System and method for prioritizing communications messages

• US 20020065897A1
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: Joe Conner, Michael Voticky
• Inventors: Conner, Joe, Voticky, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method of sorting a received information message in which a source of delivery of the message is indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the message, for example, in an e-mail or voice message system. The method includes steps of receiving the message, looking-up the identifier in a database, assigning a code for the message per the result of the step of looking-up, and prioritizing or forwarding the message according to the code.

Claims

1. A method of prioritizing a received information message, a source of delivery of the received information message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the received information message, comprising:

receiving the received information message;

assigning a code for the received information message based on the unique identifier accompanying the received information message; and

prioritizing the received information message according to the code.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing the received information message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is further processed based on the code.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising looking-up the unique identifier in a database in order to determine if a unique identifier corresponds to a specific code in the database that is to be assigned to the received information message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information message is an e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information message is a fax message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information message is a voicemail message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voicemail message.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one step of the method is performed by a recipient'"'"'s client system selected from a group comprising at least one of the following:

a computer, a message storage device, or a combination of a computer and a message storage device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

referencing the unique identifier against a database to determine whether the unique identifier corresponds to a known identifier in said database;

assigning a data code to the received information message, the data code comprising at least one of the following;

a desired code or a designated code.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the received information message is an e-mail message.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the received information message is a fax message.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the received information message is a voicemail message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voicemail message.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is a recipient'"'"'s client system selected from a group comprising at least one of the following:

a computer, a message storage device, and a combination of a computer or a message storage device.

12. A system for sorting a received information message, a source of delivery of the message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the received information message, the system comprising:

means for receiving the received information message;

means for assigning a data code corresponding to the unique identifier, said assignment based at least in part on whether the unique identifier corresponds to a known identifier; and

means for prioritizing the received information message according to the data code into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the data code.

20. A computer-readable medium of instructions and data comprising:

means for receiving a received information message and a unique identifier;

means for referencing the unique identifier against a database in order to determine whether the unique identifier corresponds to a known identifier in the database;

means for assigning a data code to the received information message based at least in part on the unique identifier; and

means for depositing the received information message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the data code.