Managing Electronic Delegation Messages

• US 20110029617A1
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Muthulakshmi Pearl, Ojha, Avanish Kumar, Upadhyaya, Satya, Hsiao, Duen-wen
• Application Number:
  US12/512,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029617A1
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing electronic delegation messages. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow a user of an electronic messaging system to designate messages as a delegation messages. Further embodiments facilitate tracking and management of the delegation corresponding to the message. The delegation functionality may be incorporated into existing electronic messaging systems. The invention includes a method including accepting from a user a designation of an electronic message as a delegation by the user. The user may designate the electronic message as a delegation by interacting with a user interface for an electronic message system modified to recognize the designation. The electronic message may be an email message, an instant message, or a text message. The interface may be a graphical user interface. Designating the message may be accomplished by selecting an icon, entering text, and so on.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing electronic delegation messages, the method comprising:

accepting a designation of an electronic message from a user as a delegation;

determining delegatees of the delegation;

monitoring responses to the delegation from the delegatees;

determining a response status for each delegatee individually; and

presenting the response status of the delegatees to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the delegatees of the delegation comprises

accepting a designation of the delegatees from the user;

and

creating a list of the designated delegatees.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic message comprises one or more addressees and determining the delegatees of the delegation comprises creating a record of delegatees from the addressees.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein accepting the designation of the electronic message as the delegation comprises accepting a selection by the user of a delegation icon within a graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting at least a portion of at least one of the responses with the response status.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the response status of the delegatees to the user comprises presenting the response status of the users collectively.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the response status of the delegatees to the user comprises presenting the response status of the users individually.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a reminder mechanism that sends a reminder to delegatees with a particular response status of unresponsive.

9. A computer program product for managing electronic delegation messages, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer program instructions for accepting a designation of an electronic message from a user as a delegation;

computer program instructions for determining delegatees of the delegation;

computer program instructions for monitoring responses to the delegation from the delegatees;

computer program instructions for determining a response status for each delegatee individually; and

computer program instructions for presenting the response status of the delegatees to the user.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein computer program instructions for determining the delegatees of the delegation comprise:

computer program instructions for accepting a designation of the delegatees from the user; and

computer program instructions for creating a list of the designated delegatees.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the electronic message comprises one or more addressees and computer program instructions for determining the delegatees of the delegation comprise computer program instructions for creating a record of delegatees from the addressees.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein computer program instructions for accepting the designation of the electronic message as the delegation comprise computer program instructions for accepting a selection by the user of a delegation icon within a graphical user interface.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions for presenting at least a portion of at least one of the responses with the response status.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein computer program instructions for presenting the response status of the delegatees to the user comprise computer program instructions for presenting the response status of the users collectively.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein computer program instructions for presenting the response status of the delegatees to the user comprise computer program instructions for presenting the response status of the users individually.

16. A system for managing electronic delegation messages, the system comprising:

a processor;

one or more network interfaces for receiving electronic messages; and

a computer memory operatively coupled to the processor, the computer memory having disposed within it;

computer program instructions for receiving and managing electronic messages;

computer program instructions for accepting a designation of an electronic message from a user as a delegation;

computer program instructions for determining delegatees of the delegation;

computer program instructions for monitoring responses to the delegation from the delegatees;

computer program instructions for determining a response status for each delegatee individually; and

computer program instructions for presenting the response status of the delegatees to the user.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein computer program instructions for determining the delegatees of the delegation comprise:

computer program instructions for accepting a designation of the delegatees from the user; and

computer program instructions for creating a list of the designated delegatees.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the electronic message comprises an email message.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions for receiving and managing electronic messages comprise a client application.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer program instructions for receiving and managing electronic messages comprise a server application.