IP Library Granted Patent US 11,184,308
Granted Patent B2
US 11,184,308 · App. 16/775,367 · Granted Nov 23, 2021

Configurable response tracking and monitoring of users who are responding to an email

Inventors: Parminder Singh Sethi (Ludhiana, IN); Sathish Kumar Bikumala (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L51/22H04L51/18H04L51/34H04L67/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,184,308
App. No.
16/775,367
Granted
Nov 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for using a response tracking plugin to detect and inform users in real time when one or more recipients of an email are actively responding to that email. In one embodiment, the functionality disclosed herein can be applied to an email that was sent to a plurality of recipients, including at least a first and second recipient, and where the email comprises a plugin that is configured to enable response tracking. One such embodiment comprises receiving the email; monitoring for a first pulse from the second recipient of the email, where the pulse is configured to indicate that the second recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email; and in response to receiving the first pulse, displaying an indication that comprises information about the second recipient of the email.

Claims (86)

1. A method comprising:

receiving an email comprising a plugin, wherein

the plugin is configured to enable response tracking, and

the email is received by a first recipient of a plurality of recipients of the email;

monitoring for a first pulse from a second recipient of the email, wherein

the pulse is configured to indicate that the second recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email,

the plurality of recipients comprises the second recipient; and

displaying an indication in response to receiving the first pulse, wherein

the indication comprises information about the second recipient of the email; and

prior to displaying the indication, determining whether a maximum number of indications has already been displayed with respect to the email.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating the indication to indicate that the second recipient has stopped actively replying to the email, wherein

the updating is performed in response to detecting a timeout.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the displaying is performed further in response to determining that the maximum number of indications has not already been displayed with respect to the email.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating the indication, wherein

the updating is performed in response to receiving a second pulse, wherein

the second pulse is configured to indicate that a third recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email, and

the plurality of recipients comprises the third recipient.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting that a responsive email has been opened by the first recipient, wherein the responsive email is responsive to the email; and

sending an outgoing pulse, wherein

the outgoing pulse is configured to indicate that the first recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining whether the first recipient of the email has stopped actively responding to the email; and

in response to determining that the first recipient of the email has stopped actively responding to the email, sending a second outgoing pulse, wherein

the second outgoing pulse is configured to indicate that the first recipient of the email has stopped actively replying to the email.

7. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving an email comprising a plugin, wherein

the plugin is configured to enable response tracking, and

the email is received by a first recipient of a plurality of recipients of the email;

monitoring for a first pulse from a second recipient of the email, wherein

the pulse is configured to indicate that the second recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email,

the plurality of recipients comprises the second recipient; and

displaying an indication in response to receiving the first pulse, wherein

the indication comprises information about the second recipient of the email; and

prior to displaying the indication, determining whether a maximum number of indications has already been displayed with respect to the email.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that a responsive email has been opened by the first recipient, wherein the responsive email is responsive to the email; and

sending an outgoing pulse, wherein

the outgoing pulse is configured to indicate that the first recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email.

9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the first recipient of the email has stopped actively responding to the email; and

in response to determining that the first recipient of the email has stopped actively responding to the email, sending a second outgoing pulse, wherein

the second outgoing pulse is configured to indicate that the first recipient of the email has stopped actively replying to the email.

10. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein

the displaying is performed further in response to determining that the maximum number of indications has not already been displayed with respect to the email.

11. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:

updating the indication, wherein

the updating is performed in response to receiving a second pulse, wherein

the second pulse is configured to indicate that a third recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email, and

the plurality of recipients comprises the third recipient.

12. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:

updating the indication to indicate that the second recipient has stopped actively replying to the email, wherein

the updating is performed in response to detecting a timeout.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving an email comprising a plugin, wherein

the plugin is configured to enable response tracking, and

the email is received by a first recipient of a plurality of recipients of the email;

monitoring for a first pulse from a second recipient of the email, wherein

the pulse is configured to indicate that the second recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email,

the plurality of recipients comprises the second recipient; and

displaying an indication in response to receiving the first pulse, wherein

the indication comprises information about the second recipient of the email; and

prior to displaying the indication, determining whether a maximum number of indications has already been displayed with respect to the email.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that a responsive email has been opened by the first recipient, wherein the responsive email is responsive to the email; and

sending an outgoing pulse, wherein

the outgoing pulse is configured to indicate that the first recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the first recipient of the email has stopped actively responding to the email; and

in response to determining that the first recipient of the email has stopped actively responding to the email, sending a second outgoing pulse, wherein

the second outgoing pulse is configured to indicate that the first recipient of the email has stopped actively replying to the email.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein

the displaying is performed further in response to determining that the maximum number of indications has not already been displayed with respect to the email.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

updating the indication, wherein

the updating is performed in response to receiving a second pulse, wherein

the second pulse is configured to indicate that a third recipient of the email has begun a reply to the email, and

the plurality of recipients comprises the third recipient.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

updating the indication to indicate that the second recipient has stopped actively replying to the email, wherein

the updating is performed in response to detecting a timeout.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052216/0758) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AF REEL 052243 FRAME 0773 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0152 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052243/0773 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Mar 24, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052216/0758 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2020
From: SETHI, PARMINDER SINGH; BIKUMALA, SATHISH KUMAR
To: DELL PRODUCTS L. P.
Reel/Frame 051652/0665 →