Personal message expiration

• US 20090003552A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Krock, Richard E., Rauscher, Karl F., Goldman, Stuart O., Runyon, James P.
• Application Number:
  US11/824,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003552A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method for eliminating expired personal messages routed over a telecommunications network includes: receiving a message from a message originator for an intended recipient; at least temporarily storing the message; determining when the message expires based upon an expiration parameter included with the message; and, deleting the stored message automatically after the message expires.

Claims

1. A method for eliminating expired personal messages routed over a telecommunications network, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a message from a message originator for an intended recipient;

(b) at least temporarily storing the message;

(c) determining when the message expires based upon an expiration parameter included with the message; and

,

(d) deleting the stored message automatically after the message expires.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the message has been accessed by the recipient; and

omitting step (d) if the message has been access by the recipient prior to its expiration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting expiration information specified by the message originator; and

,

establishing the expiration parameter in accordance with the specified expiration information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the expiration information includes at least one of a date, a time or a duration after which the message originates desires the message to expire.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is one of an e-mail message, a text message, a multimedia message or a voicemail message.

6. A system for eliminating expired personal messages routed over a telecommunications network, said system comprising:

message service means for receiving a message from a message originator for an intended recipient;

storage means for at least temporarily storing the message;

decision means for deciding when the message expires based upon an expiration parameter included with the message; and

,

message elimination means for deleting the stored message automatically after the message expires.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

determination means for determining if the message has been accessed by the recipient;

wherein if the message has been access by the recipient prior to its expiration, then the message elimination means does not delete the stored message.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for accepting expiration information specified by the message originator; and

,

means establishing the expiration parameter in accordance with the specified expiration information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the expiration information includes at least one of a date, a time or a duration after which the message originates desires the message to expire.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the message is one of an e-mail message, a text message, a multimedia message or a voicemail message.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the message service means is one of an e-mail server, a SMSC, a MMSC, a store-and-forward switching center or a voicemail system.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the storage means, decision means and elimination means are incorporated with the message service means.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the storage means, decision means and elimination means are incorporated in an end user telecommunications device employed by the recipient to receive the message from the message service means.