System and method for address storage and message addressing

• US 20050068939A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho Tang, Melody Woan-Shiang, Bangor, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method for message addressing and address storage are disclosed. A system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include an address menu having an identification field with more than one associated address fields. Each of the address fields may be maintaining addresses for different messaging receipt options. For example, if an intended recipient of a message has an email account and a facsimile machine, a first address field may maintain an email address for the recipient, and a second address field may maintain a facsimile number for the recipient.

Claims

1. A messaging system comprising:

an address menu having an identification field with more than one associated address fields, each of the address fields operable to maintain an address for a messaging receipt option; and

a graphical user interface operable to present the address menu.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification field maintains a contact alias for a potential recipient of an outgoing message.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer storing a first address menu for a first user and a second address menu for a second user; and

an interface engine associated with the computer and operable to communicatively couple a remote computer associated with the first user to the computer storing the first address menu.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the computer storing the first address menu is operable to initiate communication of internet protocol packets.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the remote computer is communicatively coupled to the computer storing the first address menu via a cable modem.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first address field associated with the identification field, the first address field for maintaining a first address type of a contact; and

a second address field associated with the identification field, the second address field for maintaining a second address type of the contact.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first address type is selected from the group consisting of an email address, a telephone number, an instant messaging address, a short messaging service address, an enhanced messaging service address, a multimedia messaging service address, and a facsimile number.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification field is operable to maintain a contact name, further comprising:

a first address field associated with the identification field, the first address field for maintaining a first address of the contact name;

a second address field associated with the identification field, the second address field for maintaining a second address of the contact name; and

the first address selected from the group consisting of an email address, a telephone number, an instant messaging address, a short messaging service address, an enhanced messaging service address, a multimedia messaging service address, and a facsimile number.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an attachment engine operable to convert a file attached to an outgoing message into a format receivable by a device associated with a messaging receipt option.

10. A graphical user interface (GUI) comprising:

a first user-selectable portion having associated text that includes “

email”

, the first user-selectable portion to initiate addition of an email address for a contact into an address box of an electronic message; and

a second user-selectable portion having associated text that includes “

phone”

, the second user-selectable portion to initiate addition of a telephone number for the contact into the address box of the electronic message.

11. A messaging method comprising:

initiating presentation of a first user-selectable item for viewing a collection of contact information;

receiving a signal indicating a user selection of the first user-selectable item; and

initiating a graphical user interface (GUI) element to present an address menu comprising contact information for at least one potential addressee, the address menu having a first selectable address and a selectable second address for the at least one potential addressee.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

recognizing a selection of the first address and the second address; and

initiating presentation of the first address and the second address in an address box.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a request to prepare an outgoing message; and

initiating presentation of a messaging graphical user interface (GUI) to present a message composition template comprising an address box and a message input box.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

modifying the address menu in response to a user input comprising addition of another potential addressee;

subsequently initiating the graphical user interface (GUI) element; and

presenting the address menu as comprising contact information for the at least one potential addressee and the another potential addressee.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a request to prepare an outgoing message;

presenting a messaging graphical user interface (GUI) element to present a message composition template comprising an address box and a message input box;

recognizing a selection of the first address; and

initiating presentation of the address box populated with the first address.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a request to prepare an outgoing message;

presenting a messaging graphical user interface (GUI) element to present a message composition template comprising an address box and a message input box;

recognizing a selection of the first address;

initiating presentation of the address box populated with the first address; and

initiating presentation of a second user-selectable item having associated text that includes “

send”

.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

recognizing a selection of the second address;

receiving a signal indicating a user selection of the second user-selectable item; and

initiating communication of the outgoing message to the first address and the second address.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising attaching a file to the outgoing message.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising converting the file into a format receivable by a device associated with the first address.

20. A computer readable media comprising:

a plurality of instructions for providing a first user-selectable button in connection with preparation of an electronic message;

in response to receiving a user selection of the first user-selectable button, initiating a graphical user interface (GUI) element to find at least one address for the message, the GUI element comprising an address menu having an identification field with more than one associated address fields, each of the address fields operable to maintain an address for a messaging receipt option;

receiving a selection of an address with the GUI element; and

populating an address box with the address.