Abstract:
The invention relates to presenting e-mails to a user in a manner that graphically depicts topic threads between the e-mails and enables the user to pursue a particular thread to view associated e-mails.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/855,036, filed Oct. 27, 2006, and entitled Graphical Presentation of E-mail, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND AUTHORIZATION 
       [0002]    Portions of the documentation in this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    The following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which there is shown one or more of the multiple embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the various embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings. 
           [0004]    In the Drawings: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a use case diagram for the overall system of an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  depicts exemplary data being displayed to a user according to various embodiments of the invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  depicts exemplary data pertaining to a group of senders being provided to a user according to a further embodiment of the invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  depicts exemplary data pertaining to an individual sender being provided to a user according to a further embodiment of the invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  illustrates a flowchart for processing and displaying of e-mails according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  depicts various embodiments of the invention in which hardware and its corresponding functionality is deployed in a network configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which there is shown one or more of the multiple embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the various embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings. The words “right”, “left”, “lower” and “upper” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. 
         [0012]    Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference letters are employed for designating the same elements throughout the several figures. 
         [0013]    Unified Modeling Language (“UML”) can be used to model and/or describe methods and systems and provide the basis for better understanding their functionality and internal operation as well as describing interfaces with external components, systems and people using standardized notation. When used herein, UML diagrams including, but not limited to, use case diagrams, class diagrams and activity diagrams, are meant to serve as an aid in describing the embodiments of the present invention, but do not constrain implementation thereof to any particular hardware or software embodiments. Unless otherwise noted, the notation used with respect to the UML diagrams contained herein is consistent with the UML 2.0 specification or variants thereof and is understood by those skilled in the art. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a use case diagram for a graphical e-mail presentation system  100  which receives e-mails from a plurality of senders  102 , dates the e-mails (along with the originator) and identifies Topic Threads and Connections between e-mails. As used herein, the phrase Topic Thread relates to grouping messages which share a common topic. Connections relate to e-mails which are linked by recipients—replies, individuals who are mutually on the “to” (TO:) line of an e-mail, or individuals that have been copied (cc:) on an e-mail. Also as used herein, the term thread is used to describe a link between e-mails that is either a Topic Thread, a Connection, or both. By utilizing these threads it is possible to present a graphical representation of the relationships between the e-mails. In particular, a general graphical presentation of the e-mails can be developed for the user, and the user can filter the e-mails based on a variety of parameters including TO, DATE, FROM, CC, SUBJECT, FLAG, ATTACHMENT, or other parameter associated with the e-mail. The user can subsequently select a thread presented in one or more the graphical representations of the e-mail and pursue that thread to view the e-mails associated with the thread. 
         [0015]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the use case diagram represents the various use cases invoked by the user  102 , also referred to as the mailbox owner, as well as the use cases invoked by the general receipt of e-mails from senders  120 . As depicted, e-mail received from the senders invokes a receive e-mail use case  112  which can include the dating of the receipt  114  as well as the identification of threads between e-mails  116 . 
         [0016]    The left hand side of  FIG. 1  indicates the use cases invoked by the user/mailbox owner  102 , which includes a read e-mail use case  104  which opens e-mail for reading, a select graphical presentation use case  106  which allows the user to select a particular graphical representation, a group/filter e-mails use case  108  which provides for grouping and/or filtering of the e-mails based on any one of a number of parameters including but not limited to the TO, DATE, FROM, CC, SUBJECT, FLAG, ATTACHMENT parameters. 
         [0017]    A select threads use case  110  allows the mailbox owner  102  to select a thread as displayed in the graphical representation of the e-mails and allows for e-mails associated with the thread to be displayed to the mailbox owner  102  for further examination and selection. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment of the invention, threads are identified through computer based examination of the subject lines, or by identifying e-mails which are replies based on an initial e-mail, or by both. In this embodiment the replies, replies to replies, and subsequent replies constitute a thread. The interrelationships between the TO and CC fields in an e-mail can also be utilized to create threads which are indicative of a virtual e-mail that the mailbox owner has a copy of. For example, if an e-mail is sent from Susan Smith to Tom Jones (with Tom Jones being the mailbox owner), with a CC to Peter Brown, there will be an e-mail from Susan Smith to Peter Brown which is identical to that received by Tom Jones. As such, the e-mail to Peter Brown can be considered to be part of the multi-user thread and can be represented as a virtual e-mail in a graphical representation and the thread associated with the multiple users can be represented such that the participants in the multi-user thread can be readily identified and e-mails which are part of the thread inspected. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates features of various embodiments of the invention. For convenience in describing the invention, these features are combined in  FIG. 2 . It should be noted that various embodiments of the invention exist with one or more of these features in various combinations. In particular,  FIG. 2  illustrates one example of a graphical presentation of e-mail in which individual e-mails are illustrated in horizontal rows, with each row being associated with a particular sender  202 . That is, e-mails from different senders are organized along different horizontal rows, with each horizontal row containing representations of individual e-mails from that sender  202 . In one embodiment, each e-mail received from the sender is illustrated with a graphical mark, such as a rectangle  204 . In one embodiment, the horizontal row representing e-mails from the various senders can be organized vertically according to the volume of e-mail received from those senders, with the senders having the highest volumes being located on the top. In one embodiment the organization of e-mails from a sender can be organized chronologically from left to right, with the newest e-mails being towards the left and the oldest e-mails being towards the right. In one embodiment the timescale can be varied by the user, thereby enabling him to zoom in on a region in time based on a sliding timescale  220  which allows for inspection of larger or smaller timeframes. 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 2 , threads can be illustrated using connector bars  206 , with the title of the thread  208  (derived from the subject line or as established through other means of inspection of the text of the e-mail) being displayed along with the connector bar. As previously described, if an e-mail was sent by one sender to the user and also copied to another sender, that can be illustrated as a virtual “to” e-mail indicator  210  and serves to show the user that another individual (in this case Joe Abramson) also received the e-mail that was sent to him (in this case by Sue Jones). Similarly, in one embodiment, a virtual “cc” e-mail is illustrated both with a virtual “cc” indicator  214  and as a dotted rectangle  212 , and indicates that another individual (in this case Sue Jones) was copied on the e-mail (in this case from Joe Abramson) to the user. 
         [0021]    By addressing a particular thread indicator (e.g., item  206 ) it is possible for the user to retrieve and inspect the e-mails associated with that thread. Still referring to  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, the user can move a cursor  216  over the graphical symbol representing an e-mail, and subsequently view the contents of the e-mail which can appear in a box  218  that hovers over the graphical e-mail marker. In one embodiment this is accomplished by accessing the subject line and a portion of the text of the e-mail when the cursor is left over the graphical symbol representing the e-mail for a particular amount of time, and displaying that information such that the user can ascertain the contents of the e-mail. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates an example of a grouping function in which e-mails from a set of individuals can be viewed graphically. For example, if the four individuals shown in  FIG. 3  represent the senior management of a company, a user can choose to see all e-mail directed to him from those individuals. As depicted the system presents threads (e.g., “STAFF MEETING,” “RESOURCES,” etc.) and thread indicators  304  between e-mails, as well as using color coding or shading to indicate related e-mails (e.g., items  306  and  308  being identically shaded). The graphical presentation allows the user to rapidly locate e-mails from particular senders and/or to view e-mails that are related and locate the appropriate e-mails on the thread. By clicking on the individual e-mail, the user can rapidly access that e-mail. When accessing the thread the user is able to retrieve the messages that were part of that thread. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  e-mails from particular senders are organized in vertical columns. The vertical direction can be used to organize materials chronologically, and in one embodiment the newest materials are placed near the top of the screen, and the older materials towards the bottom. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example of linear arrangement of e-mails related to a particular sender. By way of example, one thread is illustrated using connector bar  206  and identified with a “Re: Meeting Agenda” title  208 . In this embodiment e-mails from the user are organized such that they can be viewed in chronological order, with the threads between associated e-mails (e.g. from other third party participants) also illustrated to provide the ability to rapidly locate e-mails associated with a particular thread. The e-mails associated with a thread can be inspected individually, or in one embodiment, can be displayed simultaneously. In one embodiment the common part of the text message is suppressed in all but one of the e-mails and only the responses of the other participants in the thread are shown in their e-mails. This allows for rapid visual processing of e-mails associated with a thread. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates a flowchart for processing and display of e-mails according to an embodiment of the invention. E-mails are received in a receive e-mail step  502 , and threads are identified at step  504 . As noted above, these threads include both Connections between e-mails (e.g., derived from addressee fields) and Topic Threads. In a further embodiment of the invention, Topic Threads are derived through examination of the subject line, body of the e-mail, or subject line in combination with the e-mail body. At step  506  the FROM, TO, DATE, SUBJECT, and thread parameters are stored along with the body of the e-mail itself. Based on this stored information a graphical presentation of the e-mail information can be developed and presented to the user (steps  508  and  510 , respectively). Upon presentation of the information, the user at step  512  can select to have the information filtered or to create groups as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Once the filtered or grouped information is created it can be presented to the user (step  514 ). As further illustrated in  FIG. 5 , with or without such a filtering request, the display of threads can be requested ( 516 ). Threads can then be presented with e-mails from those threads being simultaneously displayed (step  518 ). 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  illustrates a number of embodiments of the present invention, one of which is a central mail server  608  which is accessed by users  602  over a network  620  (e.g., the Internet) using a personal computer  604  with a browser based mail reader. In this embodiment the functionality of the graphical e-mail presentation system is deployed in the central mail server  608  and accessed through the browser. In an alternate embodiment, a centralized mail server (e.g. a corporate mail server  610 ) is used in conjunction with a computer  606  containing a client side mail application. In this embodiment the client side mail application contains the graphical e-mail presentation system functionality. In other embodiments the functionality is divided between the server side and the client side. 
         [0026]    The embodiments of the present invention may be implemented with any combination of hardware and software. If implemented as a computer-implemented apparatus, the present invention is implemented using means for performing all of the steps and functions described above. 
         [0027]    The embodiments of the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer useable media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the mechanisms of the present invention. The article of manufacture can be included as part of a computer system or sold separately. 
         [0028]    Although the description above contains specific examples, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.