1. Technical Field
The technical field of the present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for sending email messages.
2. Description of Related Art
One popular use of the internet is for the exchange of electronic mail, also referred to as email messages. An email system typically involves a server-based mail program residing on a server computer to manage the exchange of email messages over one or more networks and a client-based mail program residing on the client to implement a mail box that receives and holds the email messages for a user. Typically, these client-based programs also include a graphical user interface to enable a user to easily and conveniently open and read email messages in addition to creating new email messages.
Users often send email messages to multiple recipients. In some cases, after sending an email message to a number of recipients on a list, the user may realize that this particular email message also should have been sent to other recipients who were not on the original list of recipients. One solution is to forward the original email message to the additional recipients. A problem, however, occurs with this forwarding of the email message. If the additional recipients receiving the forwarded email message reply to all of the addresses in the message, the original recipients would never see the reply. Another solution is to create a new email message with the same content and all of the recipients and then send this email message to all of the recipients. In this case, the prior recipients would have two copies of the same email message. As a result, those recipients, having two copies, may reply to the copy without the additional or new recipients. In that case, those additional recipients would not see these replies.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for resending an email message to additional recipients.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus in a data processing system for resending a previously sent email message. A new recipient for the previously sent email message is selected. The new recipient is added in response to selecting the new recipient, wherein the previously sent email message is directed to the new recipient and a previous recipient. An indicator is added to the previously sent email message in response to selecting the new recipient. The indicator signifies that the new recipient has been added to form a new version of the previously sent email message. The new version of the previously sent email message is sent, and the indicator causes the new version of the previously sent email message to replace the previously sent email message.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With reference now to the figures,
In the depicted example, server 104 is connected to network 102 along with storage unit 106. In addition, clients 108, 110, and 112 are connected to network 102. These clients 108, 110, and 112 may be, for example, personal computers or network computers. In the depicted example, server 104 provides data, such as boot files, operating system images, and applications to clients 108-112. Clients 108, 110, and 112 are clients to server 104. Network data processing system 100 may include additional servers, clients, and other devices not shown. In the depicted example, network data processing system 100 is the Internet with network 102 representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers, consisting of thousands of commercial, government, educational and other computer systems that route data and messages. Of course, network data processing system 100 also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks, such as for example, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).
Referring to
Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus bridge 214 connected to I/O bus 212 provides an interface to PCI local bus 216. A number of modems may be connected to PCI local bus 216. Typical PCI bus implementations will support four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors. Communications links to clients 108-112 in
Additional PCI bus bridges 222 and 224 provide interfaces for additional PCI local buses 226 and 228, from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported. In this manner, data processing system 200 allows connections to multiple network computers. A memory-mapped graphics adapter 230 and hard disk 232 may also be connected to I/O bus 212 as depicted, either directly or indirectly.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in
The data processing system depicted in
With reference now to
An operating system runs on processor 302 and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system 300 in
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in
The depicted example in
The present invention provides an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for allowing the originator of an email message to resend the original email and include additional recipients to this email message. This email message includes an indicator in the form of a tag to indicate that one or more new recipients have been added to the email message. When this new version of the email message is received by the email program of a recipient, the program will search for the original email message.
If the original email message is located, this original message is replaced with the new version email message received by the email program. Now, if the user views the email message, the user will see the additional recipients on the list of recipients. The recipients of the email message, who were not originally on the list, will handle the email message in a normal fashion. Further, programs, which are unable to identify or handle this indicator also will handle the email message in a normal fashion.
Turning now to
In this example, email client 400, email client 402, and email client 404 are email clients located at different client data processing systems, such as client 108, client 110, and client 112 in
These email programs may employ different protocols. For example, simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) is a standard email protocol that is based on TCP/IP. This protocol defines a message format and the message transfer agent, which stores and forwards the mail. Other protocols, such as post office protocol 3 (POP3) also may be employed.
These email programs are used to send mail back and forth to different users through email server 412. Messages sent to other email clients are stored in email message database 414. When an email client connects to email server 412, any messages for that particular client are then sent to the client.
As illustrated, email client 404 in
New email message 420 is sent to email server 412 for delivery to the recipients. In this example, the additional recipient is a user at email client 402. New email message 420 is the same message as original email message 416. This new email message is only different from original email message 416 in that an additional recipient has been added. Further, new email message 420 also includes an indicator identifying this as a resent email message. This email message is sent to server 412 for distribution to recipients.
In
This replacement occurs when copy 422 is received by email client 400. Copy 422 is parsed to determine whether an indicator, such as a tag is present to indicate that this message is a resent email message including additional recipients. The tag also is referred to as an email header field. This tag may also include a field, such as <SENDER ID, ORIGINAL MAIL ID>. The information in this field may be used by email client 400 to match the duplicate email with the original email.
If a duplicate email message is found, that email message is replaced with the new one that has been resent. In this example, original email message 416 is replaced with copy 422. If the-original email message was deleted, then copy 422 is delivered in a normal fashion. Further, a graphical indicator or some other indicator, such an audio sound may be used to indicate that copy 422 is a replacement for another email message.
In email client 402, copy 424 is delivered normally. The indicator in copy 424 causes email client 402 to search for a duplicate email message for replacement. In this case, no duplicate email message is found because the user at client 402 was not one of the original recipients of email message 416. Since no duplicate email message is found, copy 424 is delivered normally.
Further, if a user has deleted the original email message, the new email message also is delivered and the user will see the email a second time.
Email clients 400, 402, and 404 may be implemented using presently available email clients with an additional process or feature in which these clients now look for indicators as described above. If one of these email clients is implemented using a legacy email program and does not include the mechanism of the present invention, the indicator in a resent email message is simply ignored. For example, if email client 400 is a legacy email client, copy 422 does not replace email message 416. Instead, the user would see both email messages in this particular instance.
Turning now to
Interface 500 includes a number of buttons or controls used for manipulating email. For example, interface 500 includes “New” button 502, “Add recipient” button 504, and “Forward” button 506. In this example, email message 508 is a previously sent email message that the user desires to resend. In this case, the user selects email message 508 and selects “Add recipient” button 504. In response to this user input, window 510 is presented to the user. Window 510 is a pop-up window in this example in which the user may add additional recipients in field 512. Additionally, the user may select “To” control 514 to select additional recipients from a list. Once all of the additional recipients have been selected for the email message, the user selects “Send” button 506 to send the email message.
In response to selecting “Send” button 516, email message 518 is displayed in the sent folder in
With reference now to
In this example, interface 600 is that for an email program. As can be seen, controls such as “New” button 602, “Add recipient” button 604, and “Forward” button 606 are present in interface 600. Email message 608 and email message 610 are email messages received for this particular user.
When an email message is received by the email client, if an indicator is present indicating that the email message is a resent version of a prior email message, the email client searches for the duplicate message. In this case the duplicate message is email message 608, which was received on April 25th. This email message is replaced with email message 612 which is received on April 25th. As a result, the user will see the replaced email message the next time the user looks in the in folder. Further, a graphical indicator, such as graphical indicator 614 may be displayed in association with email message 612 to indicate that this is a replaced email message. Additionally, other indicators such as an audio sound may be presented when a resent email message is selected by the user.
Turning next to
The process begins by detecting a request to resend an email message (step 700). In this example, this request may be initiated by a user selecting a control, such as “Add recipient” button 504 in
Otherwise, the process generates a tag to be placed into the email message (step 708). This tag is placed in the header of the email message (step 710). Thereafter, the new recipients selected in this process are added to the email message that is to be resent (step 712). The email message is then sent (step 714) with the process terminating thereafter.
Turning next to
The process begins by receiving an email message (step 800). A determination is then made as to whether a tag is present in the header of the message (step 802). If a tag is present, a duplicate message is located in the inbox (step 804). This duplicate message is a prior email message that was previously sent, but to fewer recipients in this example. The original email message is replaced with the new email message (step 806). Next, an indicator is added in association with the new email message (step 808) with the process terminating thereafter. In this example, step 808 is an optional step and may be omitted depending on the particular implementation.
With reference again to step 804, if the message is not located in the inbox, then the message is delivered normally (step 810) with the process terminating thereafter. With reference again to step 802, if a tag is not present in the header of the message, the process also proceeds to step 810 as described above. Further, although step 804 looks for messages in the inbox, this step may be expanded to include other folders depending on the particular implementation.
Thus, the present invention provides an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for handling resending of email messages. The mechanism of the present invention looks for an older version of the resent email message when a resent email message is received. If an older version is found, this older email message is replaced with the resent email message. A resent email message is identified through an indicator such as a tag located in the header of the email message. Consequently, complications with forwarding email addresses and users responding to an incorrect version of the email address are avoided with this mechanism.
It is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable media include recordable-type media, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a RAM, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and transmission-type media, such as digital and analog communications links, wired or wireless communications links using transmission forms, such as, for example, radio frequency and light wave transmissions. The computer readable media may take the form of coded formats that are decoded for actual use in a particular data processing system.
The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6434601 | Rollins | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6728714 | Doganata et al. | Apr 2004 | B1 |
20020194278 | Golan | Dec 2002 | A1 |
20040068544 | Malik et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040267892 | Kikinis | Dec 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040254989 A1 | Dec 2004 | US |