초록 ▼

In an electronic mail system environment, a system and method for automatically checking recipients' names, providing message flags, providing custom forms, and providing an autoresponse feature. Recipients' names are resolved in the background, while the user of the e-mail system is composing the m

In an electronic mail system environment, a system and method for automatically checking recipients' names, providing message flags, providing custom forms, and providing an autoresponse feature. Recipients' names are resolved in the background, while the user of the e-mail system is composing the message. The user easily resolves ambiguous names by using a context menu. The resolved ambiguous names are automatically used to create nicknames, which are used to resolve ambiguous names in the future. Message flags allow a sender or recipient to identify required follow-up action and a deadline. The recipient may use the message flags to quickly determine which messages require follow-up action. The e-mail system notifies a recipient when a due date is approaching or when a follow-up action is past due. A custom forms feature allows a user to create and share custom forms without requiring the form to be published or installed by other user. The custom form's attributes are transmitted to the recipient as an element of the e-mail message. An autoresponse feature allows a sender to create a message that includes voting buttons corresponding to the possible responses to a query. A recipient replies by selecting one of the voting buttons. The recipient's vote is automatically tallied in the sender's copy of the message, thus allowing the sender to view a vote tally, a list of the recipients, and their response.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]receiving flag data indicating that said follow-up action is required to be performed by said recipient;storing said flag data as a flag property associated with said message item; andtransmitting said message item to said recipient via said electronic mail system, wherein

[What is claimed is:] [1.]receiving flag data indicating that said follow-up action is required to be performed by said recipient;storing said flag data as a flag property associated with said message item; andtransmitting said message item to said recipient via said electronic mail system, wherein said flag property is displayed in said recipient's inbox in association with said message item in order to indicate, even when said message item is closed, that the follow-up action is required.