Processing Rules for Digital Messages

• US 20080168149A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC., FORMERLY KNOWN AS BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Caapaction (Société Cocoon SA)
• Original Assignee: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC., FORMERLY KNOWN AS BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Caapaction (Société Cocoon SA)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Systems and methods for handling email messages are described. Some embodiments are directed to determining whether an email message meets a predefined condition, and executing an action in an instant messaging (IM) system in response to determining that the email message meets the predefined condition. Other embodiments are directed to providing a programming interface, and storing inputs provided by a user at the programming interface. For those embodiments, the programming interface is adapted to receive user input in the form of a markup language. The inputs comprise a condition and an action. Yet other embodiments are directed to determining whether a digital message meets a predefined condition, and executing a filtering algorithm on the digital message in response to determining that the digital message does not meet the predefined condition. The digital message may be, for example, an email message or an IM message.

Claims

1. A method for handling digital messages, the method comprising:

providing a programming interface, the programming interface adapted to receive user input, the user input being provided in a markup language;

storing inputs provided by a user at the programming interface, the inputs being provided in the markup language, the inputs comprising a condition, the inputs further comprising an action;

receiving a digital message from a message sender;

determining whether the digital message includes a request for a file; and

retrieving the requested file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the file to the message sender in response to retrieving the file.

3. A method for handling digital messages, the method comprising:

determining whether a digital message meets a predefined condition; and

executing a filtering algorithm on the digital message in response to determining that the digital message does not meet the predefined condition,

wherein the predefined condition is selected from the group consisting of;

the digital message includes a specified Internet address of a sender;

the digital message includes a specified Internet address of a primary recipient;

the digital message includes a specified Internet address of a secondary recipient;

the digital message includes a specified Internet domain;

the digital message includes a specified word in a subject line of the digital message;

the digital message includes a specified word in a text body of the digital message;

the digital message includes a specified hypertext markup language (HTML) tag in the digital message;

the digital message includes a specified extensible markup language (XML) tag in the digital message;

the digital message has an empty subject line;

the digital message has no content;

the digital message exceeds a specified size; and

the digital message originated from a specified source Internet protocol (IP) address.

4. A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

computer-readable code representing a condition, the condition being in a markup language;

computer-readable code representing an action, the action being in a markup language;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a digital message from a message sender;

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to determine whether the digital message meets the condition; and

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to retrieve the requested file.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, further comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to transmit the file to the message sender in response to retrieving the file.

6. A system for handling digital messages, the system comprising:

program-interface logic configured to provide a programming interface, the programming interface adapted to receive user input, the user input being provided in a markup language;

input-storage logic configured to store inputs provided by a user at the programming interface, the inputs being provided in the markup language, the inputs comprising a condition, the inputs further comprising an action;

receiving logic configured to receive a digital message from a message sender;

determining logic configured to determine whether the digital message includes a request for a file; and

retrieving logic configured to retrieve the requested file.

7. A system for handling digital messages, the system comprising:

means for providing a programming interface, the programming interface adapted to receive user input, the user input being provided in a markup language;

means for storing inputs provided by a user at the programming interface, the inputs being provided in the markup language, the inputs comprising a condition, the inputs further comprising an action;

means for receiving a digital message from a message sender;

means for determining whether the digital message includes a request for a file; and

means for retrieving the requested file.