System and method for managing mail messages

• US 20060031358A1
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Randy L. Canis
• Original Assignee: Randy L. Canis
• Inventors: Canis, Randy L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A method for managing a plurality of mail messages that are sent and received, the method comprising obtaining a message information portion for each of the plurality of mail messages, associating a default priority interval with each of the plurality of mail messages, and generating and associating an existing priority interval for each of the plurality of mail messages when the message information portion of each of the plurality of mail messages matches a selection criteria.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of mail messages that are sent and received, the method comprising:

obtaining a message information portion for each of the plurality of mail messages;

associating a default priority interval with each of the plurality of mail messages; and

generating and associating an existing priority interval for each of the plurality of mail messages when the message information portion of each of the plurality of mail messages matches a selection criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating each of the plurality of mail messages with either the default priority interval or the existing priority interval within a prioritizing system object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating each of the plurality of mail messages with either the default priority interval or the existing priority interval within a priority row of a priority table.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding or updating tracking information as each of the plurality of mail messages is sent or received.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adding or updating tracking information as each of the plurality of mail messages is sent or received comprises adding or updating a communication table row of a communication table.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication for each of the plurality of mail messages based on a number of priority levels beyond the default priority interval or the existing priority interval since a last response was sent or received for each of the plurality of mail messages.

7. The method of claim 6, where the indication graphically represents a number of priority levels since the last response was sent or received for each of the plurality of mail messages.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the response comprises a user responding to each of the plurality of mail messages received from other users and third parties and the other users and third parties responding to each of the plurality of mail messages received sent by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the message information portion comprises a routing information, a date, a from name and mail address, a to name and mail address and a subject.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selection criteria comprises a FNMA string and a subject search string.

11. A method for transmitting a mail message, the mail message comprising a message body, the method comprising:

entering a message into the message body of the mail message on a mail client;

defining a priority interval for the mail message; and

transmitting the mail message to the third party or other user without including the priority interval with the mail message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the priority interval defines an expected response time of the third party or other user and is retained by a prioritizing system object operatively associated with the mail client.

13. The method of 11, further comprising indicating that a response to the mail message was not sent by the third party or other user within the expected response time.

14. The method of 11, further comprising indicating a priority level based on the priority interval for each of the plurality of mail messages.

15. A method for managing a plurality of mail messages that are sent and received, the method comprising:

means for distinguishing and relating the plurality of mail messages according to a selection criteria; and

means for generating or associating a priority means for each of the plurality of mail messages based on a match of each of the plurality of mail messages to the selection criteria, wherein the priority means identifies a length of time since each of the plurality of mail messages was last sent or received.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising means for tracking the plurality of mail messages as the mail messages are sent and received.

17. The method of claim 15, means for escalating a notification level for each of the plurality of mail messages based on the priority means.