SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TAILORING OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGES

• US 20070244978A1
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Larsen, Per
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method for tailoring of electronic messages by combining in a composite electronic message information with an indication that at least one portion thereof is targeted for at least one predetermined class of recipient; performing a comparison of the indication contained in a received composite message with a predetermined indication of whether a recipient is of a class intended to receive the indicated portion; and passing the indicated portion to the recipient in dependence on the comparison.

Claims

1. A system for tailoring of electronic messages to a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, the system, comprising:

means for combining in an electronic message information with an indication that at least one portion of the information is targeted for recipients of at least a predetermined one of said classes of recipients and for producing a composite message; and

means for performing a comparison of the indication contained in a received composite message with a predetermined indication of whether a specified one of the multitude of recipients is of a class intended to receive the targeted portion, and for passing the targeted portion to the specified recipient in dependence on the comparison, wherein said predetermined indication is selected by the specified recipient to identify one or more of said plurality of classes to which the specified recipient belongs.

2. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

3. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined indication comprises a text string of which at least one character indicates a desired class.

4. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

5. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, wherein at least one targeted portion of the electronic message comprises text.

6. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, further comprising means for allowing a user to change the predetermined indication whereby different portions of prior and future electronic messages are passed to the recipient in dependence on a changed comparison.

7. The system for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing to an author a message template containing the indication of at least one portion thereof and allowing the author to enter message information.

8. A method for tailoring of electronic messages to a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, the method, comprising the steps of:

combining in an electronic message information with an indication that at least one portion of the information is targeted for recipients of at least a predetermined one of said classes of recipient and producing a composite message; and

performing a comparison of the indication contained in a received composite message with a predetermined indication of whether a specified one of the multitude of recipients is of a class intended to receive the targeted portion, wherein said predetermined indication is selected by the specified recipient to identify one or more of said plurality of classes to which the specified recipient belongs, and passing the targeted portion to the specified recipient in dependence on the comparison.

9. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

10. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined indication comprises a text string of which at least one character indicates a desired class.

12. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, wherein at least one targeted portion of the electronic message comprises text.

14. The method for tailoring of electronic messages according to claim 8, further comprising providing to an author a message template containing the indication of at least one portion thereof and allowing the author to enter message information.

32. A method according to claim 8, comprising the further step of the recipient providing a personal interest profile including one or more indicators identifying groups of messages to be received by the recipient.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the personal interest profile includes one or more recipient templates, each of the recipient templates identifying a group of parts of a respective message to be received by the recipient.

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

15. A method for producing tailored electronic messages to a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, the method comprising the steps of:

combining in an electronic message information with an indication that at least one portion of the information is targeted for recipients for at least a predetermined one of said classes of recipients and producing a composite message, whereby a comparison of the indication contained in a received composite message with a predetermined indication of whether a specified one of the multitude of recipients is of a class intended to receive the indicated portion allows the indicated portion to be passed to the specified recipient in dependence on the comparison, wherein said predetermined indication is selected by the specified recipient to identify one or more of said plurality of classes to which the specified recipient belongs.

16. The method for producing a tailored electronic message according to claim 15, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

18. The method for producing a tailored electronic message according to claim 15, wherein the indicated at least one portion of the electronic message comprises text.

19. The method for producing a tailored electronic message according to claim 15, further comprising the step of providing to an author a message template containing the indication of at least one portion thereof and allowing the author to enter message information.

17. (canceled)

20. A method for processing a tailored electronic messages, the method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a composite electronic message combining information with an indication that at least one portion thereof is targeted for at least a predetermined one of said classes of recipients; and

performing a comparison of the indication contained in the received composite message with a predetermined indication of whether a one of said classes is of a class intended to receive the indicated portion, wherein said predetermined indication is selected by the recipient, and passing the indicated portion to the recipient in dependence on the comparison.

21. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 20, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

22. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 20, wherein the predetermined indication comprises a text string of which at least one character indicates a desired class.

23. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 20, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

24. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 20, wherein the indicated at least one portion of the electronic message comprises text.

25. The method for processing a tailored electronic message according to claim 20, further comprising the step of allowing a user to change the predetermined indication whereby different portions of prior and future electronic messages are passed to the recipient in dependence on a changed comparison.

30. A computer program product comprising computer program code means for performing substantially the method of claim 25.

31. A computer readable medium carrying the computer program product of claim 30.

26. A tailored electronic message to a multitude of recipients, said multitude of recipients being grouped in a plurality of classes of recipients, said message comprising a composite message formed from:

electronic message information combined with an indication that at least one portion of the information is targeted for recipients of at least a predetermined one of said classes of recipients,

whereby a comparison of the indication contained in a received composite message with a predetermined indication of whether a specified one of the multitude of recipients is of a class intended to receive the targeted portion allows the indicated portion to be passed to the specified recipient in dependence on the comparison, wherein said predetermined indication is selected by the specified recipient to identify one or more of said plurality of classes to which the specified recipient belongs.

27. The tailored electronic message according to claim 26, wherein the indication in the message comprises a text tag.

28. The tailored electronic message according to claim 26, wherein the electronic message is an e-mail message.

29. The tailored electronic message according to claim 26, wherein the indicated at least one portion of the electronic message comprises text.