Self-adjusting email subject and email subject history

1. An apparatus for automated generation of subject line content for multi-field e-mail messages having a body field and a subject line field holding the subject line content summarizing text-based data in the body field, the apparatus comprising:

an input operable to receive content data including text-based information corresponding to a body of an originally received e-mail message and a newly composed e-mail message responsive to the originally received e-mail message;

a memory configured to store the content data;

a text analyzer including logic operable to analyze received content data;

a topic extractor including logic operable to extract topic data in accordance with an output of the text analyzer;

a string generator including logic operable to generate subject line data in accordance with the topic data extracted by the topic extractor; and

a message output operable to output a multi-field e-mail message having a body field inclusive of the content data received by the input and a subject line field inclusive of the subject line data generated by the string generator;

wherein the subject line field contains aggregated summaries of a body field of the originally received e-mail message and of a body field of the newly composed e-mail message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a prompt generator operable to generate a prompt inclusive of the extracted topic data to an associated user;

a selector operable to receive, from the associated user, confirmation data corresponding to acceptability of the extracted topic data; and wherein

the string generator further includes logic operable to generate the subject line data in accordance with received confirmation data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the string generator further includes logic operable to generate a plurality of alternative subject lines in accordance with the output of the topic extractor;

the prompt generator is further operable to generate the prompt inclusive of data corresponding to each of the plurality of alternative subject lines;

the selector is further operable to receive from the associated user, selection data corresponding to a selected one of the alternative subject lines; and

the string generator further includes logic operable to generate the subject line data in accordance with received selection data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the content data further includes prior e-mail data corresponding to at least one prior e-mail, and wherein the text analyzer includes logic operable to analyze the prior e-mail data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

the topic extractor further including logic operable to extract body topic data corresponding to the e-mail body and prior e-mail topic data corresponding to the at least one prior e-mail;

test logic operable to test the body topic data relative to prior e-mail topic data; and

the string generator further inclusive of logic to alter the subject line data in accordance with an output of the test logic.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the altered subject line data includes link data corresponding to the at least one prior e-mail.

7. A computer-implemented method in an associated electronic messaging system for automated generation of subject line content for multi-field e-mail messages communicated between a plurality of workstations of the associated electronic messaging system, the method comprising:

receiving content data including text-based information corresponding to a body of an originally received e-mail message and a newly composed e-mail message responsive to the originally received e-mail message;

analyzing the received content data;

extracting topic data in accordance with an output of the analyzing step;

generating subject line data in accordance with the topic data extracted in the extracting step; and

outputting a multi-field e-mail message having a body field inclusive of the content data received during the receiving and a subject line field inclusive of the subject line data generated in the generating step;

wherein the subject line field contains aggregated summaries of a body field of the originally received e-mail message and of a body field of the newly composed e-mail message.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

generating a prompt inclusive of the extracted topic data to an associated user;

for receiving, from the associated user, confirmation data corresponding to acceptability of the extracted topic data; and

generating the subject line data in accordance with received confirmation data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

a plurality of alternative subject lines are generated in accordance with the output of the extraction step;

the prompt inclusive is generated of data corresponding to each of the plurality of alternative subject lines;

selection data is received from the user corresponding to a selected one of the alternative subject lines; and

the subject line data is generated in accordance with received selection data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the content data further includes prior e-mail data corresponding to at least one prior e-mail, and wherein the analyzing step further includes analyzing the prior e-mail data.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

extracting body topic data corresponding to the e-mail body and prior e-mail topic data corresponding to the at least one prior e-mail;

testing body topic data relative to prior e-mail topic data; and

altering the subject line data in accordance with an output of the testing means.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the altered subject line data includes link data corresponding to the at least one prior e-mail.

13. A system for automated generation of subject line content for multi-field e-mail messages, the system comprising:

means for receiving content data including text-based information corresponding to a body of an originally received e-mail message and a newly composed e-mail message responsive to the originally received e-mail message;

means for storing the content data;

means for analyzing received content data;

means for extracting topic data in accordance with an output of the analyzing means;

means for generating subject line data in accordance with the topic data extracted by the means for extracting; and

means for outputting a multi-field e-mail message having a body field inclusive of the content data and a subject line field inclusive of the subject line data generated by the means for generating;

wherein the subject line field contains aggregated summaries of a body field of the originally received e-mail message and of a body field of the newly composed e-mail message.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for generating a prompt inclusive of the extracted topic data to an associated user;

means for receiving, from the associated user, confirmation data corresponding to acceptability of the extracted topic data; and wherein

the means for generating subject line data includes means for generating the subject line data in accordance with received confirmation data.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the means for generating subject line data includes means for generating a plurality of alternative subject lines in accordance with the output of the extraction means;

the means for generating a prompt includes means for generating the prompt inclusive of data corresponding to each of the plurality of alternative subject lines;

the means for receiving includes means for receiving, from the associated user, selection data corresponding to a selected one of the alternative subject lines; and

the means for generating subject line data includes means for generating the subject line data in accordance with received selection data.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the content data further includes prior e-mail data corresponding to at least one prior e-mail, and wherein the means for analyzing further includes means for analyzing the prior e-mail data.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

means for extracting body topic data corresponding to the e-mail body and prior e-mail topic data corresponding to the at least one prior e-mail;

means for testing body topic data relative to prior e-mail topic data; and

the means for generating subject line data further including means for altering the subject line data in accordance with an output of the means for testing.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for altering includes means for altering the subject line data to include link data corresponding to the at least one prior e-mail.

19. Logic encoded in one or more tangible non-transient computer readable medium of a computer system for execution by one or more processors of the computer system to automatically generate subject line content for multi-field e-mail messages, the logic encoded in the one or more tangible non-transient computer medium, when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system being operable to:

receive content data including text-based information corresponding to a body of an originally received e-mail message and a newly composed e-mail message responsive to the originally received e-mail message;

store the content data in a memory of the computer system;

analyze the received content data;

extract topic data as extracted topic data in accordance with an output of the analyzing step;

generate subject line data as generated subject line data in accordance with the extracted topic data; and

output a multi-field e-mail message having a body field inclusive of the content data and a subject line field inclusive of the generated subject line data;

wherein the subject line field contains aggregated summaries of a body field of the originally received e-mail message and of a body field of the newly composed e-mail message.

20. The logic according to claim 19 when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system further being operable to:

generate a prompt inclusive of the extracted topic data to an associated user;

receive, from the associated user, confirmation data corresponding to acceptability of the extracted topic data; and,

generate the subject line data in accordance with received confirmation data.