DUPLICATE EMAIL ADDRESS DETECTION FOR A CONTACT

• US 20090106369A1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Walker, Keith R., Morgan, Fabian F., White Eagle, Sarah V.
• Application Number:
  US11/874,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106369A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Methods, systems, and media are disclosed for managing multiple email addresses, each of which are associated with a known contact, e.g., a specific person. One embodiment includes selecting email addresses for an email to be sent through a computer system in communication with a mail server, wherein the email addresses comprise an email distribution list. Further, the method includes querying, before sending the email, for duplicate contacts associated with the email addresses in the email distribution list for the email. Further still, the method includes updating, after the querying, the email distribution list to the email addresses left in a remaining email distribution list produced through removal, if any, of the duplicate contacts identified by the querying. Finally, the method includes sending the email to contacts associated with each of the email addresses in the remaining email distribution list, wherein the contacts are in communication with the mail server.

Claims

1. A method for managing multiple email addresses, the method comprising:

selecting email addresses for an email to be sent through a computer system in communication with a mail server, wherein the email addresses comprise an email distribution list;

querying, before sending the email, for duplicate contacts associated with any of the email addresses in the email distribution list for the email;

updating, after the querying, the email distribution list to the email addresses left in a remaining email distribution list produced through removal, if any, of the duplicate contacts identified by the querying; and

the sending the email to contacts associated with each of the email addresses in the remaining email distribution list in communication with the mail server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking the method by selecting “

send”

on an email client in communication with the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting, after the querying, for confirmation of each, if any, of the duplicate contacts identified by the querying.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying comprises iterating the querying until none of the duplicate contacts are left in the remaining email distribution list before the sending.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying comprises comparing at least one portion of each of the email addresses in the email distribution list to the at least one portion of the email addresses also in the email distribution list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying comprises comparing content of emails to the emails in the email distribution list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating comprises removing at least one of the duplicate contacts from the email distribution list.

8. A system for managing multiple email addresses, the method comprising:

email addresses selected for an email to be sent through a computer system having an email client and in communication with a mail server, wherein the email addresses comprise an email distribution list;

an interrogation module, associated with the email client, for querying, before sending the email, for duplicate contacts associated with any of the email addresses in the email distribution list for the email;

an update module, associated with the interrogation module, for updating the email distribution list to the email addresses left in a remaining email distribution list produced through removal, if any, of the duplicate contacts identified by the querying by the interrogation module; and

a completion module for sending the email to contacts associated with each of the email addresses in the remaining email distribution list in communication with the mail server.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an invocation module, associated with the email client, for invoking the system by selecting “

send”

on the email client.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a verification module, associated with the interrogation module and the update module, for prompting for confirmation of each, if any, of the duplicate contacts identified by the querying by the interrogation module.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the interrogation module comprises an iteration module for iterating the querying until none of the duplicate contacts are left in the remaining email distribution list before the sending of the email.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the interrogation module comprises a comparison module for comparing at least one portion of each of the email addresses in the email distribution list to the at least one portion of the email addresses also in the email distribution list.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the interrogation module comprises a comparison module for comparing content of emails to the emails in the email distribution list.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the update module comprises removing at least one of the duplicate contacts from the email distribution list.

15. A storage-type accessible medium containing instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations for managing multiple email addresses, comprising:

selecting email addresses for an email to be sent through a computer system in communication with a mail server, wherein the email addresses comprise an email distribution list;

querying, before sending the email, for duplicate contacts associated with any of the email addresses in the email distribution list for the email;

updating, after the querying, the email distribution list to the email addresses left in a remaining email distribution list produced through removal, if any, of the duplicate contacts identified by the querying; and

the sending the email to contacts associated with each of the email addresses in the remaining email distribution list in communication with the mail server.

16. The storage-type accessible medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise operations for invoking the instructions by selecting “

send”

on an email client in communication with the computer system.

17. The storage-type accessible medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise operations for prompting, after the querying, for confirmation of each, if any, of the duplicate contacts identified by the querying.

18. The storage-type accessible medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for querying comprise iterating the querying until none of the duplicate contacts are left in the remaining email distribution list before the sending.

19. The storage-type accessible medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for querying comprise comparing at least one portion of each of the email addresses in the email distribution list to the at least one portion of the email addresses also in the email distribution list.

20. The storage-type accessible medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for querying comprise comparing content of emails to the emails in the email distribution list.