Method and system for alerting unopened items in communications
View Patent ↗The present matter relates to a method and system for alerting unopened items in communications, particularly attachments and external resources referenced (e.g. Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) or other Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs), etc.), in communications such as email or meeting invite messages. The alerting may be triggered by a meeting reminder, telephone communication, search or other event. Alerting may be to senders, recipients or both.
1. A computer implemented method of alerting unopened items in communications comprising:
sending electronically on behalf of a sender communication device for delivery to a recipient communication device a communication having referenced in the communication at least one item to be opened, the at least one item selected from one of: attachments, and references to external resources;
tracking whether the at least one item is opened; and
in response to a trigger, alerting, via the sender communication device, that one or more items sent for delivery to the recipient communication device remain unopened.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising sending electronically for delivery to the recipient communication device a reminder communication to open said items remaining unopened.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger is one of:
a meeting reminder for a meeting between a contact associated with the sender communication device and a contact associated with the recipient communication device; and
a search for whether any of the at least one item remains unopened.
4. The method of claim 3 comprising setting the meeting reminder.
5. The method of claim 1 comprising sending the communication on behalf of the sender communication device for delivery to multiple recipient communication devices and wherein the tracking tracks whether the at least one item is respectively opened by each of the recipient communication devices.
6. The method of claim 1 comprising:
sending to the recipient communication device a plurality of items to be opened in a plurality of communications, the at least one item selected from one of: attachments, and
references to external resources and the at least one item being referenced in the communications; and
tracking whether the plurality of items are respectively opened.
7. The method of claim 1 comprising determining the items to be opened from the communication.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking comprises updating a status of a respective one of said at least one item in response to receiving a status update message.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication comprises a meeting invite message.
10. A communication device comprising a processor, a memory and a communications sub-system, the memory storing instructions and data for configuring the processor to:
send electronically on behalf of a sender communication device for delivery to a recipient communication device a communication having referenced in the communication at least one item to be opened, wherein the at least one item is selected from one of:
attachments, and references to external resources;
track whether the at least one item is opened; and
in response to a trigger, alert via the sender communication device that one or more items sent for delivery to the recipient communication device remain unopened.
11. A non-transitory computer readable memory having recorded thereon instructions for configuring a processor of a communication device, when executed, to:
send electronically on behalf of a sender communication device for delivery to a recipient communication device a communication having referenced in the communication at least one item to be opened, wherein the at least one item is selected from one of:
attachments, and references to external resources;
track whether the at least one item is opened; and
in response to a trigger, alert via the sender communication device that one or more items sent for delivery to the recipient communication device remain unopened.
12. A computer implemented method of alerting unopened items in communications comprising:
receiving electronically a communication delivered on behalf of a sender communication device having referenced in the communication at least one item to be opened by a recipient communication device, wherein the at least one item is selected from one of: attachments, and references to external resources;
tracking whether the at least one item is opened; and
in response to a trigger, alerting, via the recipient communication device, that one or more items remaining unopened.
13. The method of claim 12 comprising receiving electronically a reminder communication to open said items remaining unopened.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the trigger is one of:
a meeting reminder for a meeting between a contact associated with the sender communication device and a contact associated with the recipient communication device;
a telephone call from a contact associated with the sender communication device; and
a search for whether any of the at least one item remains unopened.
15. The method of claim 14 comprising setting the meeting reminder.
16. The method of claim 12 comprising:
receiving from the sender communication device a plurality of items to be opened by the recipient communication device in a plurality of communications; and
tracking whether the plurality of items are respectively opened.
17. The method of claim 12 comprising determining the items to be opened from the communication.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein tracking comprises opening a respective one item of said at least one item and updating a status of the respective one item in response to the opening.
19. The method of claim 18 comprising sending electronically a status message for the respective one item for updating a respective status tracked for the sender communication device.
20. The method of claim 12 wherein the communication comprises a meeting invite message.
21. A communication device comprising a processor, a memory and a communications sub-system, the memory storing instructions and data for configuring the processor to:
receive electronically a communication delivered on behalf of a sender communication device having referenced in the communication at least one item to be opened by a recipient communication device, wherein the at least one item is selected from one of: attachments, and references to external resources;
track whether the at least one item is opened; and
in response to a trigger, alert, via the recipient communication device, that one or more items remaining unopened.
22. A non-transitory computer readable memory having recorded thereon instructions for configuring a processor of a communication device, when executed, to:
receive electronically a communication delivered on behalf of a sender communication device having referenced in the communication at least one item to be opened by a recipient communication device, wherein the at least one item is selected from one of: attachments, and references to external resources;
track whether the at least one item is opened; and
in response to a trigger, alert, via the recipient communication device, that one or more items remaining unopened.