# US 2014/0156767 A1 · Tracking Messages in a Mentoring Environment

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0156767 A1
- Document ID: US20140156767A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/929,862
- Filed: 2013-06-28
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2006-11-13
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Stella Lee Taylor
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156767A1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/212: using filtering or selective blocking
- H04L 51/234: for tracking messages
- H04L 51/42: Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Tracking messages in a mentoring environment includes presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database. The underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages addressed to an adult mentor and a content of e-mail messages addressed to a juvenile protégé. The underlying relational database also includes a status of e-mail messages between the adult mentor and juvenile protégé as determined by an e-mail interceptor. A status of an e-mail, between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé, which has been intercepted by the e-mail monitor is displayed. In response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed, transmission of the e-mail to an intended recipient is blocked. In response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed, transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient is enabled.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for monitoring e-mail messages between an adult mentor and a juvenile protégé to ensure proper mentoring, the method comprising:
presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database, wherein the underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages addressed to an adult mentor from a juvenile protégé and a content of e-mail messages addressed to a juvenile protégé from the adult mentor, and wherein the underlying relational database includes a status of e-mail messages between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé as determined by an e-mail interceptor;
displaying a status of an e-mail, between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé, which has been intercepted by the e-mail interceptor;
in response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed by the reviewer, blocking transmission of the e-mail to an intended recipient;
in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed by the reviewer, enabling transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient;
tracking a total number of e-mail messages transmitted between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé;
in response to the total number of e-mail messages exceeding a predetermined number, sending a warning message to an authority figure; and
in response to the total number of e-mail messages being less than another predetermined number, sending the warning message to the authority figure, wherein the warning message describes a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail contains alarming content, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient; and
transmitting a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes the alarming content of the e-mail, a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, a date and time-stamp for the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein alarming content of the e-mail is automatically determined by specific keywords in the e-mail.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé is color-coded.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé is color-coded in a single displayed cell that is assigned for the specific e-mail message, wherein each single displayed cell identifies a sender of the specific e-mail message.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein each single displayed cell has a color-coded background, and wherein a color-coded background of orange indicates that an e-mail message has been sent but not reviewed, green indicates that an e-mail message has been sent and reviewed, and red indicates that an e-mail message has been reviewed and blocked because of alarming content in the e-mail message.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, by an Assistance Allocation Manager (AAM), a Data for Initiating Assistance (DIA) from a resource in a data processing system; and
in response to receiving the DIA, executing a rule, in the AAM, that is specific for the DIA and the resource that sent the DIA, wherein executing the rule in the AAM causes the steps described in claim 1 to be executed for the resource that sent the DIA.

### Claim 8

A computer-readable medium embodying computer program code for monitoring e-mail messages between an adult mentor and a juvenile protégé to ensure proper mentoring, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:
presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database, wherein the underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages addressed to an adult mentor from a juvenile protégé and a content of e-mail messages addressed to the juvenile protégé from the adult mentor, and wherein the underlying relational database includes a status of e-mail messages between the adult mentor and juvenile protégé as determined by an e-mail interceptor;
displaying a status of an e-mail, between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé, which has been intercepted by the e-mail interceptor;
in response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed by the reviewer, blocking transmission of the e-mail to an intended recipient;
in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed by the reviewer, enabling transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient;
tracking a total number of e-mail messages transmitted between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé;
in response to the total number of e-mail messages exceeding a predetermined number, sending a warning message to an authority figure; and
in response to the total number of e-mail messages being less than another predetermined number, sending the warning message to the authority figure, wherein the warning message describes a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient, and wherein the computer-readable medium is a computer-readable storage device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for:
in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail contains alarming content, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient; and
transmitting a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes the alarming content of the e-mail, a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, a date and time-stamp for the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein alarming content of the e-mail is automatically determined by specific keywords in the e-mail.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé is color-coded.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé is color-coded in a single displayed cell that is assigned for the specific e-mail message, wherein each single displayed cell identifies a sender of the specific e-mail message.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each single displayed cell has a color-coded background, and wherein a color-coded background of orange indicates that an e-mail message has been sent but not reviewed, green indicates that an e-mail message has been sent and reviewed, and red indicates that an e-mail message has been reviewed and blocked because of alarming content in the e-mail message.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a download server that is at a remote location.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a download service provider to a client computer on an on-demand basis.

### Claim 16

A method for monitoring e-mail messages to ensure proper mentoring, the method comprising:
presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database, wherein the underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages between a sender and a receiver, and wherein the underlying relational database includes a status of e-mail messages between the sender and the receiver as determined by an e-mail interceptor;
displaying a status of an e-mail that has been intercepted by the e-mail interceptor;
in response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed by the reviewer, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the receiver;
in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed by the reviewer, enabling transmission of the e-mail to the receiver;
tracking a total number of e-mail messages transmitted between the sender and the receiver;
in response to the total number of e-mail messages exceeding a predetermined number, sending a warning message to an authority figure; and
in response to the total number of e-mail messages being less than another predetermined number, sending the warning message to the authority figure, wherein the warning message describes a transmitter of the e-mail, an intended recipient of the e-mail, an e-mail address of the transmitter, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail contains alarming content, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the receiver; and
transmitting a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes the alarming content of the e-mail, the transmitter of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, a date and time-stamp for the e-mail, an e-mail address of the transmitter, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein alarming content of the e-mail is automatically determined by specific keywords in the e-mail.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the sender and receiver is color-coded.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the sender and receiver is color-coded in a single displayed cell that is assigned for the specific e-mail message, wherein each single displayed cell identifies a sender of the specific e-mail message, and wherein each single displayed cell has a color-coded background, and wherein a color-coded background of orange indicates that an e-mail message has been sent but not reviewed, green indicates that an e-mail message has been sent and reviewed, and red indicates that an e-mail message has been reviewed and blocked because of alarming content in the e-mail message.