Apparatus, system and method of performing mail message searches across multiple mail servers

• US 7,890,603 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Keohane, Susann Marie, McBrearty, Gerald Francis, Shieh, Johnny Meng-Han, Murillo, Jessica Kelley, Mullen, Shawn Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ibrahim; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/406,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,875 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/211, 709/219, 707/706, 707/707
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method of performing e-mail message searches across multiple mailboxes are provided. The system, apparatus and method perform the e-mail message searches across multiple mailboxes by launching a search feature of a currently accessed mailbox where at least one search term for a search is entered. Then, if multiple mailboxes are to be simultaneously searched, each mailbox is identified. The mailboxes are identified by their address, the username and password that are used to access them. Each mailbox is then accessed using the provided address, username and password. After accessing the mailbox, its search feature is launched and the search criteria passed to each launched search feature in order to perform the search. The mailboxes may be further identified by a particular name.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of performing a search across multiple mailboxes comprising the steps of:

launching a search feature of a currently accessed mailbox;

entering at least one search term for a search;

indicating whether the search is to be performed across multiple mailboxes, wherein each mailbox is identified by a mailbox name;

identifying, if multiple mailboxes are to be simultaneously searched, each mailbox by providing an address, a username and a password, wherein the identifying step includes the step of displaying a table that includes multiple mailboxes that have been searched before if a search across multiple mailboxes has once been performed;

accessing each mailbox using a provided address, username and password;

launching the search feature of each accessed mailbox;

passing the search criteria to each launched search feature;

performing the search; and

collecting the search results of the mailboxes and displaying the search results for each mailbox under the name of the mailbox.

2. A computer program product on a non-transitory computer readable medium for performing a search across multiple mailboxes comprising:

code means for launching a search feature of a currently accessed mailbox;

code means for entering at least one search term for a search;

code means for indicating whether the search is to be performed across multiple mailboxes, wherein each mailbox is identified by a mailbox name;

code means for identifying, if multiple mailboxes are to be simultaneously searched, each mailbox by providing an address, a username and a password, wherein the identifying step includes the step of displaying a table that includes multiple mailboxes that have been searched before if a search across multiple mailboxes has once been performed;

code means for accessing each mailbox using a provided address, username and password;

code means for launching the search feature of each accessed mailbox;

code means for passing the search criteria to each launched search feature;

code means for performing the search; and

code means for collecting the search results of the mailboxes and displaying the search results for each mailbox under the name of the mailbox.