System and method for processing electronic messages with rules representing a combination of conditions, actions or exceptions

• US 6,057,841 A
• Filed: 12/21/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Goodhand, David R., Stumberger, Douglas E., Thurlow, Scott A., MacDonald, Brian W., Bliss, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/217,700
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 345/347, 345/353, 345/329, 345/330, 345/331, 345/352, 706/45, 706/47, 709/204
• US Class Current: 715/809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/35 Discourse or dialogue representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Processing electronic messages by applying a rule representing a combination of additions, actions, or exceptions. A conditions window is displayed to present conditions upon which a rule for processing electronic messages cause an action to be taken. A condition can be selected in response to an input signal. In turn, an actions window is displayed to present actions that may be taken in response to the selected condition. An action is selected in response to receipt of an input signal. The actions window is updated to display the current state of the rule in a natural language format presented as a contiguous string of appended clauses corresponding to both the selected condition and the selected action. To create a rule including an exception, an exceptions window is displayed to present a list of exceptions associated with the selected condition. In response to receiving an input signal, an exception corresponding to the input signal is selected. Based on the selection of that exception, the exceptions window is updated to display the current state of the rule in a natural language format presented as a contiguous string of appended clauses corresponding to the selected condition, the selected action, and the selected exception.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display device and a user interface selection device, a method for constructing a rule for processing electronic messages, comprising the steps of:

displaying on the display device the current state of the rule in a natural language format comprising a text-based sentence formed by a contiguous string of appended clauses;

displaying on the display device a plurality of conditions upon which the rule will cause action to be taken, each condition represented by a clause that can be appended to the rule;

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the selection of one of the conditions;

in response to the selection of one of the conditions, adding the clause representing the selected condition to the displayed current state of the rule;

displaying on the display device a plurality of actions that may be taken in response to the selected condition, each action represented by a clause that can be appended to the rule;

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the selection of one of the actions; and

in response to the selection of one of the actions, adding the clause representing the selected action to the displayed current state of the rule, the natural language sentence for the rule including the appended clauses of the selected condition and the selected action.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying on the display device a list of exceptions to the selected condition, each exception represented by a clause that can be appended to the rule;

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the selection of one of the exceptions; and

in response to the selection of one of the exceptions, adding the clause representing the selected exception to the displayed current state of the rule, the natural language sentence for the rule including the appended clauses of the selected condition, the selected action and the selected exception.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed current state of the rule includes a variable displayed as a highlighted object, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the selection of the highlighted object;

in response to the selection of the highlighted object, displaying on the display device a user interface object including a definition for the variable;

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the definition of the variable; and

in response to the definition of the variable, displaying on the display device the current state of the rule with the definition in place of the variable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of examining properties associated with an existing message;

and

wherein the plurality of conditions and plurality of actions include a plurality of displayed variables derived from the properties associated with the existing message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the rule may be run on a server; and

in response to the rule being able to be run on the server, uploading the rule to the server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the rule for subsequent processing of electronic messages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rule is stored on the computer system and on a server associated with the computer system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the rule is executed on only one of the computer system and the server.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of synchronizing rules stored on the computer system with rules stored on the server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule is used to process electronic messages stored in a folder.

11. A computer-implemented method for constructing a rule for processing electronic messages, comprising the steps of:

displaying a condition window comprising a rule section presenting the current state of the rule in a natural language format and a condition section presenting a plurality of conditions upon which the rule will cause action to be taken, the rule section displayed separate from the condition section within the condition window;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the conditions;

in response to the selection of one of the conditions, adding the selected condition to the displayed current state of the rule within the rule section of the condition widow;

responsive to an input signal associated with a command, displaying an action window comprising a rule section presenting the current state of the rule in a natural language format and an action section presenting a plurality of actions that may be taken response to the selected condition, the rule section displayed separate from the action section within the action window;

receiving input signal indicating the selection of one of the actions; and

in response to the selection of one of the actions, adding the selected action to the displayed current state of the rule within the rule section of the action window, the displayed current state of the rule within the action window comprising a text-based sentence formed by a contiguous string of appended clauses corresponding to the selected condition and the selected action.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to an input signal associated with a command, displaying an exception window comprising a rule section comprising the current state of the rule in a natural language format and a list of exceptions associated with the selected condition;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the exceptions; and

in response to the selection of one of the exceptions, adding the selected exception to the displayed current state of the rule within the rule section of the exception window, the displayed current state of rule within the exception window comprising a natural language sentence including appended clauses corresponding to the selected condition, the selected action, and the selection exception.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the displayed current state of the rule in the rule section of the condition window includes a variable displayed as a highlighted object, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of the highlighted object;

in response to the selection of the highlighted object, displaying a user interface object including a definition for the variable;

receiving an input signal indicating the definition of the variable; and

in response to the definition of the variable, displaying in the rule section of the condition window the current state of the rule with the definition in place of the variable.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of examining properties associated with an existing message;

and

wherein the plurality of conditions and plurality of actions include a plurality of displayed variables derived from the properties associated with the existing message.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a template window comprising a plurality of rule templates;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the rule templates, wherein the plurality of conditions and the plurality of actions are associated with the selected rule template.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

displacing a condition window comprising a rule section presenting the current state of the rule in a natural language format and a condition section presenting a plurality of conditions upon which the rule will cause action to be taken, the rule section displayed separate from the condition section within the condition window;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the conditions;

in response to the selection of one of the conditions, adding the selected condition to the displayed current state of the rule within the rule section of the condition widow;

responsive to an input signal associated with a command, displaying an action window comprising a rule section presenting the current state of the rule in a natural language format and an action section presenting a plurality of actions that may be taken in response to the selected condition, the rule section displayed separate from the action section within the action window;

receiving input signal indicating the selection of one of the actions; and

in response to the selection of one of the actions, adding the selected action to the displayed current state of the rule within the rule section of the action window, the displayed current state of the rule within the action window comprising a text-based sentence formed by a contiguous string of appended clauses corresponding to the selected condition and the selected action.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

displaying within a conditions window a plurality of conditions upon which a rule for processing electronic messages will cause an action to be taken;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the conditions;

displaying within an actions window a plurality of actions that may be taken in response to the selected condition;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the actions;

displaying within the actions window the current state of the rule in a natural language format presented as a contiguous string of appended clauses corresponding to the selected condition and the selected action, the rule further comprising a variable displayed as a highlighted object;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of the highlighted object;

in response to the selection of the highlighted object, displaying a dialog including a definition for the variable;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of the definition for the variable;

in response to the selection of the definition of the variable, displaying within the action window the current state of the rule as a text-based, natural language sentence comprising the appended clauses with the definition in place of the variable; and

storing the rule for subsequent processing of electronic messages.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further perform the steps of:

displaying an exceptions window comprising a list of exceptions associated with the selected condition;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the exceptions; and

in response to the selection of one of the exceptions, displaying within the exceptions window the current state of the rule in a natural language format presented as a contiguous string of appended clauses corresponding to the selected condition, the selected action and the selected exception.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further perform the steps of:

determining whether the rule may be run on a server; and

in response to the rule being able to be run on the server, uploading the rule to the server.

20. A computer-implemented method for constructing a rule for processing electronic messages, comprising the steps of:

displaying a templates window comprising a plurality of rule templates for viewing and editing previously created rules;

responsive to selection of one of the rule templates, displaying a conditions window comprising a plurality of conditions associated with the selected rule template and upon which the rule will act;

responsive to selection of one of the conditions, displaying an actions window comprising a plurality of actions that may be taken in response to occurrence of the selected condition; and

responsive to selection of one of the actions, displaying within the actions window a natural language sentence comprising the rule defined by appended text-based clauses corresponding to the selected condition and the selected action.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

displaying an exceptions window comprising exceptions to the selected condition; and

responsive to selection of one of the exceptions, displaying within the exceptions window a natural language sentence comprising appended text-based clauses corresponding to the selected condition, the selected action and the selected exception.

22. A computer-implemented method for constructing a rule for processing electronic messages, comprising the steps of:

displaying a condition window comprising a plurality of conditions upon which the rule will cause action to be taken, the condition window further presenting the current state of the rule in a natural language format comprising a a text-based sentence formed by a contiguous string of appended clauses;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the conditions;

in response to the selection of one of the conditions, adding the selected condition to the current state of the rule and updating the presentation of the current state of the rule within the condition widow by appending a clause associated with the selected condition to the text-based sentence;

displaying an action window comprising a plurality of actions that may be taken in response to the selected condition, the action window further presenting the current state of the rule in the natural language format;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the actions; and

in response to the selection of one of the actions, adding the selected action to the current state of the rule and updating the presentation of the current state of the rule the action widow by appending a clause associated with the selected action to the text-based sentence.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

displaying an exceptions window comprising a plurality of exceptions to the selected condition, the exceptions window further presenting the current state of the rule in the natural language format;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the exceptions; and

in response to the selection of one of the exceptions, adding the selected exception to the current state of the rule and updating the presentation of the current state of the rule within the exceptions widow by appending a clause associated with the selected exception to the text string.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the current state of the rule presented in the condition window includes a variable displayed as a highlighted object, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of the highlighted object;

in response to the selection of the highlighted object, displaying a user interface object including a definition for the variable;

receiving an input signal indicating the definition of the variable; and

in response to the definition of the variable, displaying in the condition window the current state of the rule with the definition in place of the variable.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a template window comprising a list of rule templates;

receiving an input signal indicating the selection of one of the rule templates, wherein the plurality of conditions and the plurality of actions are associated with the selected rule template.

26. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display device and a user interface selection device, a method for constructing a rule for processing electronic messages, comprising the steps of:

displaying on the display device a plurality of conditions upon which the rule will cause action to be taken;

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the selection of one of the conditions;

in response to the selection of one of the conditions, adding the selected condition to the current state of the rule and presenting the current state of the rule in a natural language format comprising a text-based string including a clause associated with the selected condition;

displaying on the display device a plurality of actions that may be taken in response to the selected condition;

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the selection of one of the actions; and

in response to the selection of one of the actions, adding the selected action to the current state of the rule and presenting the current state of the rule in the natural language format by appending a clause associated with the selected action to the text-based string, thereby forming a natural language sentence of appended selected condition and action clauses.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

displaying on the display device a plurality of exceptions to the selected condition;

receiving from the user interface selection device an input signal indicating the selection of one of the exceptions; and

in response to the selection of one of the exceptions, adding the selected exception to the current state of the rule and presenting the current state of the rule in the natural language format by appending a clause associated with the selected exception to the text-based string, thereby forming a natural language sentence containing the selected condition, selected action and selected exception clauses.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the rule may be run on a server; and

in response to the rule being able to be run on the server, uploading the rule to the server.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of storing the rule for subsequent processing of electronic messages, wherein the rule is stored on the computer system and on a server associated with the computer system and the rule is executed on only one of the computer system and the server.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of synchronizing rules stored on the computer system with rules stored on the server.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the rule is used to process electronic messages stored in a folder.