Patent ID: 7921176
Filing Date: 2011-04-05
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A machine implemented method, comprising: receiving user input from a user; in response to the user input, accessing a particular electronic mail message (email) that is part of an email conversation, wherein the email conversation spans across a plurality of separate emails, and all emails that are part of the email conversation have a unique identifier associated therewith; extracting the unique identifier from the particular email; accessing, based at least partially upon the unique identifier, an email conversation data structure that is associated with the email conversation, the email conversation data structure containing information indicating which emails are part of the email conversation; accessing at least a subset of the emails that are indicated by the email conversation data structure as being part of the email conversation; automatically generating a composite email which includes content from the particular email and the subset of emails; extracting, from the particular email or one of the emails in the subset of emails, authorization information indicating what the user can and/or cannot do with respect to the email conversation; and enforcing any restrictions indicated by the authorization information to ensure that the user is not allowed to perform any operation with respect to the email conversation for which the user has not been authorized; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.