TRIGGERING A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TO AUTOMATICALLY REPLY TO COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090106367A1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: PATIL, SANDEEP R., DAS, RANADIP, VENKATSUBRA, VENKAT, BANERJEE, DWIP N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A communication system which facilitates distribution of electronic communications for a user account includes an emergency auto-reply agent that scans each received communication addressed to the user account for a particular communication sent from at least one emergency address specified for the user account separate from the address of the user account. Responsive to the communication system detecting the particular communication sent from one of the emergency addresses, the emergency auto-reply agent parses the content of the particular communication to detect whether the particular communication comprises a required password. Responsive to detecting the required password within the content of the particular communication, the emergency auto-reply agent directs the communication system to compose and send auto-reply communications from the user account in reply to received communications addressed to the user account.

Claims

1. A system for triggering a communication system to automatically reply to communications received for a user account facilitated by the communication system, comprising:

an emergency auto-reply agent for scanning each received communication of a plurality of received communications addressed to a user account at the communication system for a particular communication addressed from at least one emergency address specified in association with the user account separate from the address of the user account;

the emergency auto-reply agent, responsive to detecting the particular communication addressed from the at least one emergency address, for parsing the content of the particular communication content to detect whether the particular communication comprises a required password; and

the emergency auto-reply agent, responsive to detecting the required password within the content of the particular communication, for automatically composing a reply communication addressed from the user account and triggering the communication system to automatically send the composed reply communication in reply to at least one of the plurality of received communications addressed to the user account.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the communication system for receiving, from a communication client logged into the user account at the communication system, emergency trigger communication criteria comprising the at least one emergency address and the required password;

the communication system for storing the emergency trigger communication criteria in association with the user account at the communication system; and

the communication system, responsive to storing the emergency trigger communication criteria for the user account, for activating the emergency auto-reply agent to scan of each received communication of a plurality of received communications addressed to the user account at the communication system.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the emergency auto-reply agent, responsive to detecting the particular communication addressed from the at least one emergency address, for parsing a subject line within the content of the particular communication to identify a first string specifying a password followed by a comma and followed by a second string comprising a date; and

the emergency auto-reply agent, responsive to detecting the password within the subject line matches the required password, for automatically composing the reply communication addressed from the user account and triggering the communication system to automatically send the composed reply communication in reply to a selection of received communication received after the date from among the plurality of received communication.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency auto-reply agent for automatically composing a reply communication addressed from the user account further comprises:

means for parsing the content of the particular communication to detect a message within the content of the particular communication; and

means for composing the reply communication addressed from the user account with the message from the content of the particular communication specified within the reply communication.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency auto-reply agent for automatically composing a reply communication addressed from the user account further comprises:

means for detecting whether the particular communication is addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address; and

means, responsive to detecting the particular communication addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address, for composing the reply communication addressed from the user account with the at least one carbon copy recipient address from the particular communication specified as a carbon copy recipient of the reply communication.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency auto-reply agent for scanning each received communication of a plurality of received communications addressed to a user account at the communication system for a particular communication addressed from at least one emergency address specified in association with the user account separate from the address of the user account, further comprises:

means for scanning each received communication from among a plurality of types of communications comprising a text message communication, an electronic mail communication, an instant message communication, and a voice communication.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency auto-reply agent for scanning each received communication of a plurality of received communications addressed to a user account at the communication system for a particular communication addressed from at least one emergency address specified in association with the user account separate from the address of the user account, further comprises:

means for scanning each received communication from among a plurality of email communications.

8. A method for triggering an email server to automatically reply to communications received for a user account facilitated by the email server, comprising:

enabling an email server communicatively connected to a network to facilitate receipt of email communications addressed to a plurality of user accounts via the network and to distribute the email communications addressed from a plurality of user account via the network;

controlling, within said email server, automatic composition and sending of a reply email from a selection of the plurality of user accounts for which an auto-reply controller is activated to each of a plurality of received emails for the selection of the plurality of user accounts;

activating, at the email server, an emergency auto-reply agent for a particular user account from among the plurality of user accounts with specified emergency trigger email criteria, for scanning each received email for the particular user account to detect a particular received email matching the emergency trigger email criteria, wherein the emergency trigger email criteria specifies at least one emergency sender address;

responsive to the emergency auto-reply agent detecting the sender of the particular received email matching the emergency trigger email criteria, triggering the auto-reply controller for the particular user account; and

automatically composing and sending the reply email with a message matching the message specified in the particular received email matching the emergency trigger email criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

facilitating, at an email client system communicatively connected to the email server via the network, an interface through which a user logs into the particular user account and specifies the emergency trigger email criteria for activating the emergency auto-reply agent.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

specifying, from a user entry, at the email server, a first emergency sender address assigned to a same user of the particular user account and at least one additional sender address assigned to a user separate from the user of the particular user account.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent, a subject line of the particular received email to detect whether the subject line includes a date; and

triggering, by the emergency auto-reply agent, the auto-reply controller to send the reply email to a selection of received emails to the user account after the date.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent, a message of the particular received email; and

triggering, by the emergency auto-reply agent, the auto-reply controller to send the reply email message specified with the message from the particular received email.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent the particular received email to detect a carbon copy recipient address of the particular received email; and

triggering, by the emergency auto-reply agent, the auto-reply controller to send the reply email with the carbon copy recipient in the reply email specified to the carbon copy recipient address.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent the particular received email to detect at least one rule for determining a qualified selection of recipients to receive the reply email message and wherein the emergency auto-reply agent; and

triggering, by the emergency auto-reply agent, the auto-reply controller to send the reply email to only the qualified selection of recipients addressed as senders of the plurality of received emails.

15. A program product comprising a storage-type computer-usable medium including a computer-readable program for triggering a communication system to automatically reply to communications received for a user account facilitated by the communication system, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

scan each received communication of a plurality of received communications addressed to a user account at the communication system for a particular communication addressed from at least one emergency address specified in association with the user account separate from the address of the user account;

responsive to detecting the particular communication addressed from the at least one emergency address, parse the content of the particular communication content to detect whether the particular communication comprises a required password; and

responsive to detecting the required password within the content of the particular communication, automatically compose a reply communication addressed from the user account and triggering the communication system to automatically send the composed reply communication in reply to at least one of the plurality of received communications addressed to the user account.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein said computer-readable program is transmitted over a network.

17. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to

receive emergency trigger communication criteria comprising the at least one emergency address and the required password;

store the emergency trigger communication criteria in association with the user account at the communication system; and

responsive to storing the emergency trigger communication criteria for the user account, activate the scanning of each received communication of a plurality of received communications addressed to the user account at the communication system.

18. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to

responsive to detecting the particular communication addressed from the at least one emergency address, parse a subject line within the content of the particular communication to identify a first string specifying a password followed by a comma and followed by a second string comprising a date;

and

responsive to detecting the password within the subject line matches the required password, automatically compose the reply communication addressed from the user account and triggering the communication system to automatically send the composed reply communication in reply to a selection of received communication received after the date from among the plurality of received communication.

19. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to

parse the content of the particular communication to detect a message within the content of the particular communication;

and

compose the reply communication addressed from the user account with the message from the content of the particular communication specified within the reply communication.

20. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to

detect whether the particular communication is addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address;

and

responsive to detecting the particular communication addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address, compose the reply communication addressed from the user account with the at least one carbon copy recipient address from the particular communication specified as a carbon copy recipient of the reply communication.