Automatic grouping of electronic mail

• US 20050004989A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tilburg, Martijn E. Van, Harris, Jensen M., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Wiedemann, Bruce D., Avery, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

Automatic sorting and grouping of electronic mail items in an electronic mail system is provided. An automatic mail grouping property may be selected for electronic mail received, sent or stored in a variety of storage folders. For a given mail location (e.g., received mail, sent mail, or a given mail storage folder), a selected automatic grouping property causes mail to be displayed to a user in one or more categories that make location of specific mail items easier and more efficient. Visible dividers with optional headings may be provided between mail categories to quickly draw a user'"'"'s attention to a given mail category and to separate large numbers of mail into logical groupings that make location of specific mail items more manageable.

Claims

1. A method of automatically sorting and grouping electronic mail items, comprising:

receiving a plurality of electronic mail items;

applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items;

preparing one or more electronic mail groupings according to the electronic mail grouping arrangement type applied to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

populating each of the one or more electronic mail groupings with corresponding electronic mail items from the plurality of electronic mail items.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface where electronic mail items corresponding to a first electronic mail category are displayed together as a first electronic mail grouping, and where electronic mail items corresponding to a second electronic mail category are displayed together as a second electronic mail grouping.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a heading above the first electronic mail grouping for identifying electronic mail items displayed together as the first electronic mail category.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying a second heading above the second electronic mail grouping for identifying electronic mail items displayed together as the second electronic mail category.

5. The method of claim 4, prior to applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items, further comprising:

applying an electronic mail sorting type to the plurality of electronic mail items.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sorting the plurality of electronic mail items according to the electronic mail sorting type such that electronic mail items displayed together as a first electronic mail grouping and electronic mail items displayed together as a second electronic mail grouping are sorted according to the applied electronic mail sorting type.

7. The method of claim 1, whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a custom electronic mail grouping arrangement type comprised of a combination of two or more electronic mail grouping types to the plurality of electronic mail items.

8. The method of claim 7, whereby preparing one or more electronic mail groupings according to the electronic mail grouping arrangement type applied to the plurality of electronic mail items includes preparing one or more sub-groupings for each of the one or more electronic mail groupings, whereby the one or more electronic mail groupings are associated with a first electronic mail grouping type of the two or more electronic mail grouping types and whereby the one or more sub-groupings for each of the one or more electronic mail groupings is associated with a second electronic mail grouping type of the two or more electronic mail grouping types.

9. The method of claim 2,

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first parameter of the electronic mail grouping arrangement type;

and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second parameter of the electronic mail grouping arrangement type.

10. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Date”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Date”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Date”

arrangement type category are received within a first date parameter; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Date”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

Date”

arrangement type category are received within a second date parameter.

11. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

From”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

From”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

From”

arrangement type category are received from a first mail sender; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

From”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

From”

arrangement type category are received from a second mail sender.

12. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

To”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

To”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

To”

arrangement type category are sent to a first mail sender; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

To”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

To”

arrangement type category are sent to a second mail sender.

13. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Size”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Size”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Size”

arrangement type category are of a size falling within a first size parameter; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Size”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

Size”

arrangement type category are of a size falling within a second size parameter.

14. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Subject”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Subject”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Subject”

arrangement type category have a mail subject matching a first subject parameter; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Subject”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail item associated with the second “

Subject”

arrangement type category have a mail subject matching a second subject parameter.

15. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Type”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Type”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Type”

arrangement type category have a mail type matching a first electronic mail type; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Type”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

Type”

arrangement type category have a mail type matching a second electronic mail type.

16. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Flag”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Flag”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Flag”

arrangement type category are flagged with a first mail flag type; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Flag”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

Flag”

arrangement type category are flagged with a second mail flag type.

17. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Attachments”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Attachments”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Attachments”

arrangement type category each contain attachments; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Attachments”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

Attachments”

arrangement type category each do not contain attachments.

18. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Importance”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Importance”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Importance”

arrangement type category have an associated importance level matching a first importance level; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Importance”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

Importance”

arrangement type category have an associated importance level matching a second importance level.

19. The method of claim 2,

whereby applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items includes applying a “

Folder”

arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first “

Folder”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the first “

Folder”

arrangement type category are contained in a first mail folder; and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second “

Folder”

arrangement type category where the one or more electronic mail items associated with the second “

Folder”

arrangement type category are contained in a second mail folder.

20. A method of automatically sorting and grouping electronic mail messages, comprising:

receiving a plurality of electronic mail messages;

applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail messages;

preparing one or more electronic mail groupings according to the electronic mail grouping arrangement type applied to the plurality of electronic mail messages;

populating each of the one or more electronic mail groupings with corresponding electronic mail items from the plurality of electronic mail messages;

displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface where electronic mail messages corresponding to a first electronic mail category are displayed together as a first electronic mail grouping, and where electronic mail messages corresponding to a second electronic mail category are displayed together as a second electronic mail grouping; and

displaying a heading above each of the first and second electronic mail groupings for identifying electronic mail items displayed together as the first and second electronic mail categories.

21. The method of claim 20,

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail messages in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail messages associated with a first parameter of the electronic mail grouping arrangement type;

and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail messages in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail messages associated with a second parameter of the electronic mail grouping arrangement type.

22. A computer-readable medium on which is stored computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of automatically sorting and grouping electronic mail items, comprising:

receiving a plurality of electronic mail items;

applying an electronic mail grouping arrangement type to the plurality of electronic mail items;

preparing one or more electronic mail groupings according to the electronic mail grouping arrangement type applied to the plurality of electronic mail items; and

populating each of the one or more electronic mail groupings with corresponding electronic mail items from the plurality of electronic mail items.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface where electronic mail items corresponding to a first electronic mail category are displayed together as a first electronic mail grouping, and where electronic mail items corresponding to a second electronic mail category are displayed together as a second electronic mail grouping.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying a heading above the first electronic mail grouping for identifying electronic mail items displayed together as the first electronic mail category.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

displaying a second heading above the second electronic mail grouping for identifying electronic mail items displayed together as the second electronic mail category.

26. The method of claim 23,

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as the first electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a first parameter of the electronic mail grouping arrangement type;

and

whereby displaying the plurality of electronic mail items in an electronic mail user interface includes displaying together as a second electronic mail grouping one or more electronic mail items associated with a second parameter of the electronic mail grouping arrangement type.