Method and system for using one form to send a message using multiple transports

• US 20020116499A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burgess, Gregory M., Enns, Neil R.N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,013,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method and system for sending a message to multiple recipients using multiple transports from the same user interface is provided. The method allows a user to specify recipients and associated transports explicitly or implicitly. The user may explicitly associate a transport with a recipient by selecting the recipient'"'"'s address from a contact list. The user may implicitly associate a transport with a recipient by entering the literal address of the recipient, such as an email address or a wireless address. When the user enters one or more literal addresses, the system parses the one or more addresses to determine which transport should deliver the message to each address, respectively. As it parses the addresses and makes its determinations, it sets flags appropriately. Then, each transport uses the flags to determine if it has a message to deliver, and if so, delivers the message. The transport that delivers the message last may perform or cause additional processing on the message such as moving to a sent box, deleting it, or performing other actions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for sending a message using at least one transport, comprising:

receiving data including at least one address; and

for each address in the data,

determining a transport to deliver the message using data associated with the address; and

setting a flag associated with the message to indicate the determined transport.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the transport includes examining the data associated with the address for pre-defined patterns.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an address is determined to be a wireless address if the address contains numbers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the transport is determined to be a default transport if the data associated with the address contains no identifiable predefined pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the address explicitly indicates that a particular transport should deliver the message to the address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data is associated with the address in response to a user selecting the address from a list.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising each transport performing the actions of:

determining if the flag indicates the transport should deliver the message; and

if so, delivering the message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising each transport performing the actions of:

determining if the transport is a last transport to send the message; and

if so, further processing the message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein further processing the message includes moving the message to a destination folder.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the destination folder is a sent items folder.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the destination folder is a deleted items folder.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the input component receives the at least one address by performing the actions of:

providing a list of addresses;

receiving a selected address; and

providing data linked to the address, the data indicating a selected transport to deliver the message.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the address processor determines which candidate transport should deliver the message by searching for patterns in the data associated with the address.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein if the address processor does not find a recognized pattern, it sets a flag indicating that a default transport should deliver the message.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein if the transport determines that it is the last to send the message, the transport moves the message to a sent box.

18. The computer readable media of claim 17, further comprising:

each transport includes means for;

determining if the flag indicates the transport should deliver the message; and

if so, delivering the message.

12. A system for sending a message using at least one transport, comprising:

an input component that receives the message and at least one address to deliver the message to;

an address processor that uses data associated with the at least one address to determine a candidate transport to deliver the message, wherein the address processor indicates the candidate transport to deliver the message by setting a flag; and

a transport that uses the flag to determine if it should deliver the message, and if so, delivers the message.

17. A computer-readable media including computer-readable instructions for sending a message using at least one transport, the computer-readable media comprising:

means for receiving data including at least one address; and

for each address in the data,

means for determining a transport to deliver the message using data associated with the address, and

means for setting a flag associated with the message to indicate the determined transport.