# US 8,788,592 B1 · System and method for customizable e-mail message notes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,592 B1 - Document ID: US8788592B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 10/824,735 - Filed: 2004-04-15 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2004-04-15 - Assignees: Oracle America, Inc. - Applicants: Tanu Mutreja - Inventors: Tanu Mutreja - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788592B1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - 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 ## Abstract A method and system for e-mail message user notes. E-mail servers may attach and store user notes with e-mail messages. An e-mail server may store user notes as part of user-profiles. Servers may provide notes to e-mail clients as e-mail header fields in e-mail messages and may generate custom header field names from user input. E-mail servers may associate notes with messages only when communicating with a specific e-mail client or may provide different notes for different e-mail clients. E-mail servers may provide custom views including user notes to web browser based e-mail clients. E-mail clients may allow users to specify a set of predefined notes from which specific notes may later be attached to e-mail messages. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: 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 custom user 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 custom user note on said receiving e-mail server; linking, by said receiving e-mail server, said custom user note with said e-mail message, wherein said custom user note and said e-mail message are linked based on said note information, wherein said linking comprises storing, by said receiving email server, information identifying said e-mail message and indicating that said e-mail message is linked with said custom user note; and subsequent to said receiving said e-mail message at said email server, supplying, by the receiving email server, both said e-mail message and said custom user note to an e-mail client for said recipient of said e-mail message, wherein said e-mail message and said custom user note are supplied to the same e-mail client by the receiving email server, wherein said supplying further comprises including, in response to determining that a user preference indicates that said custom user note should be included in said e-mail message for said e-mail client, said custom user 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 custom user 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising replacing the user supplied text of said note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting said note from the e-mail server. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said field name of said header field comprises additional user supplied text. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said e-mail client comprises a web browser based e-mail client. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said associating is performed based upon information in or about said e-mail message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said note from a set of predefined notes based upon said e-mail client. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said note from a set of predefined notes based upon information in or about said e-mail message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said e-mail client displays said note as part of summary information related to said e-mail message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising said e-mail client displaying said note in response to a user selection indicating said e-mail message. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: said e-mail client collecting said user supplied text from a user; said e-mail client generating said note from said user supplied text; said e-mail client supplying said note and said e-mail message to said e-mail server; and said e-mail client instructing said server to associate said note with said e-mail message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: said e-mail client collecting different user supplied text from the user; said e-mail client supplying the different user supplied text to the e-mail server; and the e-mail client instructing the e-mail server to replace the user-supplied text of the note with the different user supplied text. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising the e-mail client instructing the e-mail server to delete said note. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: searching a set of e-mail messages to locate a subset of one or more e-mail messages associated with a user specified note; and displaying the results of said searching to a user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: said e-mail client sending a search request indicating said user specified note to said e-mail server; said e-mail server performing said searching in response to receiving said search request; and said e-mail server sending the results of said searching to said e-mail client. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sorting a set of e-mail messages by their associated user notes; and displaying the results of said sorting to a user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: said e-mail client sending a sort request to said e-mail server; said e-mail server performing said sorting in response to receiving said sort request; and said e-mail server sending the results of said sorting to said e-mail client. ### Claim 18 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. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising the web-browser based e-mail client replacing the user supplied text of the custom note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising the web-browser based e-mail client deleting the custom note. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: said web-browser based e-mail client storing said note; and said web-browser based e-mail client receiving said e-mail message in a future e-mail session. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: said web-browser based e-mail client supplying said custom note to said e-mail server; and said web-browser based e-mail client supplying said custom note information to said e-mail server. ### Claim 23 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. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to replace the user supplied text of the note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to delete said note from the e-mail server. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein said field name of said header field comprises additional user supplied text. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein said e-mail client comprises a web browser based e-mail client. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to perform said associating based upon information in or about said e-mail message. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to select said note from a set of predefined notes based upon said e-mail client. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to select said note from a set of predefined notes based upon information in or about said e-mail message. ### Claim 31 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein said e-mail client displays said note as part of summary information related to said e-mail message. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein said e-mail client displays said note in response to a user selection indicating said e-mail message. ### Claim 33 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to: receive said note and said e-mail message from said e-mail client, wherein said e-mail client is configured to collect said user supplied text from a user and generate said note from said user supplied text; and in response to said receiving, associate said note with said e-mail message. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The device of claim 33, wherein the program instructions are further configured to replace the user supplied text of the custom note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The device of claim 33, wherein the program instructions are further configured to delete the custom note. ### Claim 36 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to: search a set of e-mail messages to locate a subset of one or more e-mail messages associated with a user specified note; and display the results of said searching to a user. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The device of claim 36, wherein the program instructions are further configured to: receive a search request indicating said user specified note from said e-mail client; in response to said receiving a search request: perform said searching in response to receiving said search request; and send the results of said searching to said e-mail client. ### Claim 38 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further configured to: sort a set of e-mail messages by their associated user notes; and display the results of said sorting to a user. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The device of claim 38, wherein the program instructions are further configured to: receive a sort request from said e-mail client; and in response to receiving a sort request from said e-mail client: perform said sorting; and send the results of said sorting to said e-mail client. ### Claim 40 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. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The device of claim 40, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to replace the user supplied text of the custom note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The device of claim 40, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to delete the custom note. ### Claim 43 (depends on 40) The device of claim 40, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to: store said note; and receive said e-mail message in a future e-mail session. ### Claim 44 (depends on 40) The device of claim 40, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to: supply said custom note to said e-mail server; and supply said custom note information to said e-mail server. ### Claim 45 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. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement replacing the user supplied text of the note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 47 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement deleting the note. ### Claim 48 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein said field name of said header field comprises additional user supplied text. ### Claim 49 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein said e-mail client comprises a web browser based e-mail client. ### Claim 50 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein said associating is performed based upon information in or about said e-mail message. ### Claim 51 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement selecting said note from a set of predefined notes based upon said e-mail client. ### Claim 52 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, selecting said note from a set of predefined notes based upon information in or about said e-mail message. ### Claim 53 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement said e-mail client displaying said note as part of summary information related to said e-mail message. ### Claim 54 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement said e-mail client displaying said note in response to a user selection indicating said e-mail message. ### Claim 55 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement: receiving said note and said e-mail message from said e-mail client, wherein said e-mail client is configured to implement: collecting said user supplied text from a user; generating said note from said user supplied text; and associating said note with said e-mail message in response to receiving said note and said e-mail message. ### Claim 56 (depends on 55) The device of claim 55, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement replacing the user supplied text of the note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 57 (depends on 55) The device of claim 55, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement deleting the custom note. ### Claim 58 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement: searching a set of e-mail messages to locate a subset of one or more e-mail messages associated with a user specified note; and displaying the results of said searching to a user. ### Claim 59 (depends on 58) The computer accessible medium of claim 58, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement: receiving a search request from an e-mail client indicating said user specified note to said e-mail server; performing said searching in response to receiving said search request; and sending the results of said searching to said e-mail client. ### Claim 60 (depends on 45) The computer accessible medium of claim 45, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement: sorting a set of e-mail messages by their associated user notes; and displaying the results of said sorting to a user. ### Claim 61 (depends on 60) The computer accessible medium of claim 60, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement: receiving a sort request from said e-mail client; performing said sorting in response to receiving said sort request; and sending the results of said sorting to said e-mail client. ### Claim 62 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. ### Claim 63 (depends on 62) The computer accessible medium of claim 62, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to implement replacing the user supplied text of the custom note with different user supplied text. ### Claim 64 (depends on 62) The computer accessible medium of claim 62, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to implement deleting the custom note. ### Claim 65 (depends on 62) The computer accessible medium of claim 62, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to implement: storing said note; and receiving said e-mail message in a future e-mail session. ### Claim 66 (depends on 62) The computer accessible medium of claim 62, wherein the web-browser based e-mail client is further configured to implement: supplying said custom note to e-mail server; and supplying said custom note information to said e-mail server.