The present invention relates to a method and system for managing document attachments that are received as part of electronic messages and in particular to a method and system for determining when documents attached to electronic mail messages are from locally generated electronic messages and then for managing the storage of these locally generated attachment documents.
Electronic mail (email) communications are an integral part of any business, and widely used outside of business as well. Although several new technologies currently compete, as the most ubiquitous tool in business communications, email remains one of the single most used communications tools for both the business and the personal user. Widespread availability, ease of use, and functionality are key components which hold email in front of developing communications methods; however, as new technologies compete for the top spot, email applications must continue to build upon the strong foundation currently in place to maintain their edge as the tool of choice. By any current standard, email applications would have to be rated as mature technology; however, if improvements in email applications cease to move forward, and other tools continue to improve, loss of market share will undoubtedly result. One key feature missing in legacy email tools is efficient management of locally sourced electronic mail attachments.
Often, electronic mail messages have documents attached to the message. During the process of creating the electronic message, the user has the option to attach a document to the created message. When the user attaches a document to the message, this attachment process often creates another copy of the attached document. With some electronic mail systems, a copy of each transmitted message is also saved on a mail server. The document attached the message is also saved with these message. In addition, some users choose to copy themselves on messages that they transmit. In theses cases, the attached documents are also copied and stored with the message. As a result, in many cases, the transmission of attachment documents with electronic mail messages creates multiple copies of the same document. These multiple copies occupy substantial memory or storage space in a system.
Storage space and processing cycles carry extensive cost to owning organizations, and as such, any optimization in this area is critical to a corporate cost structure. Legacy electronic mail systems do a poor job of managing replicate data in the form of locally sourced attachments, and as such, storage space is wasted, and system resources are stressed beyond functional need. When the creator of an electronic message locally sources an attachment document, there is no need for the electronic mail system to store additional copies of the attached document. Conventional legacy electronic mail systems, by default, will save between three (3) to six (6) copies of the same locally sourced attachment document through poor replication management processes.
Therefore, there remains a need for a method and system that can better manage the creation and storage of multiple copies of documents that are attached to electronic mail messages such that multiple unnecessary copies of these documents are not created and storage space is more efficiently used as a result of the reduction and elimination of the unnecessary attachment documents.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method and system to manage the transmission of documents attached to electronic mail messages.
It is a second objective of the present invention to control the creation of copies of documents attached to electronic mail messages during the process of transmitting these messages containing the attached document.
It is a third objective of the present invention to provide a method and system to manage the storage of attachment documents at the origination location of an electronic mail message containing the attached document.
It is a fourth objective of the present invention to provide a method and system to manage documents attached to electronic mail messages by providing links from the electronic message to the original document that is attached to the electronic mail message.
The present invention introduces unique functionality whereby there is a substantial reduction in the storage space and replication requirements for the locally initiated electronic mail messages, which include locally sourced attachments. This invention reduces both the over all storage requirements for electronic messages with locally sourced attachments and also improves the efficiency of the electronic mail system as a whole.
In the method of the present invention, there is an identification of electronic messages containing locally sourced attachment documents. As part of the transmission of these messages, a copy of the transmitted message can be stored either automatically or by choice of the message sender. 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. The method of the present invention is applicable to transmitted electronic messages that are automatically copied, to messages in which the sender carbon copies (CC) himself or herself or other optional storage mechanisms.
a is an illustration of a screen for a typical electronic message transmission.
b is an illustration of a screen menu for an attachment option for the creator of an electronic message.
c is an illustration of a typical directory of documents for attachment.
Electronic mail message transmissions occur over computing devices, usually personal computers, connected to a communication network. With reference now to
The method of the present invention may be implemented in a global computer network environment such as the Internet. With reference now
Still referring to
In the implementation of the present invention, logic is added to electronic mail applications that will enable these applications to distinguish between locally sourced or locally created attachments, and existing or inbound attachments. Additionally, a tracking/linking mechanism is added for the locally sourced attachment document. The logic necessary to implement the present invention falls in the field of document metadata management. Those skilled in the art recognize the feasibility of incorporating the present functionality via manipulation of existing metadata management techniques. Additionally, it is recognized that many embodiments of this invention are possible, and the following representations are for illustrative purposes only, and in no way limit other possible implementation techniques.
Referring to
When a user selects the Attachment icon 35, a menu of options connected with the process of attaching a document to the message can appear on the user's screen. Referring to
Referring back to
Some electronic mail systems contain attachment databases where all desired attachments are detected and stored. While this is useful tool for inbound attachments, it is unnecessary and inefficient for locally stored attachment documents. When an initiating user already has the locally-sourced attachment document in his file structure, previously stored in the directory of his choice, it is much more efficient to simply leave the document in place and reference it from within the locally stored electronic mail message. No additional storage of the document in an attachment database is required, and it is much easier for the local user to find a given document in a logically selected local file structure than in a single database filled with unrelated documents of all types. Referring again to
Referring back to step 78, if the recipient desires to modify the attachment in the message, the method moves to step 83 where the modification process will occur. After the completion of the modification, the modified message is stored in step 84. Following this storage step, the message is updated to reflect a modification of the attachment. In the alternative, a there can be the creation of a new separate document that is the updated version of the attached document. After the message update, in step 81, a link is created to the original document from which was the source of the modified attachment. The process then stores the message in step 82.
To facilitate a link created between an electronic message and an original document, there can be a header or footer added to the original document to provide fields for pointers to electronic messages that have this document attached to the message. Furthermore, link would be different depending on whether the document was a copy of the original document or a modified copy of the original document.
Other options for features in the present invention can include extended note management functionality whereby attachment-to-mail associations are maintained and acted upon. As an example, if an electronic mail message with a locally sourced attachment reference is deleted, the application could generate a pop-up/warning that a document association exists. In the case where the attachment document was prepared specifically for the email message being deleted, it may also be desirable to delete the attachment as well, this functionality could be incorporated as well. Finally, if the attachment document itself is deleted, this could generate a warning noting the associated electronic mail message.
It is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of instructions in a computer readable medium and a variety of other forms, regardless of the particular type of medium used to carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable media include media such as EPROM, ROM, tape, paper, floppy disc, hard disk drive, RAM, and CD-ROMs and transmission-type of media, such as digital and analog communications links.
Having thus described the invention, what we claims as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.
This application is a continuation application claiming priority to Ser. No. 10/660,337, filed Sep. 11, 2003.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20150012808 A1 | Jan 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10660337 | Sep 2003 | US |
Child | 14497829 | US |