Abstract:
The present disclosure describes systems, methods, and mediums configured to create a conversational email message. A computing device is configured to transmit an outgoing message from a sender to a plurality of recipients and create a conversational message by combining the outgoing message with a chronological listing of reply messages received from any of the plurality of recipients or the sender in response to a conversational email indicator. A memory device is configured to store the outgoing message or any of the reply messages.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure is related to systems, methods, and mediums configured to create a conversational email message. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A system may transmit an electronic mail message, e.g., an email, from a sender to a recipient over a network. The system may operate based on a store-and-forward model in which a server stores and subsequently forwards the electronic mail message for later retrieval by the recipient. The store-and-forward model eliminates a need for the sender and the recipient to be online simultaneously. Email may be considered an asynchronous form of communication since the recipient may retrieve and reply to the electronic mail message at any time. 
     One disadvantage of known systems is that when the sender transmits an electronic mail message to a group of recipients, each recipient may reply to the message asynchronous from other recipients, thereby creating multiple message branches or message threads that make it difficult to clearly follow the group&#39;s discussion. As the number of message branches or message threads grow, it becomes more difficult to clearly follow the group&#39;s discussion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION 
         FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of an exemplary system configured to create a conversational email message. 
         FIG. 2  depicts an illustration of multiple asynchronous message threads. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a screen view of a messaging program with a conversational email function. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a screen view of an exemplary conversational email message. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a flowchart of an exemplary method for creating a conversational email message. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of an exemplary system configured to create a conversational email message. Referring to  FIG. 1 , system  100  may include a computing device  102  that may execute instructions of application programs or modules  106 C stored in system memory, e.g., memory device  106 . Application programs or modules  106 C may include objects, components, routines, programs, instructions, data structures, and the like that perform particular tasks functions or that implement particular abstract data types. Some or all of application programs  106 C may be instantiated at run time by processing device  104 . A person of ordinary skill in the art readily will recognize that many of the concepts associated with system  100  may be implemented as computer instructions, firmware, or software in any of a variety of computing architectures, e.g., computing device  102 , to achieve a same or equivalent result. 
     Moreover, a person of ordinary skill in the art readily will recognize that system  100  may be implemented on other types of computing architectures, e.g., general purpose or personal computers, hand-held devices, mobile communication devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, application specific integrated circuits, and like. For illustrative purposes only, system  100  is shown in  FIG. 1  to include computing devices  102 , geographically remote computing devices  102 R, tablet computing device  102 T, mobile computing device  102 M, and laptop computing device  102 L. 
     Similarly, a person of ordinary skill in the art readily will recognize that system  100  may be implemented in a distributed computing system in which various computing entities or devices, often geographically remote from one another, e.g., computing device  102  and remote computing device  102 R, perform particular tasks or execute particular objects, components, routines, programs, instructions, data structures, and the like. For example, system  100  may be implemented in a server/client configuration (e.g., computing device  102  may operate as a server and remote computing device  102 R, tablet computing device  102 T, mobile computing device  102 M, or laptop computing device  102 L may operate as clients). In system  100 , application programs  106 C may be stored in local memory device  106 , external memory device  136 , or remote memory device  134 . Local memory device  106 , external memory device  136 , or remote memory device  134  may be any kind of memory known to a person of ordinary skill in the art including random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read only memory (ROM), ferroelectric RAM, magnetic storage devices, optical discs, and the like. 
     Computing device  102  may comprise processing device  104 , memory device  106 , device interface  108 , and network interface  110 , which all may be interconnected through bus  112 . Processing device  104  may represent a single, central processing unit, or a plurality of processing units in a single computing device  102  or plural computing devices, e.g., computing device  102  and remote computing device  102 R. Local memory device  106 , external memory device  136 , and/or remote memory device  134  may be any type of memory device, such as any combination of RAM, flash memory, ROM, ferroelectric RAM, magnetic storage devices, optical discs, and the like. Local memory device  106  may include a basic input/output system (BIOS)  106 A with routines to transfer data, including data  106 D, between the various elements of system  100 . Local memory device  106  also may store an operating system (OS)  106 B that, after being initially loaded by a boot program, manages other programs in computing device  102 . Local memory device  106  may store routines or programs  106 C designed to perform a specific function for a user or another application program, e.g., message transfer agent (MTA) or mail user agent (MUA) programs we describe in more detail below. Local memory device  106  additionally may store any kind of data  106 D, e.g., an email (not shown). 
     Device interface  108  may be any one of several types of interfaces. Device interface  108  may operatively couple any of a variety of devices, e.g., hard disk drive, optical disk drive, magnetic disk drive, or the like, to bus  112 . Device interface  108  may represent either one interface or various distinct interfaces, each specially constructed to support the particular device that it interfaces to bus  112 . Device interface  108  may additionally interface input or output devices utilized by a user to provide direction to computing device  102  and to receive information from computing device  102 . These input or output devices may include keyboards, monitors, mice, pointing devices, speakers, stylus, microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, printer, scanner, camera, video equipment, modem, monitor, and the like (not shown). Device interface  108  may be a serial interface, parallel port, game port, firewire port, universal serial bus, or the like. 
     A person of skill in the art readily will recognize that system  100  may comprise any type of computer readable medium accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, cartridges, RAM, ROM, flash memory, magnetic disc drives, optical disc drives, and the like. 
     Network interface  110  may operatively couple computing device  102  to remote computing devices  102 R, tablet computing devices  102 T, mobile computing devices  102 M, and/or laptop computing devices  102 L, on network  130 . Network  130  may be a local, wide area, or wireless network, or any other type of network capable of transmitting email messages from one computing device to another computing device. Computing devices  102 R may be geographically remote from computing device  102 . Remote computing device  102 R may have a structure corresponding to computing device  102 , or may operate as a server, client, router, switch, peer device, network node, or other networked device and may include some or all of the elements of computing device  102 . Computing device  102  may connect to the local or wide area network  130  through a network interface or adapter included in interface  110 , may connect to the local or wide area network  130  through a modem or other communications device included in the network interface  110 , may connect to the local or wide area network  130  using a wireless device  132 , or the like. Modem or other communication devices may establish communications to remote computing devices  102 R through global communications network  130 . A person of ordinary skill in the art readily will recognize that application programs or modules  106 C may be stored remotely through such networked connections. 
     In one example, computing device  102 R may operate as an email client running a mail user agent (MUA) application program and computing device  102  may operate as an email server running a message transfer agent (MTA) application program. Computing device  102 R running a MUA application program may allow a user to compose, send and retrieve email messages from an MTA application program running on, e.g., computing device  102 . In another example, computing device  102 R may access an MUA application program running on a computing device  102 L accessible over network  130 . The MUA application program may include Microsoft&#39;s Outlook, Pegasus&#39; Mail, Mozilla&#39;s Thunderbird, Google&#39;s gmail, and Apple&#39;s Mail. Computing device  102  running the MTA application program may use a variety of protocols to deliver email messages to computing device  102 R running the MUA application program, including Post Office Protocol (POP) and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). Other protocols may be used to access email messages, proprietary or otherwise. 
     Computing device  102  running the MTA application program may transmit an email message through network  130  to a destination server  150  also running the MTA application program. Computing device  150  running the MTA application program may receive an email message through network  130  from computing device  102  also running the MTA application program. 
     A person of ordinary skill in the art readily will recognize that an electronic message may comprise at least a header and a body. The header may be structured into fields that provide control information including email addresses for the sender and at least one recipient. The header may also contain fields that provide descriptive information including subject and submission timestamps and date stamps. The body may include the content of the electronic message in e.g., plain text or hypertext markup language formats. 
       FIG. 2  depicts an illustration of multiple asynchronous message threads. Referring to  FIG. 2 , a sender  211  may compose a source email  210  using an MUA operating on computing device  102 R at time t 0 . Sender  211  may transmit source email  210  to at least one computing device  102  running an MTA program for asynchronous access by each of a plurality of recipients  213 ,  215 ,  217  through the same or another computing device  102 R operating an MUA. Recipient  213  may compose an email  220  in response to source email  210  at time t 1  and forward email  220  to recipients  215  or  217 . Recipients  215  and  217  may compose emails  230  and  240 , respectively, in response to email  220  at time t 2 . Sender  211  may compose email  231  in response to email  230  and recipient  213  may compose email  241  in response to email  240  at time t 3 . Recipient  217  may compose email  232  in response to email  231  and recipient  215  may compose email  242  in reply to email  241  at time t 4 . Sender  211  and recipient  213  may compose emails  233  and  234  in response to email  232  at time t 5 . Sender  211  may compose email  243  in reply to email  241  at time t 5 . 
     Since emails  230  and  240  are both in reply to email  220 , they represent two distinct message threads of source email  210 . Likewise, emails  233  and  234  represent two distinct message threads of email  232  and emails  242  and  243  represent two distinct message threads of email  241 . Each of the recipients of the various email messages  210 ,  220 ,  230 ,  240  and so on may access their messages at different times independent of the response times t 0 , t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , t 4 , or t 5 , thereby making it difficult to ascertain the status of the communication without first having to read the entire message tree including the distinct branches of various emails. 
       FIG. 3  depicts a screen view of an electronic messaging program with a conversational email function. Referring to  FIG. 3 , screen view  300  includes a title pane  310 , a toolbar  312 , a navigation pane  320 , a reading pane  330 , a preview pane  340 , and a view pane  350 . Title pane  310  may display a title associated with the electronic messaging program running, on e.g., computing device  102 R. Toolbar  312  may display a series of selectable icons or text that gives a user the ability to select functions associated with the electronic messaging program, e.g., file, edit, view, insert, format, tools, message, and help. Toolbar  312  may display the icons either on a horizontal row or a vertical column around the edges of screen view  300  where they are visible while the electronic messaging program is in use. Some or all of the selectable icons or text may comprise pull-down menus that provide other logically associated functions, e.g., a pull down menu associated with the file icon or text that may allow the user to save an electronic message. 
     Navigation pane  320  may display a folder list associated with the electronic messaging program, e.g., an inbox, sent, deleted, or junk folder, or the like. Each folder in the list may comprise particular categories of email messages designated either automatically by the electronic messaging program, e.g., a junk category, or by the user, e.g., a deleted category. 
     Reading pane  330  may display a list of email messages and their associated email threads by subject, date, or the like. For example, reading pane  330 , e.g., via the electronic messaging program that produces reading pane  330 , may display email  331  as being associated with email threads  332 ,  333 , and  334 . Reading pane  330  also may display the list of email messages by subject after having decoded the message header of the email message. Reading pane  330  further may associate a conversational email icon  336  with a conversational email  335 . For example, reading pane  330  may associate a conversational email icon with a conversational email after having decoded the message header to reveal a conversational email indicator. Reading pane  330  may indicate that an email message is new or has not been read by the user by, e.g., bolding the subject of the email. Once the user reads the email, reading pane  330  may display the subject of the email using un-bolded type. 
     Preview pane  340  may allow the user to preview contents of a selected email message. For example, if the user selects to view email  334 , preview pane  340  may display a chain of email replies  341 ,  342 , and  343 . View pane  350  may allow the user to switch between functions associated with the electronic messaging program, e.g., mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, or the like. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a screen view of an exemplary conversational email message. Referring to  FIG. 4 , screen view  400  includes a title pane  410 , a toolbar  412 , a header pane  415 , and a view pane  450 . Title pane  410  may indicate that conversational email message  414  is being displayed on view pane  450 . Title pane  410  also may display a conversational email icon  420  to indicate that the email  414  is a conversational email. Toolbar  412  may display a series of selectable icons or text that gives the user the ability to select functions associated with the email message being displayed on view pane  450 , e.g., file, edit, view, insert, format, tools, message, help, and the like. Header pane  415  may display a header of the conversational email  414  including various fields, e.g., “from” field, “to” field, “cc” field, “subject” field, and the like. The conversational email  414  may include an attachment as indicated by the icon at  460 . Sender  430  may compose the conversational email  414  and send it to first through fourth recipients  440 . 
     View pane  450  may display the body or content of the conversational email  414  using a conversational format, e.g., by ordering emails  451 ,  452 ,  453 ,  454 , and  455  in chronological order. View pane  450  may display the conversational email  414  in conversational format using the submission timestamps included in the header, after having appropriately decoded the header of each of the messages. Sender  430  or any of the first through fourth recipients  440  may compose a new reply at any time. When this occurs, view pane  450  may display the conversational email  414  and the new reply in chronological order in response to the submission timestamp decoded in the header of the new reply. View pane  450  may display a new, unread, reply to the conversational email  414  in bolded type or any other appropriate indication. 
     Sender  430  may indicate a message as conversational email  414  at composition time or any other time thereafter. Sender  430  may indicate the message as conversational email  414  by selecting such an option from the toolbar  412 . For example, the user may select “conversation” type from a drop down menu under “format” in toolbar  412 . Alternatively, any of the first through fourth recipients  440  may convert a “regular” message type to a “conversation” type by a similar selection mechanism. Sender  430  or any of first through fourth recipients may convert conversational email  414  to a conventional message type also by similar selection mechanism. In such a conversion, view pane  450  may display existing message threads in chronological order and new message threads in a conventional manner from that point forward. Computing device  102 R running an MUA application program or computing device  102  running an MTA application program may perform the message conversion from conventional email to conversational email or vice versa. 
       FIG. 5  depicts a flowchart of an exemplary method for creating a conversational email message. Referring to  FIG. 5 , method  500  may provide a source email message from a sender to a plurality of recipients at  502 . At  504 , method  500  may receive a reply to the source email message from at least one recipient of the plurality of recipients. At  506 , method  500  may determine the existence of a conversational email indicator by decoding a header associated with the reply. If a conversational email indicator exists, at  508 , method  500  may create a chronological listing of replies by chronologically ordering all of the replies from any of the plurality of recipients or the sender received up to that time. At  510 , method  500  may combine the source email message and the chronological listing of replies into a conversational email. At  512 , method  500  may cause the display of the conversational email on a monitor or display. If no conversational email indicator exists at  506 , at  514 , method  500  may cause the display of the source email and any subsequently received replies from the at least one recipient in a conventional manner on a monitor or display. 
     Method  500  may create the chronological listing of replies in response to having decoded a timestamp associated with each of the replies received from any of the plurality of recipients or the sender. Method  500  further may continuously update the chronological listing in response to receiving further replies from any of any of the plurality of recipients or from the sender. Method  500  may convert the conversational message to at least one message thread in response to the conversational email indicator being replaced with a message thread indicator in any of the replies received from any of the plurality of recipients or from the sender. Method  500  further may cause display of a symbol associated with any of the replies received from any of the plurality of recipients or from the sender.