Method and system for multiple-party, electronic mail receipts

• US 7,120,671 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James Wesley, Gusler, Carl Phillip, Schatz, Harry, Hamilton, Rick Allen II
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US10/626,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-206, 709217-224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

An example of a solution provided here comprises: receiving a message from a sender; providing the message to a recipient; and in response to a request from the sender, automatically transmitting multiple-party receipt notifications to a number of persons. Thus a number of persons may be notified that the recipient has been provided with the content of the message. In some cases, such a solution may comprise providing limits for the multiple-party receipt notifications.

Claims

1. A method for providing electronic mail (e-mail) services, said method comprising:

receiving from a sender a request for multiple-party receipt notifications, for an e-mail message;

in response to said request, creating at least one tag for said message, indicating that a plurality of persons are to automatically receive said multiple-party receipt notifications; and

sending said message with said tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a request further comprises:

providing a set of menu entries to said sender; and

receiving from said sender a selection signal, indicating that said plurality of persons are to automatically receive said multiple-party receipt notifications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from said sender a selection signal, indicating that said plurality of persons also are to receive said e-mail message; and

sending said e-mail message to said plurality of persons.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said message from said sender;

providing said message to a recipient; and

in response to said request, automatically transmitting said multiple-party receipt notifications to said plurality of persons.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to a user

a representation of said e-mail message,

together with information as to who has been provided with the content of said e-mail message;

wherein said user is one of said plurality of persons.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing and updating said information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one limiting action chosen from:

disabling said multiple-party receipt notifications as to a user, responsive to said user'"'"'s request;

limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a domain policy;

limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a permissions policy; and

limiting the content of said multiple-party receipt notifications.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a secondary receipt notification to said sender;

wherein said secondary receipt notification notifies said sender that one of said plurality of persons received one of said multiple-party receipt notifications.

9. A method for providing e-mail services, said method comprising:

receiving a message from a sender;

providing said message to a recipient; and

in response to a request from said sender, automatically transmitting multiple-party receipt notifications to a plurality of persons;

whereby said plurality of persons may be notified that said recipient has been provided with the content of said message.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing to a user

a representation of said e-mail message,

together with information as to who has been provided with the content of said e-mail message;

wherein said user is one of said plurality of persons.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing and updating said information.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising at least one limiting action chosen from:

disabling said multiple-party receipt notifications as to a user, responsive to said user'"'"'s request;

limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a domain policy;

limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a permissions policy; and

limiting the content of said multiple-party receipt notifications.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting a secondary receipt notification to said sender;

wherein said secondary receipt notification notifies said sender that one of said plurality of persons received one of said multiple-party receipt notifications.

14. A system for providing e-mail services, said system comprising:

means for receiving from a sender a request for multiple-party receipt notifications, for an e-mail message;

means responsive to said request, for creating at least one tag for said message indicating that said plurality of persons are to automatically receive said multiple-party receipt notifications;

means for providing said message to a recipient;

means responsive to said tag, for automatically transmitting said multiple-party receipt notifications to said plurality of persons; and

means for providing limits for said multiple-party receipt notifications.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for providing to a user

a representation of said e-mail message,

together with information as to who has been provided with the content of said e-mail message;

wherein said user is one of said plurality of persons.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for storing and updating said information.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said means for providing limits further comprises at least one of:

means for limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a domain policy;

means for limiting the content of said multiple-party receipt notifications;

means for limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a permissions policy; and

means responsive to a user'"'"'s request, for disabling said multiple-party receipt notifications as to said user.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for transmitting a secondary receipt notification to said sender;

wherein said secondary receipt notification notifies said sender that one of said plurality of persons received one of said multiple-party receipt notifications.

19. A computer-usable medium having computer-executable instructions for providing e-mail services, said computer-usable medium comprising:

means for receiving a request from a sender, specifying a plurality of persons to receive multiple-party receipt notifications of an e-mail message;

means responsive to said request, for creating at least one tag for said message indicating that said plurality of persons are to automatically receive said multiple-party receipt notifications;

means for providing said message to a recipient;

means responsive to said tag, for automatically transmitting said multiple-party receipt notifications to said plurality of persons; and

means for providing limits for said multiple-party receipt notifications.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

means for providing to a user

a representation of said e-mail message,

together with information as to who has been provided with the content of said e-mail message;

wherein said user is one of said plurality of persons.

21. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

means for storing and updating said information.

22. The computer-usable medium of claim 19, wherein said means for providing limits further comprises at least one of:

means for limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a domain policy;

means for limiting the content of said multiple-party receipt notifications;

means for limiting said multiple-party receipt notifications'"'"' operation, based on a permissions policy; and

means responsive to a user'"'"'s request, for disabling said multiple-party receipt notifications as to said user.

23. The computer-usable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

means for transmitting a secondary receipt notification to said sender;

wherein said secondary receipt notification notifies said sender that one of said plurality of persons received one of said multiple-party receipt notifications.