Message tracking with thread-recurrent data

• US 8,577,980 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetSuite Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NetSuite Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Fabre, Patrice M., Kessman, Rosalina T., Forjindam, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US13/479,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 709206-207, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method, system, computer program product, and related business methods are described in the context of a web-based business information system having an internal e-mail facility, wherein e-mail communications between a native e-mail system of an end user of the web-based business information system and an external contact are facilitated and automatically tracked by the web-based business information system, the native e-mail system lying outside the web-based business information system but often being preferred by the end user over the internal e-mail facility of the web-based business information system. The described preferred embodiments provide for easy-to-use, reasonably transparent, “no-click” integration of the web-based business information system with the end user'"'"'s native e-mail system in a manner that is independent of the particular type and choice of native e-mail system.

Claims

1. A system for message tracking, comprising:

at least one computer; and

a message tracking engine facilitated by the at least one computer, the message tracking engine configured to, at least;

track a communication of a first e-mail message from a first e-mail user to a second e-mail user, the first e-mail message having a thread-recurrent field including a first field component identifying at least one of a plurality of messaging categories and a second field component identifying a messaging thread involving at least the first e-mail user and the second e-mail user;

track a communication of a second e-mail message from the second e-mail user to the first e-mail user, the second e-mail message having a thread-recurrent field corresponding to the thread-recurrent field of the first e-mail message, the thread-recurrent field of the second e-mail message including a first field component identifying the at least one of the plurality of messaging categories and a second field component identifying the messaging thread involving at least the first e-mail user and the second e-mail user; and

evaluate one or more rules to access e-mail tracking functionality, the evaluation of the one or more rules based at least in part on the at least one of the plurality of messaging categories identified by the first field component of the second e-mail message and the messaging thread identified by the second field component of the second e-mail message.

2. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of messaging categories includes general correspondence, and the e-mail tracking functionality comprises modifying the second e-mail message before the second e-mail message is received by the first e-mail user, the modified second e-mail message incorporating a modified version of a set of tracking information that includes the first field component identifying the at least one of the plurality of messaging categories and the second field component identifying the messaging thread involving at least the first e-mail user and the second e-mail user.

3. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of messaging categories identified by the first field component of the second e-mail message includes trouble tickets, and the e-mail tracking functionality comprises helpdesk functionality.

4. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of messaging categories identified by the first field component of the second e-mail message includes invitation replies, and the e-mail tracking functionality comprises event organizing functionality.

5. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 4, wherein the event organizing functionality comprises setting calendar appointments corresponding to positive invitation replies or altering a resource allocation for an event based at least in part on a number of invitation replies.

6. A system for message tracking, comprising:

at least one computer; and

a message tracking engine facilitated by the at least one computer, the message tracking engine configured to, at least;

track a communication of a first message from a first user to a second user, the first message having a thread-recurrent field including a first field component corresponding to at least one of a plurality of messaging categories and a second field component corresponding to a messaging thread involving at least the first user and the second user;

track a communication of a second message from the second user to the first user, the second message having a thread-recurrent field corresponding to the thread-recurrent field of the first message, the thread-recurrent field of the second message including a first field component corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messaging categories and a second field component corresponding to the messaging thread involving at least the first user and the second user; and

evaluate one or more rules to access message tracking functionality, the evaluation of the one or more rules based at least in part on said at least one of the plurality of messaging categories and said messaging thread involving at least the first user and the second user.

7. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 6, wherein the evaluation of the one or more rules is further based at least in part on a type or role of the first user.

8. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first message comprises a first e-mail message and the second message comprises a second e-mail message sent in response to the first e-mail message.

9. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 6, wherein the thread-recurrent field of the first message further includes a cryptographic hash code based at least in part on said at least one of the plurality of messaging categories and said thread of communications involving at least the first user and the second user.

10. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 9, wherein the cryptographic hash code inhibits tampering with the first field component and the second field component.

11. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 6, wherein the plurality of messaging categories includes general correspondence, and the message tracking functionality comprises modifying the second message before the second message is received by the first user, the modified second message incorporating a modified version of a set of tracking information that includes the first field component corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messaging categories and the second field component corresponding to the messaging thread involving at least the first user and the second user.

12. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 6, wherein the plurality of messaging categories includes trouble tickets, and the message tracking functionality comprises helpdesk functionality.

13. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 6, wherein the plurality of messaging categories includes invitation replies, and the message tracking functionality comprises event organizing functionality.

14. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 13, wherein the event organizing functionality comprises setting calendar appointments corresponding to positive invitation replies or altering a resource allocation for an event based at least in part on a number of invitation replies.

15. A system for message tracking, comprising:

at least one computer; and

a message tracking engine facilitated by the at least one computer, the message tracking engine configured to, at least;

track a communication of a first message from a first user to a second user, the first message having at least one thread-recurrent field associated with an identification of a thread of communications involving at least the first user and the second user and a cryptographic hash code based at least in part on at least one portion of the at least one thread-recurrent field;

track a communication of a second message from the second user to the first user, the second message having at least one thread-recurrent field corresponding to the at least one thread-recurrent field of the first message, the thread-recurrent field of the second message associated with the identification of the thread of communications involving at least the first user and the second user and said cryptographic hash code; and

evaluate one or more rules to access message tracking functionality, the evaluation of the one or more rules based at least in part on the identification of the thread of communications involving at least the first user and the second user and said cryptographic hash code.

16. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 15, wherein the message tracking functionality comprises modifying the second message before the second message is received by the first user, the modified second message associated with a modified version of a set of tracking information that includes the identification of the thread of communications involving at least the first user and the second user and said cryptographic hash code.

17. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 15, wherein the identification of the thread of communications involving at least the first user and the second user and said cryptographic hash code are transparent to at least the second user.

18. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 15, wherein the thread-recurrent fields of the first and second messages are further associated with at least one of a plurality of communications categories, and the cryptographic hash code is further based at least in part on said at least one of the plurality of communications categories.

19. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 18, wherein the plurality of communications categories correspond to message tracking functionality categories.

20. A system for message tracking in accordance with claim 18, wherein each thread-recurrent field comprises a string that includes sub-strings corresponding to at least (i) an identification of said at least one of the plurality of communications categories and (ii) the identification of the thread of communications involving at least the first user and the second user.