AGGREGATE COMMUNICATIONS WITH INTELLIGENT SOURCING

• US 20090157824A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chu, Lon-Chan
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,671 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

Selecting a source account for an outgoing communication content of a user is described. A collection of source accounts is associated with the user. Each source account has an individual content storage storing communication content associated with the corresponding source account. A user'"'"'s authentication is validated for using the collection of source accounts. One source account in the collection is designated as a primary source account. The source accounts in the collection are aggregated to a primary content storage. The user is authenticated to sign in to the primary source account. Instructions are received from the user for generating a communication content from the primary source account and the primary content storage. Instructions are received from the user for selecting one of the source accounts in the collection as the source account for the generated communication content, and the user is signed in to the primary source account.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a source account for an outgoing communication content of a user, said method comprising:

associating a collection of source accounts with the user, each of said source accounts having an individual content storage, said individual content storage storing communication content associated with the corresponding source accounts;

validating a user'"'"'s authentication for using the associated collection of source accounts;

designating one source account in the validated collection as a primary source account;

aggregating the source accounts in the collection to a primary content storage, said primary content storage being associated with the primary source account;

authenticating the user to sign in the primary source account;

receiving instructions from the user for generating a communication content from the primary source account and the primary content storage; and

receiving instructions from the user for selecting one of the source accounts in the collection as the source account for the generated communication content, wherein the user is signed in to the primary source account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating comprises associating the collection of source accounts with the user, said source accounts including at least one or more of the following:

a telephone number and an electronic mail (e-mail) address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein aggregating comprises forwarding communication content directed to the source accounts in the collection to the primary source account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving instructions from the user for generating the communication content comprises receiving instructions from the user for performing at least one of the following:

sending a new communication content and responding to a previous communication content already stored in the primary content storage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein designating comprises designating the one source account in the validated collection as the primary source account for receiving communication content intended for source accounts other than the primary account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the communication content stored in the primary content storage, and further comprising establishing a history for identifying relationships in at least one of the following:

the source accounts in the collection and one or more destination accounts for the stored communication content.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising suggesting a source account for the outgoing message based on the established history.

8. A method for persisting one source account among a plurality of aggregated accounts for an outgoing message of a user, said method comprising:

associating at least a first account and a second account with the user, said first account having a first content storage for storing messages delivered to said first account and indicating said first account as a destination account, said second account having a second content storage for storing messages delivered to said second account and indicating said second account as a destination account;

validating a user'"'"'s authentication for using the associated first account and the second account;

designating the validated first account as a primary source account;

aggregating the first content storage and the second content storage to a primary message storage, said primary message storage being associated with the primary source account, said primary message storage storing messages delivered to the first content storage and storing messages delivered to the second content storage;

authenticating the user to sign in to the primary source account;

receiving instructions from the user for generating a message from the primary source account and the primary message storage, said generated message responding to one of the messages stored in the primary message storage, said one of the messages being a message delivered to the second account; and

persisting the second account as the source account for the generated message, wherein the user is still signed in to the primary source account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein aggregating comprises forwarding messages directed to the first account and the second account to the primary source account while maintaining the first account and the second account as destination accounts for the corresponding forwarded messages.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein associating comprises associating the collection of source accounts with the user, said source accounts including at least one or more of the following:

a telephone number and an electronic mail (e-mail) address.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein designating comprises designating the validated first account as the primary source account for receiving messages intended for the second account.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising analyzing at least one of the following characteristics of the messages stored in the primary message storage:

the first account, the second account, and one or more destination accounts for the stored messages.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising establishing a history for identifying relationships based on the analyzed characteristics and in at least one of the following:

the source accounts in the collection and one or more destination accounts for the stored communication content.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising suggesting a source account for the outgoing message based on the established history.

15. A system of managing messages for a user, said system comprising:

an interface for performing at least one of the following operations;

receiving messages, transmitting messages, receiving instructions from the user, and transmitting responses to the user in response to the received instructions;

a central memory storage for storing messages;

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;

associating at least a first account and a second account with the user, said first account having a first storage space in the central memory storage with messages delivered to said first account and indicating said first account as a destination account, said second account having a second storage space in the central memory storage with messages delivered to said second account and indicating said second account as a destination account;

validating a user'"'"'s authentication for using the associated first account and the second account;

designating the validated first account as a primary source account;

aggregating the first storage space and the second storage space to a primary message storage, said primary message storage being associated with the primary source account, said primary message storage storing messages delivered to the first content storage and storing messages delivered to the second content storage;

authenticating the user to sign in the primary source account;

wherein the system comprises at least one or more of the following;

wherein the interface receives instructions from the user for generating a message from the primary source account and the primary message storage, said generated message, said one of the messages being a message delivered to the second account, wherein the interface receives instructions from the user for selecting the second account as the source account for the generated communication content while the user is signed in to the primary source account; and

wherein the interface receives instructions from the user for generating a second message from the primary source account and the primary message storage, said generated message responding to one of the messages stored in the primary message storage, said one of the messages being a message delivered to the second account, and wherein the processor persists the second account as the source account for the generated message as the user is signed in to the primary source account.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first account or the second account comprises at least one or more of the following:

a telephone number and an electronic mail (e-mail) address.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to forward messages directed to the second account to the primary source account.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to analyze at least one of the following characteristics of the messages stored in the primary message storage:

the first account, the second account, and one or more destination accounts for the stored messages.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to establish a history for identifying relationships based on the analyzed characteristics and in at least one of the following:

the first account, the second account, and one or more destination accounts for the stored messages.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to suggest a source account for an outgoing message based on the established history.