A method and system for generating e-mail transmissions to copied recipients for providing additional information determines when an e-mail user is sending carbon-copy and/or blind carbon-copy copies of an original e-mail transmission and provides a means for providing a second message containing commentary, explanation and/or clarification information. The copy list is scanned for copied recipients and depending on e-mail program settings, prompts the sender providing an option for generating an additional message in a new window wherein the sender may type additional text. A single additional message may be generated and sent to the copied recipients, individual additional messages may be generated and sent or a first additional message for the carbon-copied recipients and a second additional message for the blind-carbon-copied recipients may be generated and sent. The additional messages may optionally contain the quoted text of the original message, whereby the sender may comment on the original text. The additional messages may also include attachments provided with the original e-mail message.
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0. 35. A computer-implemented method comprising:
creating a first e-mail message;
responsive to a first selection of sending the first e-mail message to at least one recipient indicated for the first e-mail message, transmitting the first e-mail message and determining if there is a copied recipient among the at least one recipient indicated for the first e-mail message;
creating a second e-mail message addressed to each said copied recipient determined among the at least one recipient in response to a second selection of sending the second e-mail message, the second e-mail message configured to receive further information input by a user; and
transmitting the second e-mail message.
0. 46. A computer-implemented method comprising:
creating an e-mail message;
responsive to a first selection of sending the e-mail message to at least one recipient indicated for the e-mail message, transmitting the e-mail message and determining if the e-mail message is addressed to more than one recipient among the at least one recipient indicated for the e-mail message;
creating one or more additional e-mail messages addressed to another recipient of the at least one recipient determined in response to a second selection of sending the one or more additional e-mail messages, the one or more additional e-mail messages configured to receive further information input by a user; and
transmitting the one or more additional e-mail messages.
0. 44. A method comprising:
displaying an e-mail message window, the e-mail message window including at least a send button and a recipient field;
responsive to receiving a selection of the send button and the e-mail message being transmitted, determining whether the recipient field contains more than one recipient; and
responsive to determining that the recipient field contains more than one recipient, automatically displaying a window that includes an option to send one or more additional e-mail messages to one or more of the recipients listed in the recipient field, the window further including an option to send a single group e-mail message or to send individual e-mail messages to the more than one recipient listed in the recipient field.
0. 38. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform operations comprising:
creating a first e-mail message;
responsive to a first selection of sending the first e-mail message to at least one recipient indicated for the first e-mail message, transmitting the first e-mail message and determining if there is a copied recipient among the at least one recipient indicated for the first e-mail message;
creating a second e-mail message addressed to each said copied recipient determined among the at least one recipient in response to a second selection of sending the second e-mail message, the second e-mail message configured to receive further information input by a user; and
transmitting the second e-mail message.
0. 41. A system comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer program instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:
creating a first e-mail message;
responsive to a first selection of sending the first e-mail message to at least one recipient indicated for the first e-mail message, transmitting the first e-mail message and determining if there is a copied recipient among the at least one recipient indicated for the first e-mail message;
creating a second e-mail message addressed to each said copied recipient determined among the at least one recipient in response to a second selection of sending the second email message, the second e-mail message configured to receive further information input by a user; and
transmitting the second e-mail message.
0. 22. A method comprising:
displaying a first e-mail message in a first e-mail message window, the first e-mail message window including at least: a recipient field; a carbon-copy recipient field; a message area; and at least one of a send button or a save button;
responsive to a selection of the send button or save button, determining whether the carbon-copy recipient field contains a recipient; and
responsive to the first e-mail message being transmitted and determining that the carbon-copy recipient field contains the recipient, automatically displaying a prompt window that includes an option to send a second email message to the recipient listed in the carbon-copy recipient field, the prompt window further including an option to send a single group e-mail message or to send individual e-mail messages to the recipient and one or more additional recipients listed in the carbon-copy recipient field.
1. A method for generating e-mail transmissions, comprising:
receiving a user first input indicating that an original a first e-mail message is complete;
transmitting said original first e-mail message to all recipients indicated by a recipient list for said original email first e-mail message;
determining whether or not at least one copied recipient has been specified in said recipient list, whereby said original e-mail message has been transmitted to said at least one copied recipient in said transmitting step;
in response to determining that said at least one copied recipient has been specified, second receiving a second user input of further, said second user input having information associated with said original first e-mail message;
generating a new second e-mail message separate from said original first email message for transmission to said at least one copied recipient, wherein said further information associated with said original first e-mail message is inserted for transmission to said at least one copied recipient into said second e-mail message; and
transmitting said new second e-mail message to said at least one copied recipient.
0. 25. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform operations comprising:
displaying a first e-mail message in a first e-mail message window, the first e-mail message window including at least: a recipient field; a carbon-copy recipient field; a message area; and at least one of a send button or a save button;
in response to the first e-mail message being transmitted, determining whether the carbon-copy recipient field contains a recipient responsive to a selection of the send button; and
automatically displaying a prompt window that includes an option to send a second e-mail message to the recipient listed in the carbon-copy recipient field responsive to a determination that the carbon-copy recipient field contains the recipient, the prompt window further including an option to send a single group e-mail message or to send individual e-mail messages to the recipient and one or more additional recipients listed in the carbon-copy recipient field.
0. 33. A system comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer program instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:
displaying a first e-mail message in a first e-mail message window, the first e-mail message window including at least: a recipient field; a carbon-copy recipient field; a message area; and at least one of a send button or a save button;
responsive to the first e-mail message being transmitted, determining whether the carbon-copy recipient field contains a recipient responsive to a selection of the send button; and
automatically displaying a prompt window that includes an option to send a second e-mail message to the recipient listed in the carbon-copy recipient field responsive to a determination that the carbon-copy recipient field contains the recipient, the prompt window further including an option to send a single group e-mail message or to send individual e-mail messages to the recipient and one or more additional recipients listed in the carbon-copy recipient field.
15. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution within a general purpose computer, wherein said program instructions comprise program instructions for:
receiving a user first input indicating that an original a first e-mail message is complete;
transmitting said original first e-mail message to all recipients indicated by a recipient list for said original first e-mail message;
determining whether or not at least one copied recipient has been specified in said recipient list, whereby said original e-mail message has been transmitted to said at least one copied recipient in said transmitting step;
in response to determining that said at least one copied recipient has been specified, second receiving a second user input of further, said second user input having information associated with said original first e-mail message;
generating a new second e-mail message separate from said original first e-mail message for transmission to said at least one copied recipient, wherein said further information associated with said original email first e-mail message is inserted for transmission to said at least one copied recipient into said second e-mail message; and
transmitting said new second e-mail message to said at least one copied recipient.
8. A system for generating e-mail transmissions, comprising:
a memory for storing program instructions and data;
a processor coupled to said memory for executing said program instructions; and
a user an input device coupled to said processor for receiving user input, wherein said program instructions include instructions for:
receiving a user first input indicating that an original a first e-mail message is complete;
transmitting said original first e-mail message to all recipients indicated by a recipient list for said original email first e-mail message;
determining whether or not at least one copied recipient has been specified in said recipient list, whereby said original e-mail message has been is transmitted to said at least one copied recipient in said transmitting step;
in response to determining that said at least one copied recipient has been specified, second receiving a second user input of further, said second user input having information associated with said original first e-mail message;
generating a new second e-mail message separate from said original first e-mail message for transmission to said at least one copied recipient, wherein said further information associated with said original first e-mail message is inserted for transmission to said at least one copied recipient into said second e-mail message; and
transmitting said new second e-mail message to said at least one copied recipient.
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0. 23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising: responsive to a selection of the option to send the second e-mail message to the recipient listed in the carbon-copy recipient field, generating the second e-mail message in a second e-mail message window, the second e-mail message window including at least the recipient listed in the carbon-copy recipient field of the first e-mail message window in a second recipient field of the second e-mail message window.
0. 24. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising transmitting the first e-mail message and the second e-mail message.
0. 26. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 25, wherein the first e-mail message window includes a save button.
0. 27. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 25, wherein the first e-mail message window includes a send button.
0. 28. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 25, wherein the first e-mail message window further includes a blind-carbon-copy recipient field.
0. 29. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 28, wherein the prompt window further includes an option to send a separate group message to one or more recipients listed in the blind-carbon-copy recipient field.
0. 30. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 25, further comprising: responsive to a selection of the option to send the second e-mail message to the recipient listed in the carbon-copy recipient field, generating the second e-mail message in a second e-mail message window, the second e-mail message window including at least the recipient listed in the carbon-copy recipient field of the first e-mail message window in a second recipient field of the second e-mail message window.
0. 31. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 30, wherein the second e-mail message window includes text from the message area of the first e-mail message window.
0. 32. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 30, wherein the first e-mail message window further includes a subject field, and wherein the second e-mail message window includes text from the subject field of the first e-mail message window.
0. 34. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein the first e-mail message window further includes a subject field, and wherein the second e-mail message window includes text from the subject field of the first e-mail message window.
0. 36. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 35, wherein the second e-mail message is addressed to the copied recipient and one or more additional copied recipients.
0. 37. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 35, further comprising creating one or more additional e-mail messages addressed to one or more additional carbon-copied recipients, wherein each of the one or more additional e-mail messages is addressed to one of the one or more additional carbon-copied recipients.
0. 39. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 38, further comprising determining if there is a blind-carbon-copied recipient in the first e-mail message.
0. 40. One or more non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 39, further comprising creating a third e-mail message addressed to the blind-carbon-copied recipient, the third e-mail message configured to receive text.
0. 42. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the second e-mail message includes text quoted from the first e-mail message.
0. 43. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the second e-mail message include a same subject line as the first e-mail message.
0. 45. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising: responsive to a selection of the option to send one or more additional e-mail messages to one or more of the recipients listed in the recipient field, generating one or more additional e-mail messages in one or more additional e-mail message windows, each of the one or more additional e-mail message windows including at least one of the one or more recipients listed in the recipient field of the email message window in the recipient field of the one or more additional e-mail message windows.
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Memory 17 may include computer readable media. Personal computer 12 is coupled to a graphical display 13 for displaying program output and input devices such as a mouse 15 and a keyboard 14 for receiving user input. The networked computer system may be coupled to a public network such as the Internet, or may be a private network such as the various “intra-nets” that are implemented within corporate offices and other installations requiring secure data communications.
Within memory 17, an e-mail program embodying a method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is executed by processor 16. Personal computer 12 is included to provide a demonstrative example of a general purpose computer, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the techniques of the present invention apply to a variety of other e-mail applications such as dedicated Internet appliances and large mainframe computers having user terminals. The present invention also applies to personal e-mail appliances such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and e-mail enabled pagers and cellular telephones.
Referring now to
Alternatively, the e-mail message may be saved along with the customized characteristics for later transmission by pressing a save button 32. In response to completion of the e-mail message (by pressing send button 33 or save button 32), the user may be queried by a prompt dialog 35. Prompt dialog 35 notifies the user that one or more copied recipients were specified in cc: list entry area 31B and bcc: list entry area 31C and provides the user with an option that will generate additional messages to the copied recipients. Individual messages may be generated by selecting button 36 or a single message may be generated by selecting button 37. No additional message will be generated if the user declines by selecting button 38. The above options are exemplary and other options may ark be presented within prompt dialog 35 or configured via a control panel within the e-mail program that will be described in detail below. Generally, prompt dialog 35 may include options to generate separate group messages to the cc: list and bcc: list, individual messages for either group or both, and quotation options for repeating the content of the original message within the additional generated message permitting in-line commentary.
Referring now to
Text entry area 34B permits the insertion of explanatory information and quoted text 34C that may be optionally automatically inserted within text entry area 34B, providing the user with editable text within which commentary may be interspersed. After the user has completed editing and entering text in text area 34B, the additional e-mail message may be sent by selecting send button 33 or saved via save button 32. The method of the present invention may be iterated by prompting the user at this point for additional copied recipients, permitting the user to copy the new message to yet another recipient or to themselves for record-keeping.
Referring now to
Referring now to
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form, and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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