Email Enabled Project Management Applications

Abstract

A web application for managing multiple matters may have an email interface that may be used to update status items as well as upload and categorize documents. The web application may authenticate the source of the information, and may apply the various input received via email to an appropriate matter. The email interface may generate email queries for users, and the queries may include various identifiers that may be used to apply a response to the appropriate matter. The email interface may allow a user to create new matters or activities within matters. An email's subject line, contents, attachments, or other information may be analyzed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a matter database comprising matter records and activity records associated with said matter records, said activity records comprising due dates;   a user database comprising user records, said user records having roles associated with said matters;   a reminder system that transmits email reminders to users based on said due dates;   an email processor that:
 receives an email from a first user; 
 determines a first matter from said email 
 authenticates said first user as a user having a role with update permissions for said first matter; and 
 updates said first matter with at least a portion of said email. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , said email being a reply to a first email reminder. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , said first email reminder comprising a unique identifier, said unique identifier being used by said email processor to identify said first matter. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , said email processor that further:
 storing an attachment from said email to said database and associates said attachment to said first matter.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , said email processor that further:
 changes a filename associated with said attachment prior to storing said attachment in said database.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , said filename being defined in an activity associated with said matter. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , said email processor that further:
 uploads said first email to said database; and   associates said first email with said matter.   
     
     
         8 . A method performed on a computer processor, said method comprising:
 receiving an email from a sender, said email comprising an attached file;   authenticating said sender to an authentication database;   determining that said sender has permission to update said first matter;   identifying a first matter from said email;   looking up said first matter in a matter database, said matter database comprising matter records and activities related to said matter records;   storing said attached file in said matter database as being associated with said first matter.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 storing metadata associated with said attached file in said matter database, said metadata comprising a link to said first matter. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 examining said attached file to identify said first matter from said email.