Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Ivo Van Doorn

Floor Mesters

Daniel Christianto

Simon Arthur Koster

Milo Oostergo

Steven Alexander Hardy

Markus Petrus Giuseppe Sartor

Enrico Huijbers

Matthijs Frans Wessels

Robert Vos

Naomi Jane De Jonge

A system adapted to link email conversations is disclosed. An email client identifies email conversations from email header information and presents the conversations along with other emails in a user's inbox. The user interface receives user inputs selecting first and second email conversations and specifying that the two should be linked. The email client generates an identifier and associates the identifier with emails that are comprised in the selected first and second conversations. When a recipient receives an email that is part of a conversation that has been linked by another user, the recipient's email client notifies the user of the prior linking and provides a button with which the recipient may also implement the link. A user may select to create a new email and link the new email to an existing conversation. An identifier is generated and associated with the new email and emails in the selected conversation.

Email conversation linking

Functionality is disclosed for providing status updates for email threads. A personal information management (PIM) server application receive a first message and a second message. The PIM server application can extract a first status value from the first message and a second status value from the second message, and can generate a status notification message that includes one or both of the first status value or the second status value. The PIM server application can also receive a third message subsequent to the first and second messages, and extract a third status value from the third message. Subsequently, the status notification message can be updated by replacing the first status value or the second status value with the third status value in the status notification message. In this manner, the status notification message can provide a consolidated view of the latest status of multiple email threads.

Simplified user interface for viewing the current status of message threads

An email client identifies email conversations from email header information and presents the conversations along with emails in a user's inbox. User inputs are received selecting first and second email conversations and specifying they should be linked. The email client generates an identifier and associates the identifier with emails that are comprised in the selected first and second conversations. Upon receipt of an email that is part of a conversation linked by another user, the recipient's email client provides a button to implement the link. A user may select to create a new email and link the new email to an existing conversation. An identifier is generated and associated with the new email and emails in the selected conversation. A user may convert part of an existing conversation to a new conversation and may start a new email conversation from an existing email conversation.

Functionality is disclosed for defining an auto-reply message while defining an appointment on a calendar associated with a user. A request may be received by way of a personal information management (PIM) client application to define a new appointment on a calendar associated with a user. A UI for defining the new appointment may be presented that includes a UI control for defining a time period for the new appointment and a UI control for defining an auto-reply message to be transmitted in response to email messages received during the time period. In response to the user defining the appointment and the auto-reply message, a request may be transmitted to a PIM server application to create the appointment along with an auto-reply message definition that defines the auto-reply message. The auto-reply message is then transmitted in response to email messages received during the time period associated with the meeting.

Calendar based auto-reply messages

Functionality is disclosed for informing users of feedback provided that is related to a shared file. In some configurations, a sharing service utilizes a message identifier to associate subsequent electronic messages related to the shared file with a first electronic message. Instead of electronic messages being displayed in different threads, the electronic messages related to the sharing of the file with a same group of users may be included within a same message thread. For example, a sharing service may include the message identifier within a message header of a subsequent sharing message such that a message client identifies the received sharing message as part of the same message thread as previous electronic messages relating to the sharing of the file. The sharing service may create a sharing message associated with an initial sharing message in response to receiving feedback for a file that is shared by the sharing service.

Associating electronic messages related to the sharing of a file

Functionality is disclosed herein for converting shared files to message attachments. A message interface is displayed that allows a user to compose an electronic message and to specify files to attachments. For example, a user may use a messaging client to specify the files to be converted to an attachment. The files that are specified to be attached to the electronic message are stored by a sharing service that is separate from the messaging service. Instead of downloading the specified files to the messaging client, the sharing service communicates the specified files directly to the messaging service. In this way, the amount of data downloaded to the messaging client associated with the computing device is reduced. When the user sends the message, the messaging client sends the message with the attachments to one or more recipients.

Converting shared files to message attachments

Notifications received from an email server can be stored and provided to a webclient upon subsequent communications from the webclient received at an HTTP server. Notifications stored in a database or a storage are retrieved and transmitted to the webclient by backup or alternate HTTP servers when the webclient requests service. An attachment received from a webclient for a message in composition can be saved by an HTTP server in a storage system so that a backup HTTP server can locate the attachment and provide the attachment to a messaging server when the user is ready to send the message.

Email webclient notification queuing

Functionality is disclosed herein for managing document feedback on a sharing service using a messaging client. Utilizing the technologies described herein, a file is associated with a message from an interface configured to compose the message. In addition, the interface is configured to receive a selection of one or more categories of feedback data. A category of feedback data is inserted into the message based on the selection. For example, comments associated with a section of the file may be displayed in the message. The feedback data, such as the comments, are retrieved from a locally stored file, a remotely stored file, a database and/or any other computing device storing the feedback data. Once the message is delivered to a recipient, a user interface may be configured to receive feedback data and communicate the received data to a remote data store.

Managing document feedback on a sharing service using a messaging client

Functionality is disclosed herein for uploading files to a sharing service using a messaging client. Utilizing the technologies described herein, a user may select one or more files to be shared by utilizing a messaging interface configured to compose an electronic message, such as an email. In response to receiving a selection of one or more files to be shared, the selected files are communicated to a sharing service where the selected files are stored on one or more servers. In addition, some configurations generate one or more links operative to provide access the one or more files stored on the servers of the sharing service. The links are then inserted into the electronic message. Using an implementation of the technologies disclosed herein, users may share files using a sharing service while composing a message without the need to interact with different controls or interfaces of multiple services.

Upload and share files to a sharing service using a messaging client

A token for a webclient in communication with an HTTP server to access an email system is stored at a database by the HTTP server. If the HTTP server is unexpectedly unavailable, a backup HTTP server that next interacts with the webclient can locate the token for the webclient using identifying information for the webclient to locate a record in the database containing the token. The backup HTTP server can then provide seamless access to the email system for the webclient despite the loss of connectivity to the initial HTTP server.

Persistent connections for email web applications

Functionality is disclosed herein for setting sharing options for files using a messaging client. A message interface is displayed that allows a user to compose an electronic message. While the message is being composed, the user may specify sharing options for a file, or files, associated with the message. The sharing options may specify access settings used to identify the users that are allowed to access the file through a sharing service, feedback settings that are used to indicate when feedback is expected, and expiration settings that are used to indicate when sharing of the file expires. The sharing options are communicated from the messaging client to the sharing service. The sharing service may utilize the sharing options to control the manner in which the file, or files, is shared.

Setting sharing options for files using a messaging client

A selected email message is displayed within an email client. The display includes a user-selectable control for requesting status of an attached document from a document management and collaboration system. In response to receiving an input via the user-selectable control, reviewers associated with the attached document are identified. Status of whether the reviewers have reviewed the attached document and to what extent the reviewers have reviewed the attached document are determined. The status is displayed within the email client.

Document feedback tracking

An attachment received from a webclient for a message in composition can be saved by an HTTP server in a storage system. Location information for the attachment can be stored in a database in a record associated with the webclient. If the HTTP server is unexpectedly unavailable, a backup HTTP server can locate the attachment using the record in the database and provide the attachment to a messaging server when the user is ready to send the message.

Growing community of inventors

The Hague, Netherlands

Ivo Van Doorn