Automatic highlighting of new electronic message address

• US 20040059784A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MyLifecom Incorporated (MyLife.com)
• Original Assignee: Goodcontacts Research Limited
• Inventors: Caughey, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,334,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A method of notifying a user of an electronic communication system is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: providing an electronic message including address data to an electronic communication process in execution within a computer system; identifying the address data within the provided electronic message; comparing address data within the provided electronic message with further address data stored on the computer within an address list; providing a notification to the user associated with the electronic message when a result of the comparison indicates that at least some of the identified address data is other than within the further address data, the notification other than a prompt to add the identified address data to the further address data.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a user of an electronic communication system comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic message including address data to an electronic communication process in execution within a computer system;

identifying the address data within the provided electronic message;

comparing address data within the provided electronic message with further address data stored on the computer;

providing a notification to the user associated with the electronic message when a result of the comparison indicates that at least some of the identified address data is other than stored within the further address data, the notification other than a prompt to add the identified address data to the further address data.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the address data comprises electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the address data consists of electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the provided electronic message is a received electronic message.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein the provided electronic message is parsed to detect electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages from within address fields of the electronic message.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the provided electronic message is parsed to detect contact electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages from within a message field of the electronic message.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the address data comprises contact data for being stored in conjunction with electronic address data within the further address data and wherein the step of identifying the address data includes the step of parsing the provided electronic message to detect the contact data from within a message field of the electronic message.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing notification includes a step of providing a visual indication associated with the provided electronic message.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the visual indication includes a visually distinguishable indication of a field within the electronic message wherein address data other than address data within the further address data is identified.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing notification includes a step of providing an audible indication associated with the provided electronic message.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the audible indication includes an audibly distinguishable indication of a field within the electronic message wherein address data other than address data within the further address data was identified.

12. A method according to claim 1 comprising the steps of:

selecting the provided electronic message;

initiating an update of the further address data; and

,

adding, automatically, at least some of the identified address data from the selected electronic message to the further address data.

13. A method according to claim 12 including the steps, performed prior to the step of adding automatically, of prompting the user with a list of electronic addresses relating to identified address data and selecting from the list electronic addresses for which the further data is to be at least one of stored and modified.

14. A method according to claim 12 including the step of automatically transmitting to each electronic address relating to the identified address data a request to at least one of verify and update address data relating to that electronic address.

15. A method of notifying a user of an electronic communication system comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic message including address data to an electronic communication process in execution within a first computer system, the electronic message having been received from another computer and being destined for a user of the first computer;

identifying the address data within the received electronic message;

comparing address data within the received electronic message with further address data stored on the computer;

providing a notification to the user associated with the received electronic message when a result of the comparison indicates that at least some of the identified address data is other than within the further address data.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the address data comprises electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the address data consists of electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the provided electronic message is parsed to detect electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages from within address fields of the electronic message.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the provided electronic message is parsed to detect contact electronic address data relating to an electronic address for directing of electronic messages from within a message field of the electronic message.

20. A method according to claim 15 wherein the address data comprises contact data for being stored in conjunction with electronic address data within the further address data and wherein the step of identifying the address data includes the step of parsing the provided electronic message to detect the contact data from within a message field of the electronic message.

21. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of providing notification includes a step of providing a visual indication associated with the provided electronic message.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the visual indication includes a visually distinguishable indication of a field within the electronic message wherein address data other than address data within the further address data was identified.

23. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of providing notification includes a step of providing an audible indication associated with the provided electronic message.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the audible indication includes an audibly distinguishable indication of a field within the electronic message wherein address data other than address data within the further address data was identified.

25. A method according to claim 15 comprising the steps of:

selecting the provided electronic message;

initiating an update of the further address data; and

,

adding, automatically, at least some of the identified address data from the selected electronic message to the further address data.

26. A method according to claim 25 including the steps, performed prior to the step of adding automatically, of, prompting the user with a list of electronic addresses relating to identified address data and selecting from the list electronic addresses for which the further data is to be stored.

27. A method according to claim 25 including the step of automatically transmitting to each electronic address relating to the identified address data a request to at least one of verify and update address data relating to that electronic address.

28. A storage medium having data stored therein, the data relating to instructions for performing the steps of:

providing an electronic message including address data to an electronic communication process in execution within a computer system;

identifying the address data within the provided electronic message;

comparing address data within the provided electronic message with further address data stored on the computer;

providing a notification to a user associated with the electronic message when a result of the comparison indicates that at least some of the identified address data is other than stored within the further address data, the notification other than a prompt to add the identified address data to the further address data.

29. A storage medium having data stored therein, the data relating to instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving an electronic message including address data to an electronic communication process in execution within a first computer system, the electronic message having been received from another computer and being destined for a user of the first computer;

identifying the address data within the received electronic message;

comparing address data within the received electronic message with further address data stored on the computer;

providing a notification to the user associated with the received electronic message when a result of the comparison indicates that at least some of the identified address data is other than within the further address data.

30. An electronic communication system comprising:

a memory for storing an address book for storing address data of a plurality of contacts of a receiving party; and

,

a processor for extracting address data contained within a received electronic mail message, the process for comparing the extracted address data with electronic mail message addresses with the stored addresses within the address book, and for notifying the receiving party when a result of the comparison indicates that at least one electronic mail message address contained within a received electronic mail message is not found in the address book.

31. An electronic communication system for automatically notifying a user according to claim 30 comprising a visual display for displaying the notification.

32. An electronic communication system for automatically notifying a user according to claim 30 comprising a speaker and wherein the notification is an audible indication associated with the provided electronic message.