System and method for customizable e-mail message notes

A method, comprising:

• providing, by a web-browser based e-mail client, a user interface for collecting user supplied text;
• generating, by the web-browser based e-mail client, a custom note from said user supplied text;
• generating, by the web-browser based e-mail client, custom note information,
• wherein said custom note information comprises information for identifying an e-mail message with which to link, and
• wherein at the time said custom note information is generated, said custom note is not linked to said e-mail message;
• sending, by the web-browser based e-mail client, said custom note and note information to an e-mail server, wherein said custom note is linked with an e-mail message on the e-mail server, wherein the e-mail server stores information identifying the e-mail message and indicating that the e-mail message is linked to said custom note, wherein said e-mail message specifies a sender and specifies a recipient of said e-mail message, wherein said recipient is distinct from said sender;
• and
• receiving, by the web-browser based e-mail client, the e-mail message and said custom note from the e-mail server according to a user preference indicating that said custom note should be included in said e-mail message for said web-browser based e-mail client,
• wherein said custom note is included as a field value of a header field of said e-mail message,
• wherein said custom note is one of a plurality of notes, and
• wherein which one of said plurality of notes is received is determined based upon said web-browser based e-mail client.

A device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to said processor comprising program instructions configured to:
• receive a note,
• wherein said note is a custom user note comprising user supplied text;
• receive, by an e-mail server, note information,
• wherein said note information comprises information for identifying a received e-mail message with which to link, and
• wherein at the time said note information is received, said note is not linked to said e-mail message;
• receive, by said e-mail server, said e-mail message from a sender, wherein said e-mail message specifies said sender and specifies a recipient of said e-mail message, wherein said recipient is distinct from said sender;
• store said note on said e-mail server;
• link, on said e-mail server, said note with said e-mail message,
• wherein said note and said e-mail message are linked based on said note information, and
• wherein said linking comprises storing, by the e-mail server, information identifying said e-mail message and indicating that said e-mail message is linked with said note;
• and
• subsequent to said receiving said e-mail message, supply said e-mail message and said note to an e-mail client for said recipient of said e-mail message,
• wherein said e-mail message and said note are supplied to the same e-mail client,
• wherein to supply said e-mail message and said note the program instructions are further configured to include, in response to determining that a user preference indicates that said note should be included in said e-mail message for said e-mail client, said note as a field value of a header field of said e-mail message,
• wherein said header field comprises a field name and a field value,
• wherein said note is one of a plurality of notes, and
• wherein to include said e-mail message and said note the program instructions are further configured to determine which one of said plurality of notes should be included based upon said e-mail client.

A device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to said processor comprising program instructions configured to implement a web-browser based e-mail client, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is configured to:
• provide a user interface for collecting user supplied text;
• generate a custom note from said user supplied text;
• generate custom note information,
• wherein said custom note information comprises information for identifying an e-mail message with which to link, and
• wherein at the time said custom note information is generated, said custom note is not linked to said e-mail message;
• send said custom note and said custom note information to an e-mail server, wherein said custom note is linked with an e-mail message on the e-mail server, wherein the e-mail server stores information identifying the e-mail message and indicating that the e-mail message is linked to said custom note, wherein said e-mail message specifies a sender and specifies a recipient of said e-mail message, wherein said recipient is distinct from said sender;
• and
• receive, by the web-browser based e-mail client, the e-mail message and said custom note from the e-mail server according to a user preference indicating that said custom note should be included in said e-mail message for said web-browser based e-mail client,
• wherein said custom note is included as a field value of a header field of said e-mail message,
• wherein said custom note is one of a plurality of notes, and
• wherein which one of said plurality of notes is received is determined based upon said web-browser based e-mail client.

A non-transitory computer accessible medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to implement:

• receiving a note,
• wherein said note is a custom user note comprising user supplied text;
• receiving, by an e-mail server, note information,
• wherein said note information comprises information for identifying a received e-mail message with which to link, and
• wherein at the time said note information is received, said note is not linked to said e-mail message;
• receiving, by said e-mail server, said e-mail message from a sender, wherein said e-mail message specifies said sender and specifies a recipient of said e-mail message, wherein said recipient is distinct from said sender;
• storing said note on said e-mail server;
• linking, by said e-mail server, said note with said e-mail message,
• wherein said note and said e-mail message are linked based on said note information,
• wherein said linking comprises, storing, by said e-mail server, information identifying said e-mail message and indicating that said e-mail message is linked with said note;
• and
• subsequent to said receiving said e-mail message, supplying said e-mail message and said note to an e-mail client for said recipient of said e-mail message, wherein said e-mail message and said note are supplied to the same e-mail client,
• wherein said supplying further comprises including, in response to determining that a user preference indicates that said note should be included in said e-mail message for said e-mail client, said note as a field value of a header field of said e-mail message,
• wherein said note is one of a plurality of notes, and
• wherein said including comprises determining which one of said plurality of notes should be included based upon said e-mail client.

A non-transitory computer accessible medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to implement a web-browser based e-mail client, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is configured to implement:

• providing a user interface for collecting user supplied text;
• generating a custom note from said user supplied text;
• generating custom note information,
• wherein said custom note information comprises information for identifying an e-mail message with which to link, and
• wherein at the time said custom note information is generated, said custom note is not linked to said e-mail message;
• sending said custom note and said custom not information to an e-mail server,
• wherein said custom note is linked with an e-mail message on the e-mail server, wherein the e-mail server stores information identifying the e-mail message and indicating that the e-mail message is linked to said custom note, wherein said e-mail message specifies a sender and specifies a recipient of said e-mail message, wherein said recipient is distinct from said sender;
• and
• receiving, by the web-browser based e-mail client, said e-mail message and said custom note from the e-mail server according to a user preference indicating that said custom note should be included in said e-mail message for said web-browser based e-mail client,
• wherein said custom note is included as a field value of a header field of said e-mail message,
• wherein said custom note is one of a plurality of notes, and
• wherein which one of said plurality of notes is received is determined based upon said web-browser based e-mail client.