Patent ID: 7475109

Claim:
A computer-usable storage medium storing an e-mail client program that allows a user to set customized auto-reply messages, the program comprising: a first interface element that allows a user to organize contacts into categories; a second interface element that allows the user to set a category auto-reply message for a category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set; a third interface element that allows the user to select a contact in the category; a fourth interface element that allows the user to set a personal auto-reply message for the selected contact, wherein the personal auto-reply message is sent to the selected contact when an e-mail is received from the selected contact, and the category auto-reply is additionally sent to the selected contact when an e-mail is received from the selected contact; and a fifth interface element that allows the user to set a global auto-reply reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which a category auto-reply message has not been set.