly formed Simple Mail Transport Protocol address, and (5) the e-mail message contains a reply-all response from a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a recipient is out of office, (2) the recipient is external to an organization, (3) the recipient'"'"'s mailbox is full, (4) the recipient has restricted access, (5) the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address is misspelled, and (6) the recipient is no longer employed in the organization.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a size of a distribution list exceeds a threshold, (2) the distribution list is a moderated distribution list, (3) the distribution list has restrictions regarding access, and (4) the distribution list includes members external to an organization.

17. The computing device of claim 10, wherein an indication of the response is displayed within a given period of time of the e-mail compose event.

18. A computer-readable storage media storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computing device, will cause the computing device to perform a method of alerting a user to information associated with sending of an e-mail message, the method comprising:

receiving at a server an e-mail compose event causing the server to evaluate the e-mail message, wherein the server determines whether at least one recipient is restricted from receiving message content included in a body of the e-mail message;

obtaining information from at least one information source in order to evaluate the e-mail message;

based on the obtained information and the message content, validating the message content;

in response to validating the message content, determining whether user attention is required;

if user attention is required, sending a response to the computing device from the server regarding the e-mail message and generating a notification to the user indicating the at least one recipient of the e-mail message is not authorized to receive the message content included in the body of the e-mail message.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein an indication of the response is displayed within a given period of time of the e-mail compose event.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the e-mail message comprises a plurality of attributes checked by a server in communication with the computing device, the plurality of attributes being selected from the group consisting of:

(1) a size of the e-mail message exceeds a threshold, (2) a number of recipients contained in the e-mail message exceeds a threshold, (3) the e-mail message contains a restricted attachment, (4) the e-mail message contains an improperly formed Simple Mail Transport Protocol address, (5) the e-mail message contains a reply-all response from a Blind Carbon Copy recipient, (6) a recipient is out of office, (7) the recipient is external to an organization, (8) the recipient'"'"'s mailbox is full, (9) the recipient has restricted access, (10) the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address is misspelled, (11) the recipient is no longer employed in the organization, (12) a size of a distribution list exceeds a threshold, (13) the distribution list is a moderated distribution list, (14) the distribution list has restrictions regarding access, and (15) the distribution list includes members external to the organization.