Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Raghavendra Rachamadugu

Alexander Vaschillo

Bryan T Starbuck

Gail Giacobbe

John Heinrich Lueders

Stephen Thomas Wells

Robert C Combs

Sridhar Sundararaman

Hubert Louis Marie Van Hoof

Hubert Van Hoof

Randy Knight Winjum

Manoj Kumar Jain

Grandhi V A Srinivasulu

Bert Van Hoof

Stephen T Wells

Alexander E Vaschillo

Gail Borod Giacobbe

A fax account is described and creates an association between users and documents that are faxed. A fax account allows a user to secure their faxed documents and organize and streamline fax communication via different transports. In at least some embodiments, security is enhanced through the use of an authentication model that authenticates individual users before giving them access to the fax functionality or, more accurately, their fax account. In at least some embodiments, fax accounts also provide users with an infrastructure through which they can manage their documents. In addition, in at least some embodiments, fax accounts can be used to manage and direct received faxes to the intended recipient, thus reducing the possibility of an unintended recipient gaining access to the fax.

Fax accounts

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for efficiently storing and accessing electronic messages representing fax transmissions. The messages are extended according to a fax schema that defines formats for adding fax protocol specific and/or or fax application specific data fields to an electronic message. According to the fax schema, the messages have relationships with other data fields stored using other schemas that define the accounting services, message content, and message participants associated with the fax transmission. The fax schema promotes efficient storage and access of electronic messages representing fax transmissions, while also facilitating integrating messages received by fax transmission with other types of existing message protocols and message applications.

System and method for extending a message schema to represent fax messages

The principles of the present invention extend to efficiently and reliably providing message related data. Generally, data fields of electronic messages and attachments are created in accordance with an electronic message schema hierarchy. An electronic message can include links to folder items that represent message folders. An electronic message can also include links to contact items that represent message participants. Message applications can register for folder spaces such that each message application is aware of folders that are primarily controlled by other message applications. A link to a contact item can be selected to access current contact related data for a message participant, even when the contact related data has changed since an electronic message containing the link was received.

Efficiently and reliably providing message related data

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for efficiently storing and accessing electronic messages. Generally, electronic messages are created and transformed in accordance with an electronic message schema hierarchy. Electronic messages can be created according to a general message schema that defines a format for data fields that are common to all types of electronic messages (e.g. electronic mail, instant message, fax message). Electronic messages can also be extended according to message extension schemas that define formats for adding protocol specific and/or or application specific data fields to an electronic message. Data fields added in accordance with message extension schemas can differ between electronic messages types. Having some commonly defined fields and other differently defined fields promotes efficient storage and access of electronic messages, while also facilitating message compatibility with existing message protocols and message applications.

Schema hierarchy for electronic messages

A method and system are provided in which data may be multityped using a schematized data model. A standardized schema in a schematized data model includes at least one base construct for representing data that is common across multiple types of an object that the model represents. An extension to the standardized schema is at least one extension construct for representing data that is specific to a single type of the multiple types of the object. Instances of the extension construct are directly or indirectly associated with exactly one instance of the base construct without impacting the behavior and functionality of the base construct. Multiple extensions may be used to represent data that is specific to each of the corresponding multiple types of the object.

Using extensions to represent multityping

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for decoupling an attachment from an electronic message that included the attachment. Generally, data fields of electronic messages and attachments are created in accordance with an electronic message schema hierarchy. Attachments are configured to have a data field indicating if the attachment is to persist when a corresponding electronic message is deleted. When an attachment persists, a user may be able to locate and use the attachment after a corresponding electronic message has been deleted (even if the attachment has not been expressly saved). Attachments are configured to include attachment metadata indicating properties of an electronic message that included the attachment. Accordingly, a user can access information (e.g., sender, subject, date, etc) associated with an electronic message (e.g., that included the attachment) even after the electronic message has been deleted.

Decoupling an attachment from an electronic message that included the attachment

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for presenting different types of electronic messages at a common interface. Electronic message items are stored in an item database along with other types of items, such as, for example, contact items, folder items, document items, etc. Electronic message items have some common defined data fields and possibly other differently defined data fields that represent protocol and/or application specific properties. Computer systems can query the item database for message related data (e.g., from commonly defined data fields) and display links to message related data at a common messaging interface. Links to different types of electronic messages (as represented by protocol and/or application specific properties) may be displayed simultaneously at the common messaging interface.

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Hyderabad Telangana, India

Raghavendra Rachamadugu