Automated selection and inclusion of a message signature

• US 20060288219A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Little, Herbert A., MacFarlane, David Victor
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A system and method for the creation and automated selection and inclusion an automated signature text with an electronic message, wherein the automated selection of the automated signature text is dependent on attributes of the message, the designated recipients, or attributes of the designated recipients as compared to the sender'"'"'s attributes, such as the encoding type and/or transport method selected for the electronic message or the location of the recipient without the need for multiple user profiles or manual editing by the sender. At least one of a plurality of automated signature texts is associated with at least one encoding type of a plurality of encoding types, at least one message transport type, or with at least one predeterined recipient attribute or the outcome of a comparison of the recipient attribute with the sender'"'"'s attributes. The appropriate automated signature text is inserted prior to encoding of the message for transport.

Claims

1. A system for composing an electronic message for delivery from a sender to at least one recipient, the system comprising a messaging application for associating at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or the at least one recipient, composing an electronic message, and selecting an encoding type for an electronic message from a plurality of encoding types;

the messaging application further being configured to automatically select at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts that is associated with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or the at least one recipient, insert the at least one selected automated signature texts into the electronic message, and encode the electronic message according to the encoding type selected for the message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or the recipient comprises at least one of the following:

a) the selected encoding type;

b) a message transport method selected for delivering the electronic message;

or

c) address book field data associated with the at least one recipient.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the address book field data associated with the at least one recipient comprises the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the messaging application is configured to compare the address book field data associated with the at least one recipient with corresponding data associated with the sender, and to select a first automated signature text upon a match of the address book field data with the corresponding data, and a second automated signature text upon a mismatch of the address book field data with the corresponding data.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the messaging application is configured to compare the address book field data associated with the at least one recipient with a predetermined value, and to select a first automated signature text upon a match of the address book field data with the predetermined value, and a second automated signature text upon a mismatch of the address book field data with the predetermined value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the messaging application is configured to select the at least one of the plurality of signature texts associated with a plurality of attributes associated with the electronic message or the at least one recipient, or both the electronic message and the at least one recipient, wherein the plurality of attributes is ranked in a hierarchical manner such that the automated signature text that is associated with the highest-ranking attribute is selected.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the electronic message is composed for delivery to a plurality of recipients, and a plurality of attributes is associated with the plurality of recipients, and the plurality of attributes is ranked in a hierarchical manner such that the automated signature text that is associated with the highest-ranking attribute associated with the plurality of recipients is selected.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transport layer for transmitting the encoded electronic message.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a composition application for composing a plurality of automated signature texts and associating the automated signature texts with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or with at least one recipient.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the encoding types comprise Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (S/MIME) and plaintext.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the message transport types comprise at least two of electronic mail, peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging, and short message service (SMS).

12. A method for automated selection and inclusion of one of a plurality of automated signature texts in an electronic message, comprising the steps of:

associating at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or a recipient of the electronic message;

selecting an encoding type for the electronic message;

automatically selecting at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts that is associated with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or a recipient of the electronic message;

inserting the selected at least one automated signature text into the electronic message; and

encoding the electronic message according to the encoding type selected for the message.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of composing the electronic message.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of transmitting the encoded electronic message.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected encoding type is plaintext, and wherein the step of transmitting the encoded message is the step of transmitting the encoded message to a message server, and the step of inserting the selected at least one automated signature text into the electronic message takes place at the message server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of automatically selecting at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts comprises the step of comparing an attribute associated with the electronic message or a recipient of the electronic message a predetermined value, and selecting a first automated signature text upon a match of the attribute with the predetermined value, and a second automated signature text upon a mismatch of the attribute with the predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of automatically selecting at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts comprises the step of comparing the address book field data associated with a recipient with corresponding data associated with a sender of the electronic message, and selecting a first automated signature text upon a match of the address book field data with the corresponding data, and a second automated signature text upon a mismatch of the address book field data with the corresponding data.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of automatically selecting at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts comprises the step of selecting an automated signature text that is associated with the selected encoding type.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the encoding types comprise Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (S/MIME) and plaintext.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of automatically selecting at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts comprises the step of selecting an automated signature text that is associated with a selected transport method.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein available transport methods comprise at least two of electronic mail, peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging, and short message service (SMS).

22. A communication device operative to execute the method of claim 12.

23. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device.

24. A communication device operative to execute the method of claim 17.

25. The communication device of claim 24, wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device.

26. A computer program product comprising code operative to execute the method of claim 12.

27. A computer program product comprising code operative to execute the method of claim 17.

28. A system for composing an electronic message for delivery from a sender to at least one recipient, the system comprising:

a messaging application for composing an electronic message;

a message server for;

receiving the electronic message from the messaging application,

associating at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or the at least one recipient,

automatically selecting at least one of a plurality of automated signature texts that is associated with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or the at least one recipient,

inserting the at least one selected automated signature texts into the electronic message, and

encoding the electronic message for transmission to the at least one recipient.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or the recipient comprises at least one of the following:

a) a message transport method selected for delivering the electronic message;

or

b) address book field data associated with the at least one recipient.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the electronic message is composed for delivery to a plurality of recipients, and a plurality of attributes is associated with the plurality of recipients, and the plurality of attributes is ranked in a hierarchical manner such that the automated signature text that is associated with the highest-ranking attribute associated with the plurality of recipients is selected.

31. The system of claim 28, the message server further comprising a transport layer for transmitting the encoded electronic message.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising a composition application for composing a plurality of automated signature texts and associating the automated signature texts with at least one attribute associated with the electronic message or with at least one recipient.