Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-06
2004-04-06
Mizrahi, Diane D. (Department: 2175)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06718321
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electronic mail, and more particularly to electronic mail messaging in a distributed computer system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the advent of large scale distributed computer systems such as the Internet, the amount of information which has become available to users of computer systems has exploded. Among this information is electronic mail (e-mail). With the improvements in means for composing and distributing written messages, the amount of e-mail traffic on the Internet has surged. It is not unusual for an active Internet user to be exposed to tens of thousands of e-mail messages a year.
As an advantage, the Internet allows users to interchange useful information in a timely and convenient manner. However, keeping track of this huge amount of information has become a problem. As an additional advantage, the Internet now allows users to exchange information in a number of different presentation modalities, such as text, audio, and still and moving images. Adapting e-mail systems to organize such complex information, and providing efficient means to coherently retrieve the information is not trivial.
As a disadvantage, Internet users may receive junk-mail whenever they send to mailing lists or engage in news groups. There are numerous reported incidents where specific users have been overwhelmed by thousands of unwanted mail messages. Current filtering systems are inadequate to deal with this deluge.
Known distributed systems for composing and accessing e-mail are typically built around protocols such as IMAP, POP, or SMTP. Typically, users must install compatible user agent software on any client computers where the mail service is going to be accessed. Often, a significant amount of state information is maintained in the users' client computers. For example, it is not unusual to store the entire mail database for a particular user in his desk-top or lap-top computer. Normally, the users explicitly organize mail messages into subject folders. Accessing mail generally involves shipping entire messages over the network to the client computer.
Such systems are deficient in a number of ways. Most computers that a user will encounter will not be configured with user agents compatible with the user's mail service. Often, a user's state is captured in a specific client computer, which means that work cannot proceed when the user moves to another computer. Managing large quantities of archival mail messages by an explicit folder organization is difficult for most users. Accessing mail over a low bandwidth network tends to be unsatisfactory.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a mail system that overcomes these deficiencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Provided is a distributed mail system where a plurality of client computers are connected to each other and a mail service system via a network. Each client computer is configured to execute client mail application programs. The mail service system is for executing server mail programs on server computers. The mail service system includes an index server for storing mail messages in message files, and for storing a full-text index of the mail messages. In addition, the system includes means for accessing the mail messages by the plurality of client computers by searching the full-text index using queries.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4870571 (1989-09-01), Frink
patent: 4962532 (1990-10-01), Kasiraj et al.
patent: 5283856 (1994-02-01), Gross et al.
patent: 5333266 (1994-07-01), Boaz et al.
patent: 5418908 (1995-05-01), Keller et al.
patent: 5426594 (1995-06-01), Wright et al.
patent: 5479411 (1995-12-01), Klein
patent: 5481698 (1996-01-01), Itoh et al.
patent: 5483651 (1996-01-01), Adams et al.
patent: 5506984 (1996-04-01), Miller
patent: 5530852 (1996-06-01), Meske, Jr. et al.
patent: 5572643 (1996-11-01), Judson
patent: 5617541 (1997-04-01), Albanese et al.
patent: 5619648 (1997-04-01), Canale et al.
patent: 5623600 (1997-04-01), Ji et al.
patent: 5675507 (1997-10-01), Bobo, II
patent: 5708825 (1998-01-01), Sotomayor
patent: 5717913 (1998-02-01), Driscoll
patent: 5734903 (1998-03-01), Saulpaugh et al.
patent: 5742769 (1998-04-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5745890 (1998-04-01), Burrows
patent: 5764899 (1998-06-01), Eggleston et al.
patent: 5765033 (1998-06-01), Miloslavsky
patent: 5765178 (1998-06-01), Tanaka
patent: 5771355 (1998-06-01), Kuzma
patent: 5781901 (1998-07-01), Kuzma
patent: 5784608 (1998-07-01), Meske, Jr. et al.
patent: 5790793 (1998-08-01), Higley
patent: 5793970 (1998-08-01), Fakes et al.
patent: 5794039 (1998-08-01), Guck
patent: 5796948 (1998-08-01), Cohen
patent: 5805298 (1998-09-01), Ho et al.
patent: 5809218 (1998-09-01), Kastenholz et al.
patent: 5815663 (1998-09-01), Uomini
patent: 5822527 (1998-10-01), Post
patent: 5826269 (1998-10-01), Hussey
patent: 5835084 (1998-11-01), Bailey et al.
patent: 5873079 (1999-02-01), Davis, III et al.
patent: 5884246 (1999-03-01), Boucher et al.
patent: 5903723 (1999-05-01), Beck et al.
patent: 5909679 (1999-06-01), Hall
patent: 6006227 (1999-12-01), Freeman et al.
patent: 6009462 (1999-12-01), Birrell et al.
patent: 6021409 (2000-02-01), Burrows
patent: 6029164 (2000-02-01), Birrell et al.
patent: 6092101 (2000-07-01), Birrell et al.
patent: 6185551 (2001-02-01), Birrell et al.
patent: 6189026 (2001-02-01), Birrell et al.
Mark R. Brown, Special Edition Using Netscape 2, pp. 368-369, 1995.
C.D. Whittington, “Annotation Systems: A Review”, Research Report No. RR/96/202, pp. 1-14, Dec. 23, 1996.
Lawton and Smith, “The Knowledge Weasel Hypermedia Annotation System”, Hypertext '93 Proceedings, pp. 106-117, Nov. 1993.
Goldberg et al.; “Using Collaborative Filtering to Weave an Information Tapestry”, Communications of the ACM, vol. 35, No. 12, pp. 61-70, Dec. 1992.
Birrell Andrew D.
Schroeder Michael
Wobber Edward P.
Hewlett--Packard Development Company, L.P.
Mizrahi Diane D.
Mofiz Apu
LandOfFree
Web-based electronic mail server apparatus and method using... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Web-based electronic mail server apparatus and method using..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Web-based electronic mail server apparatus and method using... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3252347