Patent ID: 8171081
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for exchanging internal electronic mail over an open data network within a collaborative communication system, the method comprising: maintaining a database of a plurality of users registered with the collaborative communication system, each of the users being assigned a unique identifier in the collaborative communication system, wherein the unique identifier is not an email address commonly known to include an @ sign or a user name and a domain name in the email address; causing to display on a first client machine a user directory to show at least some of the registered users when a user using the first client machine logs into the collaborative communication system, wherein each of the some of the registered users is associated with an icon; causing to display a user interface on the first client machine for authoring an internal mail, the user interface including at least a recipient area, a subject area and a message area, wherein the recipient area allows the user to select at least a recipient from the user directory to receive the internal mail, the subject area includes a topic to indicate what texts in the message area are related to; transferring the internal mail to a server in the collaborative communication system when the user decides to send the internal mail to the recipient, wherein the recipient and the user belong to a group formed by a group of members from the registered users in the collaborative communication system, the group defines a circle within which the members are allowed to communicate with each other by exchanging internal electronic mail, a member outside the group is not allowed to communicate directly with any of the members in the group; and delivering the internal mail from the server to a second client machine when the recipient logs into the collaborative communication system via the second client machine,