The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 01, 1997
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
345329 ; 345968 ; 707-4 ;
Abstract
An e-mail client in accordance with the invention allows a user to select an e-mail distribution list with reference to a map that shows potential e-mail recipients and their relationships to each other. The user can select a first set of the potential e-mail recipients by designating one of a plurality of available predefined queries. A second set can be selected by positioning a graphical area selector over the map, to graphically encompass the second set of e-mail recipients. The e-mail client creates a distribution list from an intersection of the first and second sets of potential e-mail recipients.