Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
1997-05-21
2001-08-14
Dinh, Dung C. (Department: 2153)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275848
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of information processing and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for automated referencing of electronic information.
2. Description of the Background
Electronic messaging has become an important part of business, governmental, educational and personal communication. Users on remote computers may communicate with each other by exchanging electronic mail (e-mail). Most e-mail messages are sent in plain text format called American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII). ASCII standardizes the information an e-mail program needs in order to send the basic alphabet, punctuation and certain additional characters. The data of an e-mail message is easier to send and receive when there is no format information, such as fonts, colors, italics, and tables. Most e-mail systems can handle plain text transfer without difficulties.
For users who want to send documents, spread sheets, graphic images, sound files, executable programs or other non-text data formats, they must overcome the text only character format limitations of ASCII. Typically, users attempt to accomplish this by sending the formatted documents as attachments to e-mail messages rather than placing the data within the body of the message. When a user attaches a file to an e-mail message, an encoding scheme in the user's e-mail program converts the file to ASCII format When the e-mail arrives at its destination, the recipient's e-mail package converts the attachment back into its original format.
Sharing attachments across different e-mail platforms is problematic. For example, problems arise when a recipient is sent an attached file for a software package he does not have, compressed in a format that cannot be decompressed, or encoded in a way that cannot be decoded. Also, not every Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) gateway can reliably handle multiple or large attachments. Different mail systems may have various character limits for the body of the text, which may cause the loss of attachment if it is too large. Similarly, the sending of more than one attached file may result in the loss of one or all of the attachments. Further, the encoding and decoding processes used in transferring the message may mangle or truncate the attachment. Or, the message may remain encoded in the body of the text, making it unreadable unless decoded manually. In sum, different platforms, e-mail programs, gateways and encoding methods make the sending of e-mail attachments a questionable and unpredictable means of electronic communication.
Such difficulties in the transfer of attachments may extend beyond the single e-mail message sent. Indeed, the operability of the entire e-mail system may be affected. For example, one unreadable attachment may cause a recipient's e-mail application to crash.
In addition to sharing information via attachments, information is also shared through access to corporate intranets and the Internet. Typically, a user “pulls” information, often complete Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) pages, to a Web browser from an external Web server or an intranet. This pulling of information expends a great amount of network bandwidth and requires the user to engage in time-consuming and time-wasting searches for information. Alternatively, “push”-oriented or broadcast technology may be used. Under push technology, a central location on a server gathers information, matches it to a user's needs and automatically sends it to the user as desired or needed. Push technology suffers from many shortcomings, including overloading networks by pushing too much data at peak times, causing network shutdowns due to unsuitable network configurations, transmitting a limited amount of information because of insufficient management tools and causing information overload.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a new method and apparatus for automated referencing of electronic information that overcomes the disadvantages and deficiencies over the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for automated referencing of electronic information is disclosed. The apparatus for automated referencing of electronic information comprises means for receiving a message, the message having at least one attachment; means for applying detachment rules to the message, the detachment rules including criteria for detachment; and means for sending the message to at least one recipient.
In another embodiment, a method for automated referencing of electronic information in accordance with the invention comprises six steps. These steps are: (1) receiving a message, the message having at least one attachment; (2) applying detachment rules to the message, the detachment rules including criteria for detachment; (3) sending the message to at least one recipient; and if the detachment rules determine that the attachment should be attached, (4) detaching the attachment; (5) placing the attachment on a remote site; and (6) inserting a pointer into the message, wherein the pointer is linked to the remote site.
A technical advantage of the present invention is that a method and apparatus for automated referencing and sharing of electronic information is provided.
Another technical advantage is that the invention provides an automated messaging referencing system which applies a set of rules that determine whether an attachment should be detached from an electronic message, placed on a remote site and replaced with a pointer. The pointer identifies and links to the remotely located attachment. The remote location may be a site on an intranet or the Internet. Recipients of the electronic message may access the attachment by enabling the pointer.
Another technical advantage of the invention is that it provides an electronic messaging system that uses a combination of push and pull technologies. This hybrid push and pull system efficiently manages the transfer and sharing of information among a plurality of users.
Another technical advantage is that the invention manages access to a remotely located attachment through use of an attachment access list. Only those individuals or entities named on the access list may have access to the attachment. Preferably only the recipients of the e-mail message are listed on the access list.
Another technical advantage is that the invention controls the transfer flow of documents across a network. If a document is designated as confidential, or otherwise has content-driven restrictions on the community of intended recipients, then the delivery of such document may be blocked. The criteria for controlling such transfer flow is configurable to meet the preferences and needs of the administrator or user.
Another technical advantage is that the invention provides a work flow arrangement which allows recipients of an electronic message to access, edit and save new versions of remotely located attachments referenced to in the message. This provides a multi-party electronic information system that resembles real world sharing of information.
Other objects, advantages and embodiments of the invention are set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from this description or may be learned from practice of the invention.
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Dinh Dung C.
Edelman Bradley
Hunton & Williams
International Business Machines Corp.
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