Unified presentation of scattered message data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9292170-B2
Application number	US-56795206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2006
Priority date	Dec 7, 2006
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to e-mail processing and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for a unified presentation of scattered e-mail data. In one embodiment of the invention, a unified presentation of scattered e-mail data method can include selecting an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client, locating scattered data for the selected e-mail, and presenting the scattered data in a pop-up window proximate to the selected e-mail. In one aspect of the embodiment, selecting an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client can include selecting an icon adjacent to an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client. In another aspect of the embodiment, selecting an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client can include mousing over an icon adjacent to an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client.

First claim

We claim:

1. A unified presentation of scattered e-mail data method comprising:
selecting an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client executing in memory by a processor of a computing client;
locating scattered data for the selected e-mail in a related e-mail table comprising locating references to e-mails related to the selected e-mail and corresponding recipient and transmission date and time information for the e-mails in the related e-mail table, each of the e-mails related by an e-mail handling operation in the related e-mail table, the related e-mail table comprising a plurality of scattered data records, each scattered data record being associated with a particular e-mail, each scattered data record further comprising a set of references to one or more of the e-mails in a mail store of e-mails related to the particular e-mail by reply, by forward, by return receipt requested and by corresponding date and recipient information, for each of the one or more of the e-mails; and,
presenting a chronological listing of the scattered data in a pop-up window in the e-mail client.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client, comprises selecting an icon adjacent to the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client, comprises mousing over an icon adjacent to the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the e-mail message handling operation for each of the e-mails in the related e-mail table related to the selected e-mail is one of a reply to the selected e-mail message, a forward of the selected e-mail message, and a return receipt requested for the selected e-mail message.

5. An e-mail data processing system configured for unified presentation of scattered e-mail data, the system comprising:
a mail server, the mail server comprising a processor and memory;
a mail store of e-mails processed by the processor of the mail-server; and,
scattered message data unification logic comprising program code enabled to select an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client coupled to the mail server, locate scattered data for the selected e-mail in a related e-mail table comprising locating references to e-mails related to the selected e-mail and corresponding recipient and transmission date and time information for the e-mails in the related e-mail table, each of the e-mails related by an e-mail handling operation in the related e-mail table, the related e-mail table comprising a plurality of scattered data records, each scattered data record being associated with a particular e-mail, each scattered data record further comprising a set of references to one or more of the e-mails in the mail store of e-mails related to the particular e-mail by reply, by forward, by return receipt requested and by corresponding date and recipient information, for each of the one or more of the e-mails, and present a chronological listing of the scattered data in a pop-up window in the e-mail client.

6. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer usable program code for a unified presentation of scattered e-mail data, the computer usable program code, when executed on a computer system, causing the computer system to perform the operations of:
selecting an e-mail in an e-mail list of an e-mail client;
locating scattered data for the selected e-mail in a related e-mail table comprising locating references to e-mails related to the selected e-mail and corresponding recipient and transmission date and time information for the e-mails in the related e-mail table, each of the e-mails related by an e-mail handling operation in the related e-mail table, the related e-mail table comprising a plurality of scattered data records, each scattered data record being associated with a particular e-mail, each scattered data record further comprising a set of references to one or more of the e-mails in a mail store of e-mails related to the particular e-mail by reply, by forward, by return receipt requested and by corresponding date and recipient information, for each of the one or more of the e-mails; and,
presenting a chronological listing of the scattered data in a pop-up window in the e-mail client.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein
selecting the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client, comprises selecting an icon adjacent to the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein
selecting the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client, comprises mousing over an icon adjacent to the e-mail in the e-mail list of the e-mail client.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the e-mail message handling operation for each of the e-mails in the related e-mail table related to the selected e-mail is one of a reply to the selected e-mail message, a forward of the selected e-mail message, and a return receipt requested for the selected e-mail message.

Assignees

• Ryan Corinne M
• Lyle Ruthie D
• Jones Doris L
• IBM

Inventors

• Ryan Corinne M
• Lyle Ruthie D
• Jones Doris L

Classifications

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• H04L51/22

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06Q10/107

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• H04L51/34

  Electricity · mapped topic