System and method for e-mail presence confirmation

• US 20040177118A1
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Beyda, William J., Caspi, Rami, Mason, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a plurality of electronic messaging clients (122); at least one messaging server (104) having an e-mail presence activation module (114) adapted to receive an e-mail and determine therefrom whether a presence of a recipient is to be determined, and a presence module (215) responsive to controls from the e-mail presence activation module and adapted to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending the e-mail to the recipient. In one embodiment, the e-mail presence activation module (114) is adapted to read a priority level of the e-mail message to determine whether to check a presence of the recipient.

Claims

1. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving an e-mail at a server;

using an e-mail address of said e-mail to check a presence status of a recipient of an e-mail;

sending a presence confirmation message to said recipient responsive to determining that said recipient is present; and

delivering said e-mail to said recipient if a response to said presence confirmation message is received.

2. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said using said e-mail address comprises adding said recipient to a sender'"'"'s buddy list and said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

3. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising removing said recipient from said sender'"'"'s buddy list after said message has been delivered.

4. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising reading a priority level of said message to determine whether to check a presence of said recipient.

5. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising holding said e-mail message at said server if said recipient is identified as not present.

6. A telecommunications server, comprising:

an e-mail presence activation module adapted to receive an e-mail and determine therefrom whether a presence of a recipient is to be determined; and

a presence module responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and adapted to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient.

7. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 6, said e-mail presence activation module adapted to read a priority level of said e-mail message to determine whether to check a presence of said recipient.

8. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 7, said presence module adapted to send said recipient a presence confirmation message.

9. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 8, wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

10. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 8, wherein said presence module is adapted to add said recipient to a sender'"'"'s buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

11. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 8, wherein said presence module is adapted to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail message if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

12. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 10, wherein said presence module is adapted to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail message is delivered to said recipient.

13. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a plurality of electronic messaging clients;

at least one messaging server, said at least one messaging server comprising;

an e-mail presence activation module adapted to receive an e-mail and determine therefrom whether a presence of a recipient is to be determined; and

a presence module responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and adapted to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient.

14. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 13, said e-mail presence activation module adapted to read a priority level of said e-mail message to determine whether to check a presence of said recipient.

15. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14, said presence module adapted to send said recipient a presence confirmation message.

16. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

17. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said presence module is adapted to add said recipient to a sender'"'"'s buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

18. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said presence module is adapted to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail message if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

19. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 17, wherein said presence module is adapted to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail message is delivered to said recipient.

20. A telecommunications method, comprising:

providing a plurality of electronic messaging clients;

providing at least one messaging server, said at least one messaging server comprising;

an e-mail presence activation module adapted to receive an e-mail and determine therefrom whether a presence of a recipient is to be determined; and

a presence module responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and adapted to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient.

21. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 20, said e-mail presence activation module adapted to read a priority level of said e-mail message to determine whether to check a presence of said recipient.

22. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21, said presence module adapted to send said recipient a presence confirmation message.

23. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 22, wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

24. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21, wherein said presence module is adapted to add said recipient to a sender'"'"'s buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

25. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said presence module is adapted to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail message if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

26. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 24, wherein said presence module is adapted to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail message is delivered to said recipient.

27. A telecommunications method for providing a server, comprising:

providing an e-mail presence activation module adapted to receive an e-mail and determine therefrom whether a presence of a recipient is to be determined; and

providing a presence module responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and adapted to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient.

28. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 27, said e-mail presence activation module adapted to read a priority level of said e-mail message to determine whether to check a presence of said recipient.

29. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 28, said presence module adapted to send said recipient a presence confirmation message.

30. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 29, wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

31. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said presence module is adapted to add said recipient to a sender'"'"'s buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

32. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said presence module is adapted to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail message if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

33. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 31, wherein said presence module is adapted to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail message is delivered to said recipient.