Patent ID: 6925605
Filing Date: 2005-08-02
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of displaying electronic mail messages, comprising: sorting a plurality of messages utilizing user-defined sort criteria including at least one criterion which is not alphabetic, chronological, or based on a previous viewing of corresponding messages; ordering the plurality of messages according to the user-defined sort criteria; and displaying the plurality of messages in the order specified by the user-defined sort criteria; wherein the step of sorting a plurality of messages utilizing user-defined sort criteria including at least one criterion which is not alphabetic, chronological or based on a previous viewing of corresponding messages further comprises sorting the plurality of messages based on a user-defined prioritization of a sender's address for each message; wherein the step of sorting the plurality of messages based on a user-defined prioritization of a sender's address for each message further comprises comparing a sender's address for each message to a ranked list of senders' addresses: wherein the step of comparing a sender's address for each message to a ranked list of senders' addresses further comprises: comparing the sender's address for each message to a set of senders' addresses specified by a user as higher priority than other messages; comparing the sender's address for each message to a set of senders' addresses automatically selected based on historical message tracking information as higher priority than other messages; comparing the sender's address for each message to a set of senders' addresses specified by a user as lower priority than other messages; and comparing the sender's address for each message to a first set of senders' addresses automatically selected based on historical message tracking information as lower priority than other messages.