Second person review of email

• US 7,890,585 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John C. Lowe
• Original Assignee: John C. Lowe
• Inventors: Lowe, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C
• Application Number:
  US10/653,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,722 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An email review tool gives users a simple, quick, and safe method of initiating review of an email document. The email review tool may provide a window to a user which allows the user to select another person to review the email or skip the review process and send the email directly to the recipients. Transmission of the email is thus deferred until the email has been reviewed.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating second person review of an electronic mail (“

email”

) destined for one or more destination addresses, the method comprising;

presenting a first graphical window to an email sender, the first graphical window configured to receive information from the email sender describing a request for a second person review of the email, the information including an identification of at least one person other than the email sender to perform the second person review;

transmitting the request for the second person review to at least one address, different than the one or more destination addresses, associated with the at least one person identified to perform the second person review;

presenting a second graphical window to the at least one person to perform the second person review, the second graphical window configured to allow the at least one person to view and edit contents of the email to generate a reviewed version of the email; and

transmitting the reviewed version of the email to the one or more destination addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical window is presented to the email sender in response to the email sender selecting a send email option in an email program.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

blocking the presentation of the first graphical window to the email sender in situations determined based on the one or more destination addresses.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first graphical window is blocked when all of the one or more destination addresses correspond to internal email addresses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical window includes an option to redisplay an email editing program to allow the email sender to edit the email, the method further comprising receiving, from the email sender, an indication of a selection of the option to redisplay the email editing program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical window includes an option to input information indicating where to file a hardcopy of the email, the method further comprising receiving, from the email sender, the information indicating where to file the hardcopy of the email.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical window includes an option to input information indicating a date to delete the email, the method further comprising receiving, from the email user, the information indicating the date to delete the email.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the request for the second person review additionally includes at least one of an author name or an email priority.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information describing the request for the second person review includes comments from the email sender to the at least one person to perform the second person review, and

wherein transmitting the request for the second person review includes transmitting the comments from the email sender to the at least one address associated with the at least one person to perform the second person review.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the request for the second person review additionally includes:

transmitting the request as an email to the at least one person identified to perform the second person review.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the request as the email includes transmitting the email including a subject line identifying the email as an email requesting second person review.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the second graphical window additionally includes a review complete option through which the at least one person performing the second person review indicates that the second person review is complete.

13. The method of claim 1, further including:

transmitting the reviewed version of the email document to an address associated with the email sender; and

presenting a third graphical window to the email sender, the third graphical window being configured to accept a command that initiates sending of the reviewed version of the email to the one or more destination addresses.