Ad hoc message sharing between email and social networks

• US 9,935,912 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, Corville O., Helgeson, Lee N., Li, Jenny S., Sanders, Philip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Jeong S
• Application Number:
  US14/269,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

There are provided a system, a method and a computer program product for sharing messages between an email client and a social network. The system prepares, based on an input from a sender, an email message by using the email client. The system identifies a portion of the email message to be shared with one or more users in the social network. The system tags the portion of the email message with identities of the one or more users in the social network. The system accesses the social network with credential of the sender. The system posts the portion of the email message on social network pages of the one or more users under a name of the sender.

Claims

1. A system for sharing messages between an email client and a social network, the system comprising:

a memory device;

a processor connected to the memory device, wherein the processor is configured to perform;

preparing, based on an input from a sender, an email message by using the email client;

identifying a portion of the email message to be shared with users in the social network;

tagging the portion of the email message with identities of the users in the social network, the tagging comprising attaching a tag comprising a tag name representing a predefined set of social network users and a media type used for publishing the portion of the email message, the tagging further comprising selecting a plurality of templates into which the portion of the email message is pasted wherein at least two of the users in the social network receives a different template;

accessing the social network with credential of the sender; and

posting the portion of the email message pasted on the plurality of templates on social network pages of the users under a name of the sender,

wherein at least one of the users whose social network pages receive the posting is different from the recipients of the email message and the sender,

wherein the social network comprises a plurality of different social networks and the identifies of the users tagged in the portion of the email message do not use a same social network,

wherein the email message comprises a plurality of tagged portions tagged with different sets of social network users,

wherein an untagged portion of the email message is sent by email to at least one of the recipients,

wherein the processor is further configured to perform;

sending the email message to the recipients; and

posting the portion of the email message on the social network pages,

wherein the sending the email message and the posting occur concurrently.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tag further comprises:

a key phrase of the portion; and

a title of the portion.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

storing, in a server device, the portion of the email message with the tagging.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

accessing an instant messenger with credential of the sender;

determining whether the users are currently logged in the instant messenger; and

sending, by using the instant messenger, an instant message that includes the portion of the email message to the users.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the posting on the social network pages comprises at least one selected from the consisting of:

a status message, a private message, and an event or activity message, which represent the portion of the email message.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

converting the portion of the email message to the posting on the social network pages.

7. A computer program product for sharing messages between an email client and a social network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium excluding a propagating signal, the computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions run by the processing circuit for performing a method, said method steps comprising:

preparing, based on an input from a sender, an email message by using the email client;

identifying a portion of the email message to be shared with users in the social network;

tagging the portion of the email message with identities of the users in the social network, the tagging comprising attaching a tag comprising a tag name representing a predefined set of social network users and a media type used for publishing the portion of the email message, the tagging further comprising selecting a plurality of templates into which the portion of the email message is pasted wherein at least two of the users in the social network receives a different template;

accessing the social network with credential of the sender; and

posting the portion of the email message pasted on the plurality of templates on social network pages of the users under a name of the sender,

wherein at least one of the users whose social network pages receive the posting is different from the recipients of the email message and the sender,

wherein the social network comprises a plurality of different social networks and the identifies of the users tagged in the portion of the email message do not use a same social network,

wherein the email message comprises a plurality of tagged portions tagged with different sets of social network users,

wherein an untagged portion of the email message is sent by email to at least one of the recipients,

the method steps further comprising;

sending the email message to the recipients; and

posting the portion of the email message on the social network pages,

wherein the sending the email message and the posting occur concurrently.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the tag further comprises:

a key phrase of the portion; and

a title of the portion.

9. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein said method further comprises:

storing, in a server device, the portion of the email message with the tagging.