Intelligent, dynamic E-mail signature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9444776-B2
Application number	US-201414284797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2014
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for providing a dynamic, intelligent e-mail signature. In an embodiment, the method includes the steps of receiving an e-mail from a sender, storing the e-mail for later retrieval, assigning a URL representing the e-mail signature and sending the URL to the sender. Further, the method includes the steps of receiving the URL from the e-mail recipient, analyzing the e-mail and social media activities of sender and recipient, determining a signature and sending the signature to the recipient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a recipient of an e-mail a dynamic, intelligent e-mail signature wherein the e-mail signature is generated, when a recipient views the e-mail and each time the recipient subsequently re-views the e-mail, based on a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), embedded in the e-mail, representing the e-mail signature, the method comprising:
receiving, by a signature application, an e-mail from a sender;
storing, by the signature application, components of the e-mail for later retrieval;
assigning, by the signature application, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) representing an e-mail signature;
associating, by the signature application, the URL with the e-mail;
transmitting, by the signature application, the URL toward the sender for use as the e-mail signature;
receiving, by the signature application, the URL from a recipient of the e-mail each time the recipient views the e-mail;
retrieving, by the signature application, based on the URL, the components of the e-mail;
retrieving, by the signature application, social media activities of the sender and social media activities of the recipient, at the time the URL is received;
creating, by the signature application, signature content based on at least one of the components of the e-mail, and at least one of the social media activities of the sender and the social media activities of the recipient, at the time the URL is received;
creating, by the signature application, an e-mail signature based on the signature content; and
sending, by the signature application, the e-mail signature toward the recipient for display during the viewing of the e-mail.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein receiving, by the signature application, an e-mail from a sender further comprises:
receiving an e-mail from a sender, the e-mail including a signature placeholder, wherein the signature placeholder forms a portion of a body of the e-mail and the signature placeholder displays content distinct from a remaining portion of the e-mail body.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein storing, by the signature application, the e-mail for later retrieval further comprises:
storing e-mail components for later retrieval wherein the e-mail components include one or more of e-mail content, sender address, recipient address, and e-mail metadata.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein assigning, by the signature application, a URL representing an e-mail signature further comprises:
creating a file within a file system managed by the one or more processors, assigning a filename to the file, and generating a URL identifying a storage location represented by the filename.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein associating, by the signature application, the URL with the e-mail further comprises:
associating the URL with storage addresses of stored components of the e-mail, such that the stored components of the e-mail may be retrieved by reference to the URL.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein retrieving, by the signature application, social media activities of the sender and social media activities of the recipient further comprises:
searching social media sites, for postings made by the e-mail sender and the e-mail recipient, and for interactions between the e-mail sender and the e-mail recipient, and retrieving such postings and interactions for analysis.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein creating, by the signature application, signature content based on at least one of the components of the e-mail, and at least one of the social media activities of the sender and the social media activities of the recipient, further comprises:
identifying commonalities among, at least, the sender's and recipient's social media activities, and at least one of the e-mail components.

8. A computer program product for providing a dynamic, intelligent e-mail signature wherein the e-mail signature is generated, when a recipient views the e-mail and each time the recipient subsequently re-views the e-mail, based on a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), embedded in the e-mail, representing the e-mail signature, the computer program product comprising:
one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive an e-mail from a sender;
program instructions to store components of the e-mail for later retrieval;
program instructions to assign a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) representing an e-mail signature;
program instructions to associate the URL with the e-mail; and
program instructions to transmit the URL toward the sender for use as an email signature;
program instructions to receive the URL from a recipient of the e-mail each time the recipient views the e-mail;
program instructions to retrieve, based on the URL, the components of the e-mail;
program instructions to retrieve social media activities of the sender and social media activities of the recipient, at the time the URL is received;
program instructions to create signature content based on at least one of the components of the e-mail, and at least one of the social media activities of the sender and the social media activities of the recipient, at the time the URL is received;
program instructions to create an e-mail signature based on the signature content; and
program instructions to send the e-mail signature toward the recipient for display during the viewing of the e-mail.

9. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein program instructions to receive an e-mail from a sender further comprise:
program instructions to receive an e-mail from a sender, the e-mail including a signature placeholder, wherein the signature placeholder forms a portion of a body of the e-mail and the signature placeholder displays content distinct from a remaining portion of the e-mail body.

10. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein program instructions to store the e-mail for later retrieval further comprise:
program instructions to store e-mail components, for later retrieval, wherein the e-mail components include one or more of e-mail content, sender address, recipient address, and e-mail metadata.

11. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein assigning, by one or more processors, a URL representing an e-mail signature further comprises:
program instructions to create a file, within a file system managed by the one or more processors, assigning a filename to the file, and generating a URL identifying a storage location represented by the filename.

12. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein associating, by one or more processors, the URL with the e-mail further comprises:
program instructions to associate the URL with storage addresses of stored components of the e-mail, such that the stored components of the e-mail may be retrieved by reference to the URL.

13. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein program instructions to retrieve social media activities of the sender and social media activities of the recipient, further comprises:
program instructions to search social media sites, for postings made by the sender and the recipient, and for interactions between the sender and the recipient, and retrieving the postings and the interactions for creating signature content.

14. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the p

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Albouyeh Shadi E
• Carter Bernadette A
• Hoy Jeffrey R
• Trunzo Stephanie L

Classifications

• H04L51/22 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L12/58

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F17/30861

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L63/00

  Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00) · CPC title

• H04L67/00

  Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications (user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00) · CPC title