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EP0420779A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

User selectable electronic mail management method

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1990-08-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-08-29
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Abstract

Abstract A user selectable electronic mail management method is disclosed for utilization by an individual computer user in a multi-user computer base electronic mail distribution system. Each individual computer system is permitted to graphically establish a plurality of electronic mail "in-baskets" (46,48,50), each in-basket having one or more electronic mail properties associated therewith. Each item of electronic mail received is then routed to a selected in-basket in response to the properties associated with the item of electronic mail. In the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, the normal system in-basket is utilized as a default or "no-choice" location for elec­tronic mail which is not routed to a user designated in-basket. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, user designated in-baskets are arranged in a selected order so that electronic mail items which meet more than one in-basket criterion are assigned to the highest priority in-basket during routing. By utilizing the present invention a computer user may sort incoming electronic mail by source, subject matter, type of mail, urgency, security level, or any other easily identifiable property associated with an item of electronic mail.

Inventors

  • 👤 Cherryl A. Dawson
  • 👤 Patrick Keane

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 04:11
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/107; H; H04; H04L; H04L51/00; H04L51/42; H04L51/21; H04L51/212

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 87 words
An electronic mail management method for use by an individual computer user in a multi-user computer based electronic mail distribution network made up of a plurality of individual computer user stations, said method comprising the steps of : establishing at least one of said individual computer stations a plurality of electronic mail in-baskets; associating a selected electronic mail property with each of said electronic mail in-baskets; and routing received electronic mail into said electronic mail in-baskets in response to properties associated with each item of electronic mail.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 87 words
An electronic mail management method for use by an individual computer user in a multi-user computer based electronic mail distribution network made up of a plurality of individual computer user stations, said method comprising the steps of : establishing at least one of said individual computer stations a plurality of electronic mail in-baskets; associating a selected electronic mail property with each of said electronic mail in-baskets; and routing received electronic mail into said electronic mail in-baskets in response to properties associated with each item of electronic mail.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The electronic mail management system according to Claim 1 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the sender of an item of electronic mail.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
The electronic mail management system according to Claim 1 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the subject matter of an item of electronic mail.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
The electronic mail management system according to Claim 1 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the security level of an item of electronic mail.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
The electronic mail management system according to Claim 1 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the class of an item of electronic mail.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 102 words
An electronic mail management method for use by an individual computer user in a multi-user computer based electronic mail distribution network made up of a plurality of individual computer user stations, said method comprising the steps of : establishing at least one of said individual computer stations a plurality of electronic mail in-baskets; associating a selected electronic mail property with each of said electronic mail in-baskets; ordering said electronic mail in-baskets in a select­ed priority order; and routing received electronic mail into said electronic mail in-baskets in response to properties associated with each item of electronic mail, in said selected priority order.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 102 words
An electronic mail management method for use by an individual computer user in a multi-user computer based electronic mail distribution network made up of a plurality of individual computer user stations, said method comprising the steps of : establishing at least one of said individual computer stations a plurality of electronic mail in-baskets; associating a selected electronic mail property with each of said electronic mail in-baskets; ordering said electronic mail in-baskets in a select­ed priority order; and routing received electronic mail into said electronic mail in-baskets in response to properties associated with each item of electronic mail, in said selected priority order.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
The electronic mail management system according to claim 6 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the sender of an item of electronic mail.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 28 words
The electronic mail management system according to Claim 6 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the subject matter of an item of electronic mail.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 28 words
The electronic mail management system according to Claim 6 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the security level of an item of electronic mail.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 27 words
The electronic mail management system according to Claim 6 wherein said selected electronic mail proper­ty comprises an indication of the class of an item of electronic mail.

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