ACTION ASSIGNMENT AND TRACKING FUNCTIONALITY FOR EMAIL

• US 20160277330A1
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jawaharlal, Samuel Mathew, Muralidharan, Bala Priyadarshini, Narayanan, Arunachalam, Santhar, Sathya, Sivaramalingam, Balamurugaramanathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,882,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

In an approach to action assignment and tracking, a computer receives a first email from a first computing device, where the first email includes at least one action assigned by a sender of the first email to at least one recipient of the first email. The computer determines whether the sender specified a due date for the action. The computer determines whether the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the action. In response to determining the sender specified at least one of a due date for the action and one or more time intervals for a status update of the action, the computer initiates a timer. In response to determining the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the action, the computer provides a status of the action to the sender at the one or more time intervals.

Claims

1. A method for action assignment and tracking, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by one or more computer processors, a first email from a first computing device wherein the first email includes at least one action assigned by a sender of the first email to at least one recipient of the first email;

determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the sender specified a due date for the at least one action;

determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action;

responsive to determining the sender specified at least one of a due date for the at least one action and one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action, initiating, by the one or more computer processors, a timer; and

responsive to determining the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action, providing, by the one or more computer processors, a status of the at least one action to the sender at the one or more time intervals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the first email from the first computing device, sending, by the one or more computer processors, the first email to a second computing device; and

notifying, by the one or more computer processors, via a short messaging service message, the at least one recipient that the first email is sent.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining the at least one action includes the due date, determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the at least one recipient is available;

responsive to determining the at least one recipient is not available, determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the at least one recipient will be available prior to the due date of the at least one action; and

responsive to determining the at least one recipient is not available prior to the due date of the at least one action, notifying, by the one or more computer processors, via a short messaging service message, the at least one recipient that the first email is sent.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining the at least one action includes the due date, determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the at least one action is complete by the due date;

responsive to determining the at least one action is not complete by the due date, notifying, by the one or more computer processors, the at least one recipient; and

providing, by the one or more computer processors, a status of the at least one action to the sender.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein notifying the recipient includes at least one of:

sending a notification via a short messaging service message, or displaying an alert on a second computing device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, responsive to determining the at least one action is complete by the due date, providing, by the one or more computer processors, a status of the at least one action to the sender.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the status of the at least one action to the sender includes at least one of:

providing a dashboard that displays the status of one or more actions on the first computing device, or displaying a pop-up box on the first computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action assigned by a sender includes at least one of:

a name of the at least one recipient, a due date, one or more time intervals for one or more status updates, and a description of the at least one action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the sender specified the due date for the at least one action further comprises, retrieving, by the one or more computer processors, data associated with the first email that indicates the due date.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action further comprises, retrieving, by the one or more computer processors, data associated with the first email that indicates one or more time intervals for the status update of the at least one action.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sender generates the first email utilizing a function capable of assigning one or more actions to the at least one recipient.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the function is further capable of notifying the at least one recipient via a short messaging service message.

13. A computer program product for action assignment and tracking, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive a first email from a first computing device wherein the first email includes at least one action assigned by a sender of the first email to at least one recipient of the first email;

program instructions to determine whether the sender specified a due date for the at least one action;

program instructions to determine whether the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action;

responsive to determining the sender specified at least one of a due date for the at least one action and one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action, program instructions to initiate a timer; and

responsive to determining the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action, program instructions to provide a status of the at least one action to the sender at the one or more time intervals.

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

responsive to receiving the first email from the first computing device, program instructions to send the first email to a second computing device; and

program instructions to notify via a short messaging service message, the at least one recipient that the first email is sent.

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

responsive to determining the action includes the due date, program instructions to determine whether the at least one recipient is available;

responsive to determining the at least one recipient is not available, program instructions to determine whether the at least one recipient will be available prior to the due date of the at least one action; and

responsive to determining the at least one recipient is not available prior to the due date of the at least one action, program instructions to notify via a short messaging service message, the at least one recipient that the first email is sent.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

responsive to determining the at least one action includes the due date, program instructions to determine whether the at least one action is complete by the due date;

responsive to determining the at least one action is not complete by the due date, program instructions to notify the at least one recipient; and

program instructions to provide a status of the at least one action to the sender.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein notifying the recipient includes at least one of:

sending a notification via a short messaging service message, or displaying an alert on a second computing device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising, responsive to determining the at least one action is complete by the due date, program instructions to provide a status of the at least one action to the sender.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein providing the status of the at least one action to the sender includes at least one of:

providing a dashboard that displays the status of one or more actions on the first computing device, or displaying a pop-up box on the first computing device.

20. A computer system for action assignment and tracking, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive a first email from a first computing device wherein the first email includes at least one action assigned by a sender of the first email to at least one recipient of the first email;

program instructions to determine whether the sender specified a due date for the at least one action;

program instructions to determine whether the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action;

responsive to determining the sender specified at least one of a due date for the at least one action and one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action, program instructions to initiate a timer; and

responsive to determining the sender specified one or more time intervals for a status update of the at least one action, program instructions to provide a status of the at least one action to the sender at the one or more time intervals.