System for restructuring selected parts of email messages prior to transmission to plurality of recipients

In a computing system, a method for restructuring email messages by reordering selected parts of the email message prior to transmitting to a plurality of recipients, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of:

• identifying selected segments of an input email message body by means of segment identifiers,
• providing transmission control directives for the email message, wherein such a transmission control directive includes a recipient list for identifying recipients and a segment ordering list for identifying a defined order of selected ones of the email message body segments,
• parsing said email message to identify the email message body segments,
• parsing said transmission control directive to identify the lists of recipients and the ordering of the selected segments, and
• creating an output email message for each respective list of recipients, wherein such an output email message includes the selected input email message body segments arranged in the order defined by the segment ordering list for its respective recipient list.

In a computing system, a method for constructing email messages by a replying user by merging selected parts from a plurality of received email messages, in defined order, prior to transmitting a reply to a plurality of recipients, identified by recipients lists characterized in that said method comprises the steps of:

• identifying selected body segments of selected received email messages by means of segment identifiers, wherein the selected email messages are from respective senders,
• extracting the selected body segments from each email message,
• merging the selected email body segments into merged output email messages,
• appending reply contents within the merged email body segments for each output email message, and
• transmitting the merged output email messages including the reply contents, to the senders, wherein responsive to a first transmission control directive from the replying user such transmitted merged output email message to one of the senders includes all the selected body segments of all the selected received messages and responsive to a second transmission control directive from the replying user such a transmitted merged output email message to one of the senders includes only the selected body segments of the message received from the one sender.

An email transmission apparatus configured to transmit email messages to selected recipients and groups of recipients from identified list or lists of recipients, said apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU), associated memory and storage devices and input and output devices, characterized in that it includes:

• an inputting mechanism for obtaining from a user:
• i) identification of selected body segments of an input email message and ii) transmission control directives for the email messages, wherein such a transmission control directive includes recipient lists for respective ones of the selected body segments,
• a parsing mechanism for identifying the email message body segments and the lists of recipients,
• a constructing mechanism for constructing an output email message for each respective list of recipients from the input email message based on the identified input email message body segments and lists of recipients, wherein such an output email message includes one of the selected input email message body segments for its respective recipient list and excludes other ones of the input email message body segments.

An email transmission apparatus configured to transmit email messages to selected recipients and groups of recipients from identified list or lists of recipients, said apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU), associated memory and storage devices and input and output devices, characterized in that it includes:

• an inputting mechanism for obtaining from a user:
• i) identification of selected body segments of an input email message and ii) transmission control directives for the email message, wherein such a transmission control directive includes a recipient list for identifying recipients and a segment ordering list for identifying a defined order of selected ones of the segments,
• a parsing mechanism for identifying the email message body segments, the recipient lists and the segment ordering list, and
• a constructing mechanism for constructing an output email message for each respective list of recipients from the input email message based on the identified input email message body segments, recipient lists and segment ordering lists, wherein such an output email message includes the selected input email message body segments ranged in the defined order for its respective recipient list.

An email transmission apparatus configured to transmit email messages from a replying user to selected recipients and groups of recipients from identified list or lists of recipients, said apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU), associated memory and storage devices and input and output devices, characterized in that it includes:

• an inputting mechanism for obtaining identification of selected email message body segments in selected received email messages, wherein the email messages are from respective senders,
• an extracting mechanism for extracting the selected segments from each selected email message,
• a merging mechanism for merging the selected segments into merged output email messages,
• an appending mechanism for appending reply contents within the merged email segments,
• a transmitting mechanism for transmitting the merged output email messages, including the reply contents, to the senders, wherein responsive to a first transmission control directive from the replying user such a transmitted merged output email message to one of the senders includes all selected body segments of all the selected received messages and responsive to a second transmission control directive from the replying user such a transmitted merged output email message to one of the senders includes only the selected body segments of the message received from the one sender.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to transmit email to a plurality of recipients, characterized in that it includes:

• computer readable code devices configured to enable obtaining from a user:
• i) identification of selected body segments of an input email message defined by means of segment identifiers, and ii) transmission control directives, wherein such a transmission control directive includes recipient lists for respective ones of the segments,
• computer readable code devices for parsing said email message and transmission control directives to identify the input email message body segments and the lists of recipients,
• computer readable code devices for constructing an output email message for each respective list of recipients from the input email message based on the identified input email message body segments and lists of recipients, wherein such an output email message includes one of the selected input email message body segments for its respective recipient list and excludes other ones of the input email message body segments.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to transmit email to a plurality of recipients, characterized in that it includes:

• computer readable code devices configured to enable obtaining from a user:
• i) identification of selected body segments of an input mail message defined by means of segment identifiers, and ii) transmission control directives for the email message, wherein such a transmission control directive includes a recipient list for identifying recipients and a segment ordering list for identifying a defined order of selected ones of the input email message body segments,
• computer readable code devices for parsing said email message segments, said recipient lists and said segment ordering lists,
• computer readable code devices for constructing an output email message for each respective list of recipients based on the identified input email message body segments, recipient lists and segment ordering lists, wherein such an output email message includes the selected input email message body segments arranged in the order defined by the segment ordering list for its respective recipient list.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to transmit email messages from a replying user to a plurality of recipients, characterized in that it includes:

• computer readable code devices configured to enable identification of selected email message body segments in selected received email messages, wherein the selected email messages are from respective senders,
• computer readable code devices for extracting the selected body segments from each email message,
• computer readable code devices for merging the selected email body segments into merged output email messages,
• computer readable code devices for appending reply contents within the merged email body segments,
• computer readable code devices for transmitting the merged output email messages, including the reply contents, to the senders, wherein responsive to a first transmission control directive from the replying user such a transmitted merged output email message to one of the senders includes all the selected body segments of all the selected received messages and responsive to a second transmission control directive from the replying user such a transmitted merged output email message to one of the senders includes only the selected body segments of the message received from the one sender.