Microsoft Files Patent Application for Email Emotiflags

[Kristijntje]

Microsoft joins the list of companies who have filed emoticon/smiley/emotiflag patent applications :

Abstract

Email emotiflags are described. A collection of emotiflags, each including a graphical icon and a text tag is maintained. Custom emotiflags may be defined by a user. While composing an email message, a user may associate an emotiflag with the email message such that when the email message is sent, the emotiflag is sent with the email message. Email messages may be received that include emotiflags. New emotiflags may be saved from a received email message for later association with other email messages. Email messages may be filtered, sorted, or otherwise processed based on associated emotiflags.

full patent application: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060282503%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20060282503&RS=DN/20060282503