AU6562101A

AU6562101A - An electronic mail module

Info

Publication number: AU6562101A
Application number: AU65621/01A
Authority: AU
Original assignee: GIOURIS CHRIS
Current assignee: Giouris Chris; Strom Jack Ian
Priority date: 2000-09-01
Filing date: 2001-09-03
Publication date: 2002-03-07

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

.0 .0 0 9 0 0 00 0 0 0 ::.00 00..

0 0 Name of Applicants: Jack lan Strom, of 17 Burrindi Road, Caulfield South, Victoria 3162, Australia

AND

Chris Giouris, of 73 Orange Grove, Bayswater, Victoria 3153, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, of 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia Invention Title: "An electronic mail module" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- -1- P OPER.D Mp25104-I spe do-3 Speembe. 2-1 -2- AN ELECTRONIC MAIL MODULE The present invention relates to an electronic mail module, and in particular to a module and method for selectively processing electronic mail messages.

A major use of the Internet is to send and receive electronic mail, or 'email', and this has become an extremely important method of communication in modern society. Moreover, the ability to include multimedia content in email messages has revolutionised the communication of information. Email is particularly useful for travellers, who can read and send email messages from almost anywhere in the world, provided that they have access to a networked computer with the appropriate software tools. For this reason, the portable notebook computer has become an important tool for business travellers.

Travellers with portable computers generally access their email messages through a modem and the telephone network to a mail server on the Internet. The messages may be i sent from the server to the portable computer using a specialised communications protocol such as the Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3). However, modem connections are relatively slow, and it may take a considerable period of time to download large messages, particularly messages containing attachments or embedded content such as sound, images or video. This can be extremely frustrating for a traveller needing to check for or access a particular message, because the messages are sequentially downloaded from the POP3 .mail server to the portable computer. It is desired, therefore, to provide a system and method for downloading and/or deleting only selected messages from a mail server, or at least provide a useful alternative.

:In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an email filter module for execution on a computer device having an email client for communicating with an email server, said filter module having: means for transmitting queries in relation to email messages to said server; means for receiving and processing responses from said server to said queries to generate an interface allowing a user to select messages to download from said server; and means for instructing said server to download the selected messages to said client.

P OPER lBW'pr251h-I spcdm-1 Seplmbcr. 2(h)I -3- The present invention also provides an email filter process for execution on a computer device having an email client for communicating with an email server, said process including: accessing information on email messages on said server for said client; and generating an interface to display said information, said interface allowing download messages to be selected from said email messages for download from said server.

The present invention also provides an email client for execution on a computer device and for communicating with an email server using the post office protocol, said email client having: means for transmitting queries in relation to email messages to said server; means for receiving and processing responses from said server to said queries to generate an interface allowing a user to select messages to download; and means for instructing said server to download the selected messages to said client.

ooooo S"The present invention also provides a method for selectively transferring electronic mail messages from a server to a client using the post office protocol, including the steps of: 20 retrieving, from the server to the client, data relating to each message stored on the server; displaying said data at the client; allowing, at the client, individual messages to be selected for retrieval; retrieving, from the server to the client, only those messages which have been 25 selected for retrieval.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a client-server mail delivery system of the prior art; Figure 2 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a client-server mail delivery system including an interactive filter module; Figure 3 is a POP3 protocol dialog of an interactive email retrieval session of a preferred embodiment; and P\OPER\DBW\pr2530PjI spe doc-1 September. 211I -4- Figures 4-21 are screenshot images of windows generated by the client-server mail delivery system.

Most electronic mail systems operate in a client-server fashion by transferring stored email messages from a mail server 4 to an email client 2 using a selected communications protocol, as shown in Figure 1. The mail server 4 is usually a remote, networked server which receives and stores email messages from the Internet. The email client 2 is software executed on a computer device 10 such as a personal computer. The email client 2 is responsible for retrieving messages from the mail server 4 and handles all user interactions with the email system, such as reading, deleting, creating and sending individual messages.

Common examples of email clients are Eudora T M NetscapeTM Messenger and Microsoft OutlookTM. The most common protocol used to transfer messages stored on the mail server 4 to the email client 2 is the POP3 protocol. POP3 is documented in the Internet standards document RFC 1939. In addition to the basic functions listed above, the POP3 protocol allows a client to request information about stored messages, such as the number of stored i messages and the size of each message. As described earlier, prior art email clients do not allow individual messages stored on the mail server 4 to be selected for downloading from the mail server 4 to the email client 2 using POP3. To provide additional functionality to existing POP3 email clients and alleviate the restriction associated with the clients, an interactive filter module 6 has been developed. The filter module 6 communicates with, and acts as an intermediary between, a prior art email client 2 and a mail server 4, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and described below. The filter module 6 and the email client 2 both run on the same computer o• a Figures 3A-3C illustrate the protocol dialogs which occur between the three components in a typical interactive session. The email client 2 is configured to connect to TCP port 110 -(POP servers listen on this port) of the computer 10, rather than the email server 4. The filter module 6 listens on this port, and so when the email client 2 opens a TCP connection which it thinks is to the mail server 4, it actually connects to the filter module 6 (step 1).

The filter module 6 responds with a message indicating that it is ready to receive commands (step The email client 2 then sends a USER command providing an encoded P \OPER\ DBW\pr2510 I4)I spe dc-3] Sptnbcr. 2IWI username in the format user'i;host, where "host" is the name of the mail server 4 and "user" is the username used for authentication on the mail server 4 (step In this case, the email client 2 sends the usemame "elmo@mail.fink.com", from which the filter module 6 extracts mail.fink.com as the name of the mail server 4 and "elmo" as the true username.

The filter module 6 then opens a TCP connection to port 110 of the mail server 4 (step 4).

The server 4 responds with a message indicating it is ready to receive commands (step The filter module 6 responds with a USER command including the actual username "elmo" derived from the encoded username provided by the mail client 2. The ensuing response, PASS command, and further response are passed transparently by the filter module 6.

After authentication, the client 2 issues a STAT query to determine if there are any messages stored on the server 4, step 10. The STAT query is forwarded to the server 4, but the response is only forwarded back immediately if there are no new messages waiting on the server 4. If there are messages stored on the server 4, then the interactive filter module 6 carries out a POP3 dialog with the server 4, starting at step 12 in Figure 3A. First, the filter 6 retrieves the messages sizes with the LIST command (steps 12-18), and then requests the message headers and, optionally, the first few lines of each message with the TOP command (steps 19-42). During these steps, a progress window 400, such as that shown in Figure 4, is presented on the computer display indicating the progress of this header downloading process. After the last message header has been downloaded by the filter 6, a summary window 500, such as that shown in Figure 5, is presented on the computer display, indicating the number of messages on the server, the number previously downloaded, the number remaining to download, the total size (in bytes) of messages to download, and the estimated download time. The summary window 500 also includes a "Download All" button 502 for bypassing the message selection process and downloading all the messages to the email client 2, and a "View List" button 504 for entering an interactive message selection process, described below.

If the "View List" button 504 of the summary window 500 is pressed with a pointing device such as a mouse, a user interface window 8, generated by the module 6, is then presented on the computer display (step 43), as shown in Figure 6. The user interface P OPERDBWpr251) spe do-3 Septinbr 2M]1 -6window 8 includes a message display pane 602, providing a summary of each message, including header information such as sender, subject, date, size, importance and whether the message contains attachments (which may be determined from the "Content-type" header field and uuencode begin headers). The first few lines of the message may also be displayed in the message display pane 602, along with the approximate time required to download the file (estimated from the data transfer rates of the filter-server interactions).

The user interface window 8 also includes two action panes 604, 606 beneath the message display pane 602: a "messages to download" pane 604 with a green background colour, and a "messages to delete" pane 606 with a red background colour. These two panes overlap completely, and the desired pane is displayed by clicking on the appropriate labelled tab 605, 607 of the desired pane 604, 606 to bring the pane to the foreground. The user interface window 8 also includes a first series of buttons 610 for invoking operations on the message display pane 602, and a second series of buttons 612 for invoking operations on the "messages to download" and "messages to delete" panes 604, 606.

.oo.oi Figure 6 shows the user interface window 8 as it first appears, with an empty "messages to download" pane 604, and a message display pane 602 displaying information on email messages that have not been previously downloaded to the user's computer. The display space for each message listed in the message display pane 602 is adjusted automatically to maximise the number of messages displayed. Individual messages in any of the three panes 602, 604, 606 may be selected with a pointing device such as a mouse. For example, Figure 7 shows the user interface window 8 after selecting three messages, with the areas 614 of the message display pane 602 relating to the three messages highlighted. To select these three messages for downloading, the download button 616 is pressed. The three •messages to be downloaded are then removed from the message display pane 602 and are instead displayed in the "messages to download" pane 604, as shown in Figure 8. The "select all" button 617 allows all of the messages displayed in the message display pane 602 to be selected.

P OPERDBWpr25104H1 spc do-3 Seplember. 2UO I -7- Subsequently, four more messages are selected in the message display pane 602, as shown in Figure 9. However, these messages are to be marked for deletion, and upon pressing the delete button 618, the four selected messages are removed from the message display pane 602 and are instead displayed in the "messages to delete" pane 606, which is automatically brought to the foreground, as shown in Figure 10. Similarly, if the "messages to delete" pane 606 is being displayed when the download button 616 is pressed, then the "messages to download" pane 604 is displayed.

It is also possible to restore one or more messages marked for deletion by selecting them in the "messages to delete" pane 606, as shown in Figure 11, and clicking the "restore" button 620. This moves the selected messages from the "messages to delete" pane 606 to the message display pane 602, as shown in Figure 12. Alternatively, if the "undo" button 620 had been clicked, the previous action is undone, in this case undoing the delete action.

It may be desired to delete a message previously marked for downloading or vice versa.

i For example, one message in the "messages to download" pane 604 is selected, as shown in Figure 13, and the delete button 624 is then clicked. The message is then moved from the "messages to download" pane 604 to the "messages to delete" pane 606, which is automatically foregrounded, as shown in Figure 14. Note also that the action pane delete button 624 is visible when the "messages to download" pane 604 is displayed, but changes to become the download button 626 when the "messages to delete" pane 606 is displayed.

If the "messages to delete" pane contains selected messages, as shown in Figure 15, and the download button 626 is clicked, then the selected messages are moved to the "messages to download" pane 604, which is then automatically displayed, as shown in Figure 16.

S The user interface window 8 also allows messages to be flagged for later action or attention by selecting one or more messages and clicking the "flag" button 628. Flagged messages are indicated by a flag symbol, as shown in Figure 17. Flagged messages may be selected as a group by clicking the "select flagged messages" button 630, as shown in P 'OPEKDB p, 253 ()41j r do-l SphW. 2W )I -8- Figure 18. Upon clicking the download button 616, these selected messages are moved to the "messages to download" pane 604, as shown in Figure 19.

The order in which messages are to be downloaded may be changed by graphically rearranging (by clicking and dragging) the messages displayed in the "messages to download" pane 604. For example, it may be desired to download a large message, but only after the other messages have been downloaded.

When the desired actions have been selected, the "GO" button 632 is clicked. If some messages have been marked for deletion, an alert window 2000 is presented, as shown in Figure 20, warning the user that the marked messages will be permanently deleted. To proceed, a "yes" button 2002 is clicked. Alternatively, if no messages are marked for deletion or download, an alert window 2100 is presented, as shown in Figure 21, requesting confirmation to proceed.

At this point, the three panes of the user interface window 8 define three classes of message: messages whose details are displayed in the message display pane 602 are not downloaded and are left on the server. Messages displayed in the "messages to delete" *.*.pane 606 are not downloaded but are deleted from the server, and messages displayed in the "messages to download" pane 604 are left on the server and also downloaded to the user's computer 10 by passing them to the email client 2.

If messages have been selected for download and/or deletion, the filter module 6 then closes the user interface window 8 and processes the selections to determine which actions need to be performed, that is, which messages should be retrieved and/or deleted. Steps 44 to 54 of the flow diagram shown in Figure 3C illustrate the case where the first and fourth messages on the server 4 are marked for download, but their order has been reversed, and the third message is marked for deletion. The filter module 6 responds to the client STAT request with a message count and total size, modified, if appropriate, to reflect the number, order, and sizes of the messages selected for download, as shown by step 44 in Figure 3C.

Similarly, if the client 2 issues a LIST command directed to the server 4, the filter 6 traps PMOPERWDBW\pr2330I spe dc-3 September. 2W]! -9the request and replies with the modified message list. When the client 2 then requests a message with the RETR command (step 45), for example, message 1, the filter traps the request and issues its own request for the appropriate message from the server 4 (step This is necessary because only a subset of all messages might be selected for download, and additionally the message order may have been changed. During the message retrieval, the filter 6 passes the message data directly through to the client 2 (step 47). Deletion requests from the client are also mapped and passed through to the server (step 51). After all the selected messages have been transferred, the filter completes the transaction with QUIT, step 53.

A particular advantage provided by the present invention is the ability to preview or delete an email message known or suspected to contain a computer virus, without downloading the message from the mail server. This is an important feature, because a downloaded email message may contain an address book virus that is activated without the user ever opening the message.

-oooo In an alternative embodiment, the steps executed by the filter module 6 are executed by a stand-alone email client, avoiding the need for the separate filter module 6 interposed between the email client 2 and the email server 4.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

o* S

S

Claims

1. An email filter module for execution on a computer device having an email client for communicating with an email server, said filter module having: means for transmitting queries in relation to email messages to said server; means for receiving and processing responses from said server to said queries to generate an interface allowing a user to select messages to download from said server; and means for instructing said server to download the selected messages to said client.

2. An email filter module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interface allows a user to select the order in which said selected messages are to be received and the module is adapted to instruct said server to download each of said selected messages, in said order.

3. An email filter module as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said interface allows a user to select messages to be deleted from said server, without downloading the messages.

4. An email filter process for execution on a computer device having an email client for communicating with an email server, said process including: accessing information on email messages on said server for said client; and 20 generating an interface to display said information, said interface allowing download messages to be selected from said email messages for download from said server.

An email filter process as claimed in claim 4, wherein said interface allows deletion 25 messages to be selected from said email messages for deletion from said server without downloading.

6. An email filter process as claimed in claim 5, wherein said interface includes respective sections for display of said deletion messages and said download messages. P \OPERDBWlpr,25IIL rp dc.3 Spenf-rr 2Y) -11-

7. An email filter process as claimed in claim 6, wherein said section for said download messages allows the user to select the order for download of each said download messages.

8. An email filter process as claimed in claim 7, wherein said information includes the size of each of said email messages, and whether the message includes an attachment.

9. An email filter as claimed in claimed 8, wherein said information includes lines of text of said message.

An email filter process as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 9, including communicating with the email server using the post office protocol.

11. An email filter stored on a computer readable storage medium and having code for executing a process as claimed in any one of claims 4 to

12. A computer device having an email client and an email filter as claimed in claim 11 and operating between said client and an email server.

13. An email client for execution on a computer device and for communicating with an email server using the post office protocol, said email client having: V *means for transmitting queries in relation to email messages to said server; means for receiving and processing responses from said server to said queries to generate an interface allowing a user to select messages to download; and 25 means for instructing said server to download the selected messages to said client.

14. A method for selectively transferring electronic mail messages from a server to a client using the post office protocol, including the steps of: retrieving, from the server to the client, data relating to each message stored on the server; displaying said data at the client; allowing, at the client, individual messages to be selected for retrieval; P \OPER\DBW 4 pr253-4)I1 pcdoc-3 September. 2iI -12- retrieving, from the server to the client, only those messages which have been selected for retrieval.

A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said data includes first lines of each message.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein said method includes: allowing, at the client, individual messages to be selected for deletion; and deleting from the server those messages which have been selected for deletion.

17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein said method allows a message suspected to contain a computer virus to be identified without downloading said message from said server.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the suspected message is deleted from S* said server without downloading said message from said server. DATED this 3 rd day of September 2001 JACK IAN STROM CHRIS GIOURIS By their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE