Automated Electronic Message Filing System

• US 20120284273A1
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Keohane, Susann Marie, McBrearty, Gerald Francis, Mullen, Shawn Patrick, Murillo, Jessica, Shieh, Johnny Meng-Han
• Granted Patent: US 9,576,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A receipt receives an electronic message from a sender, wherein said electronic message comprises at least one suggested folder name specified by the sender for the recipient to select as a folder name for filing the electronic message, wherein the at least one suggested folder name is detected by a sender computer system from a selection by the sender within a user interface of the sender computer system of the at least one suggested folder name for the electronic message and inserted into the electronic message. The electronic message is filtered to detect the at least one suggested folder name for filing the electronic message in a messaging filing directory. Responsive to the recipient selecting to file the electronic message, the electronic message is filed in at least one folder with the suggested folder name from among a plurality of folders.

Claims

1. A method for filing electronic messages, the method comprising:

receiving, at a recipient computer system, an electronic message for a recipient from a sender, wherein said electronic message comprises at least one suggested folder name specified by the sender for the recipient to select as a folder name for filing the electronic message, wherein the at least one suggested folder name is detected by a sender computer system from a selection by the sender within a user interface of the sender computer system of the at least one suggested folder name for the electronic message and inserted into the electronic message;

filtering, by the recipient computer system, the electronic message to detect the at least one suggested folder name for filing the electronic message in a messaging filing directory; and

responsive to the recipient selecting to file the electronic message, filing the electronic message in at least one folder with the suggested folder name from among a plurality of folders.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically graphically distinguishing the at least one folder with the suggested folder name from at least one other folder displayed in an interface displaying the plurality of folders by folder name when the electronic message is filed in the at least one folder.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically adjusting a graphical display of the plurality of folders of the messaging filing directory to display the at least one folder with the suggested folder name from among the plurality of folders.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an icon for the particular electronic message dragged into a display region for the plurality of filing folders, automatically positioning the icon over the at least one suggested folder; and

responsive to detecting the icon released over the at least one suggested folder, detecting the recipient selecting to file the electronic message in the at least one suggested folder.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting that the messaging filing directory for the recipient does not comprise at least one folder with a particular folder name matching the at least one suggested folder name, automatically adding a new folder to the messaging filing directory with the suggested filing folder name.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

graphically highlighting the new folder to graphically distinguish the new folder from the other folders from among the plurality of folders.

7. A system for filing electronic messages, the system comprising:

a messaging controller, at a recipient computer system, operative to receive an electronic message for a recipient from a sender, wherein said electronic message comprises at least one suggested folder name specified by the sender for the recipient to select as a folder name for filing the electronic message, wherein the at least one suggested folder name is detected by a sender computer system from a selection by the sender within a user interface of the sender computer system of the at least one suggested folder name for the electronic message and inserted into the electronic message;

the message controller operative to filter the electronic message to detect the at least one suggested folder name for filing the electronic message in a messaging filing directory; and

the message controller, responsive to the recipient selecting to file the electronic message, operative to file the electronic message in at least one folder with the suggested folder name from among a plurality of folders.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

the message controller operative to dynamically graphically distinguish the at least one folder with the suggested folder name from at least one other folder displayed in an interface displaying the plurality of folders by folder name when the electronic message is filed in the at least one folder.

9. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

the message controller operative to automatically adjust a graphical display of the plurality of folders of the messaging filing directory to display the at least one folder with the suggested folder name from among the plurality of folders.

10. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

the message controller operative to detect an icon for the particular electronic message dragged into a display region for the plurality of filing folders, automatically positioning the icon over the at least one suggested folder; and

the message controller, responsive to detecting the icon released over the at least one suggested folder, operative to detect the recipient selecting to file the electronic message in the at least one suggested folder.

11. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

the message controller, responsive to detecting that the messaging filing directory for the recipient does not comprise at least one folder with a particular folder name matching the at least one suggested folder name, operative to automatically add a new folder to the messaging filing directory with the suggested filing folder name.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

the message controller operative to graphically highlight the new folder to graphically distinguish the new folder from the other folders from among the plurality of folders.

16. The computer program product according to claim 11, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, to detect an icon for the particular electronic message dragged into a display region for the plurality of filing folders, automatically positioning the icon over the at least one suggested folder; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, responsive to detecting the icon released over the at least one suggested folder, to detect the recipient selecting to file the electronic message in the at least one suggested folder.

17. The computer program product according to claim 11, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, responsive to detecting that the messaging filing directory for the recipient does not comprise at least one folder with a particular folder name matching the at least one suggested folder name, to automatically add a new folder to the messaging filing directory with the suggested filing folder name.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, to graphically highlight the new folder to graphically distinguish the new folder from the other folders from among the plurality of folders.

13. A computer program product for filing electronic messages, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, to, at a recipient computer system, receive an electronic message for a recipient from a sender, wherein said electronic message comprises at least one suggested folder name specified by the sender for the recipient to select as a folder name for filing the electronic message, wherein the at least one suggested folder name is detected by a sender computer system from a selection by the sender within a user interface of the sender computer system of the at least one suggested folder name for the electronic message and inserted into the electronic message;

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, to filter the electronic message to detect the at least one suggested folder name for filing the electronic message in a messaging filing directory; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, responsive to the recipient selecting to file the electronic message, to file the electronic message in at least one folder with the suggested folder name from among a plurality of folders.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, to dynamically graphically distinguish the at least one folder with the suggested folder name from at least one other folder displayed in an interface displaying the plurality of folders by folder name when the electronic message is filed in the at least one folder.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of said one or more storage devices, to automatically adjust a graphical display of the plurality of folders of the messaging filing directory to display the at least one folder with the suggested folder name from among the plurality of folders.