Combining communication policies into common rules store

• US 20070150933A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pearson, Malcolm E., Dougherty, Jesse M., Thomas, Shawn M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,810,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method for applying a common communication policy over at least two user groups of an organization. The method receives a communication request to transmit a communication between a sender user and at least one recipient user. The method identifies characteristics of the sender user and identifies characteristics of the at least one recipient user. The method further accesses a communication rules store common to the at least two user groups and determines the communication rules in the rules store applicable to the received communication based upon at least one of the characteristics of the sender user, the characteristics of the at least one recipient user, and the content of the communication. The method applies the identified rules to the communication.

Claims

1. A method for applying a common communication policy over at least two user groups of an organization, said method comprising:

receiving a communication request to transmit a communication between a sender user and at least one recipient user, wherein at least one of said sender user and said recipient user is a user in one of said at least two user groups;

identifying characteristics of the sender user, including the identity of the sender user and the user group in which the sender user is a member;

identifying characteristics of the at least one recipient user, including the identity of the at least one recipient user and the user group in which the at least one recipient user is a member;

accessing a communication rules store common to the at least two user groups;

determining the communication rules in the rules store applicable to the received communication based upon at least one of the characteristics of the sender user, the characteristics of the at least one recipient user, and the content of the communication; and

applying the applicable rules to the communication.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said applying the applicable rules to the communication comprises one of:

sending the communication to the at least one recipient user if the rules allow such a communication;

sending a modified communication to the at least one recipient user if the rules require such a modified communication; and

blocking the communication to the at least one recipient user if the rules do not allow such a communication.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sending the modified communication further comprises maintaining a copy of at least one of the communication and the modified communication for review by a communication decision-maker, and

wherein said blocking the communication further comprises maintaining a copy of the blocked communication for review by a communication decision-maker.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sending a modified communication further comprises sending information with the modified communication to at least one of the sender user and the recipient user regarding at least one of the modifications applied to the modified communication and the communication rule requiring such a modification to the communication.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said applying the applicable rules to the communication comprises applying the more-restrictive rules before applying the less-restrictive rules.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said determining comprises determining that one or more rules apply to one recipient user and determining that one or more other rules apply to another recipient user.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said applying the applicable rules to the communication comprises applying one of (i) sending the communication to one recipient user if the rules allow such a communication;

(ii) sending a modified communication to the one recipient user if the rules require such a modified communication; and

(iii) blocking the communication to the one recipient user if the rules do not allow such a communication to one recipient user; and

applying one of (i) sending the communication to the another recipient user if the rules allow such a communication;

(ii) sending a modified communication to the another recipient user if the rules require such a modified communication; and

(iii) blocking the communication to the another recipient user if the rules do not allow such a communication to the another recipient user.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said applying the applicable rules to the communication comprises sending one modified communication to the one recipient user and sending another modified communication to the another recipient user, said one modified communication and said another modified communication being different from one another.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein

said characteristics of the sender user further include at least one of the position of the sender user and the relationship between the sender user and the recipient user,

wherein said characteristics of the recipient user further include at least one of the position of the recipient user the relationship between the recipient user and the sender user, and

wherein said determining the communication rules applicable based upon the content of the communication comprises at least one of the message header, the message body, and attachments to the message.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising maintaining the rules store at at least two locations, whereby the user group accessing the rules store may access the rules at at least one of said at least two locations.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising updating both rules stores with at least one of rule changes, rule additions, and rule deletions simultaneously, whereby both stores provide access to the same updated set of rules.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said updating both rules stores comprises

receiving at least one of policy changes, policy additions, and policy deletions from a communication decision-maker and

creating rule changes, rule additions, and rule deletions based upon said policy changes, additions, and deletions of the communication decision-maker.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said receiving comprises receiving said policy changes, policy additions, and policy deletions in a natural language.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said determining the communication rules in the rules store applicable to the received communication comprises determining if the communication contains forbidden items or exceeds a size limit.

15. A system for managing the flow of messages between multiple users belonging to different user groups, said system comprising:

a first messaging server providing message communication services to a first group of users;

a second messaging server providing message communication services to a second group of users;

a common rules store separate from the first messaging server and the second messaging server, said common rules store adapted to store a plurality of rules applicable to both the first group of users and the second group of users, said first and second messaging servers being adapted to access the rules store and utilize the stored rules to manage the flow of messages to and from each respective messaging server.

16. A system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said rules store comprises one or more stores having identical copies of the stored rules.

17. A system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said first messaging server operates in a first language and said second messaging server operates in a second language, said first messaging server and said second messaging server being adapted to access the same rules store.

18. A system as set forth in claim 15 further comprising a user interface whereby a communication decision-maker may review the rules of the rules store and modify rules of the rules store to control the flow of messages without reviewing the individual messages.

19. A system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said first messaging server is adapted to access rules in the rules store established by a communication decision-maker associated with the second group of users and said second messaging server is adapted to access rules in the rules store established by a communication decision-maker associated with the first group of users.

20. A method for applying a common communication policy to users belonging to an organization, said method comprising:

receiving a communication request to transmit a communication between a sender user and at least one recipient user;

identifying the user group in which the sender user is a member, wherein said user group is one of internal to the organization and external to the organization;

identifying the user group in which the at least one recipient user is a member, wherein said user group is one of internal to the organization and external to the organization;

accessing a communication rules store common to user groups internal to the organization;

determining the communication rules in the rules store applicable to the received communication based upon whether the received communication is internal to the organization or external-only to the organization; and

applying the applicable communication rules to the communication.