Managing locally initiated electronic mail attached documents

• US 8,880,610 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ernest, Leslie Mark, Fellenstein, Craig, Hamilton, Rick A. II, Seaman, James Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US10/660,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,072 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-207, 709217-227
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

The present invention introduces unique functionality whereby there is a substantial reduction in the storage and replication requirements for the locally initiated electronic mail messages, which include locally sourced attachments. In the method of the present invention, at the origination location of an electronic message, there is an identification of electronic messages containing locally sourced attachment documents. During the storage of the transmitted message, there is determination of whether any attachment to the message was a locally sourced attachment. If the attachment was a locally sourced attachment, the attachment may not be stored with the message. Instead a pointer or link can be created to the original or locally sourced document. This approach will reduce the storage space required by electronic messages.

Claims

1. A method for managing documents attached to electronic mail messages, said method comprising:

a processor of a computer system receiving an electronic mail message at a destination location;

said processor determining that a document is attached to the received electronic mail message;

said processor determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location;

in response to said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location, said processor deleting the document from the received electronic mail message;

in further response to said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location, said processor creating in the received electronic mail message a link for connecting to the document stored at the destination location;

said processor generating a modified copy of the attached document that is attached to the electronic mail message;

said processor storing the modified copy;

after said generating the modified copy and said storing the modified copy, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said generating the modified copy; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said storing the modified copy, said processor adding to the stored modified copy a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said deleting, said processor updating the electronic mail message to indicate that the document has been deleted from the electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

said processor receiving, from a user at the destination location, a selection of the document stored at the destination location;

said processor creating the electronic mail message, said creating the electronic mail message comprising attaching the selected document to the electronic mail message; and

prior to said receiving the electronic mail message, said processor transmitting the electronic mail message to a plurality of recipients, wherein the user at the destination location is one recipient of the plurality of recipients, and wherein said receiving the electronic mail message at the destination location is in response to the user being one recipient of the plurality of recipients.

4. The method of claim 3, said method further comprising:

after said transmitting the electronic mail message, said processor determining that the user desires to save a copy of the transmitted electronic mail message;

in response to said determining that the user desires to save the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message.

5. The method of claim 4, said method further comprising:

after said deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor (i) updating metadata for the document to indicate that the document has been deleted from the copy of the electronic mail message and (ii) creating in the copy of the electronic mail message a link configured to connect to the document stored at the destination location.

6. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor adding to the attached document stored at the destination location a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

7. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device having a computer readable program instructions stored therein, said program instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for managing documents attached to electronic mail messages, said method comprising:

said processor receiving an electronic mail message at a destination location;

said processor determining that a document is attached to the received electronic mail message;

said processor determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location;

in response to said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location, said processor deleting the document from the received electronic mail message;

in further response to said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location, said processor creating in the received electronic mail message a link for connecting to the document stored at the destination location;

said processor generating a modified copy of the attached document that is attached to the electronic mail message;

said processor storing the modified copy;

after said generating the modified copy and said storing the modified copy, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said generating the modified copy; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said storing the modified copy, said processor adding to the stored modified copy a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, said method further comprising:

after said deleting, said processor updating the electronic mail message to indicate that the document has been deleted from the electronic mail message.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, said method further comprising:

said processor receiving, from a user at the destination location, a selection of the document stored at the destination location;

said processor creating the electronic mail message, said creating the electronic mail message comprising attaching the selected document to the electronic mail message; and

prior to said receiving the electronic mail message, said processor transmitting the electronic mail message to a plurality of recipients, wherein the user at the destination location is one recipient of the plurality of recipients, and wherein said receiving the electronic mail message at the destination location is in response to the user being one recipient of the plurality of recipients.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, said method further comprising:

after said transmitting the electronic mail message, said processor determining that the user desires to save a copy of the transmitted electronic mail message;

in response to said determining that the user desires to save the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, said method further comprising:

after said deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor (i) updating metadata for the document to indicate that the document has been deleted from the copy of the electronic mail message and (ii) creating in the copy of the electronic mail message a link configured to connect to the document stored at the destination location.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, said method further comprising:

after said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor adding to the attached document stored at the destination location a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

13. A computer system comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer readable storage device, said storage device containing program instructions configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement a method for managing documents attached to electronic mail messages, said method comprising:

said processor receiving an electronic mail message at a destination location;

said processor determining that a document is attached to the received electronic mail message;

said processor determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location;

in response to said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location, said processor deleting the document from the received electronic mail message;

in further response to said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location, said processor creating in the received electronic mail message a link for connecting to the document stored at the destination location;

said processor generating a modified copy of the attached document that is attached to the electronic mail message;

said processor storing the modified copy;

after said generating the modified copy and said storing the modified copy, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said generating the modified copy; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said storing the modified copy, said processor adding to the stored modified copy a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

14. The computer system of claim 13, said method further comprising:

after said deleting, said processor updating the electronic mail message to indicate that the document has been deleted from the electronic mail message.

15. The computer system of claim 13, said method further comprising:

said processor receiving, from a user at the destination location, a selection of the document stored at the destination location;

said processor creating the electronic mail message, said creating the electronic mail message comprising attaching the selected document to the electronic mail message; and

prior to said receiving the electronic mail message, said processor transmitting the electronic mail message to a plurality of recipients, wherein the user at the destination location is one recipient of the plurality of recipients, and wherein said receiving the electronic mail message at the destination location is in response to the user being one recipient of the plurality of recipients.

16. The computer system of claim 15, said method further comprising:

after said transmitting the electronic mail message, said processor determining that the user desires to save a copy of the transmitted electronic mail message;

in response to said determining that the user desires to save the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message.

17. The computer system of claim 16, said method further comprising:

after said deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor (i) updating metadata for the document to indicate that the document has been deleted from the copy of the electronic mail message and (ii) creating in the copy of the electronic mail message a link configured to connect to the document stored at the destination location.

18. The computer system of claim 13, said method further comprising:

after said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor adding to the attached document stored at the destination location a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.