User-configured alternate email rendering

Abstract

A method of rendering email includes receiving with a networked computing device at least one filter criterion; receiving with the networked computing device an email message; and, responsive to a determination by the networked computing device that the email message meets the at least one filter criterion, diverting the email message from delivery to an inbox and providing an immediate display of the email message in its entirety to a user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of processing email, comprising:
 receiving an email message;   responsive to a determination by a recipient computing device that the email message meets a criterion, diverting the email message from a designated inbox and providing an alternative rendering of the email message on a display device, the alternative rendering comprising controls for user input regarding the email message;   responsive to a determination that the email message does not meet the criterion, automatically send the email message to the designated inbox.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the criterion is configured by a user operating the recipient computing device and an email client application of that recipient computing device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the criterion comprises at least one of: a minimum length of the email message, and a maximum length of the email message. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alternative rendering comprises a popup window on the display device of the recipient computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising providing a display of a plurality of unread email messages that meet the criterion to the user in a single popup window. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alter alternative rendering of the email message comprises user input controls to send the email message on to a specific folder in the inbox. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alternative rendering of the email message comprises user input controls to reply to the email message or forward the email message. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the alternative rendering comprising a user input control to snooze the alternative rendering of the email message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the email message comprises an interactive calendar event invitation. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the alternative rendering comprises user input options for accepting or declining the calendar event invitation. 
     
     
         11 . A computing device configured to implement an email client application, the computing device comprising:
 a display device;   a processor with associated memory; and   a network interface with which to receive an email message addressed to a particular user associated with that computing device and email client application;   wherein the computing device is configured to:   apply a criterion to the email message,   responsive to the computing device determining that the email message meets the criterion for alternative email rendering, divert the email message away from delivery at an inbox of the email client application and instead provide an alternative rendering of the email message on the display device, wherein diverting the email message comprises bypassing the inbox and immediately displaying the email message on the display device, and   responsive to a determination that the email message does not meet the criterion, automatically deliver the email message to the inbox of the email client application.   
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 11 , wherein the alternative rendering of the email message comprises user input options to send the email message on to a particular, designated file within the inbox. 
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 11 , wherein the alternative rendering of the email message comprises user input options to reply to the email message or forward the email message. 
     
     
         14 . The computer device of  claim 11 , wherein the computing device is further configured to, responsive to the email message being sent to the inbox, filter the email message based on a number of criteria. 
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 11 , wherein the criterion comprises a level of urgency associated with the email message. 
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 11 , wherein the alternative rendering comprises a plurality of unread email messages that meet the criterion to the user in a single display window on the display device. 
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 11 , wherein the alternative rendering of the email message further comprises an option for the user to snooze the alternative rendering of the email message to be re-presented after a period of time. 
     
     
         18 . A computer program product for email rendering e computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code to, when executed by a processor:   receive an email message addressed to a particular user with an email client application on a networked computing device operated by that particular user;   responsive to a determination by the networked computing device that the email message meets a criterion, divert the email message from delivery to an inbox of the email client application of the particular user and, instead, provide an alternative rendering of the email message on a display device of the networked computing device for attention by the particular user, and receive input from a user through the alternative rendering directly further processing of the email message; and   responsive to a determination that the email message does not meet the criterion, automatically deliver the email message to the inbox.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the criterion comprises at least one of: a minimum length of the email message, a maximum length of the email message, and a level of urgency associated with the email message. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the alternative rendering is rendered in a designated pane of a user display separated from a general screen area dedicated to other operations of the computing device.