Data Message Management System

• US 20090239504A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marc Timothy Turk
• Original Assignee: Marc Timothy Turk
• Inventors: Turk, Marc Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

This invention relates to a data message management system 10 and to methods of operating such a system. Data messages, such as e-mail and short message system (SMS) messages have become ubiquitous, but are difficult to manage and the currently un-administered nature of such messages has the effect of swamping instead of facilitating communication. The system 10 of this invention manages data messages 12 exchanged between normally un-connected message clients 14, 16 and includes a plurality of message originating clients 14 and at least one message handling server 26 that have been programmed for participation in the system. The addressee clients 16 need not necessarily be participants in the system. Each message originating client 14 is programmed with an outgoing message management program including a message routing program and user-selectable message handling rules to be attached to the outgoing data message 12. The message handling server 26 is programmed with a message management program including the message routing program and a rules management program, which interprets the message handling rule associated with data messages routed to the server in use and routes the data messages, using the message routing program, in accordance with the message handling rules associated with each data message. The message routing program is adapted to remain associated with the outgoing data message 12 and all data messages linked thereto (whether as a reply, a copy or a forwarded copy of such an outgoing data message) and to direct all such linked data messages to a participating message handling server 26 so that outgoing data messages 14 and all linked messages are routed through a participating message handling server where the rules management program is programmed to control the transmission of reply data messages to the originating message client in accordance with the message handling rules associated with the outgoing data message 14.

Claims

1. A system to manage data messages exchanged between normally un-connected message clients, the data message management system including at least one participating message handling server and one or more participating message originating clients, which, in use, require to transmit one or more data messages to addressee clients, which need not necessarily be participants in the system:

each participating message originating client being programmed with;

an outgoing message management program including a message routing program; and

one or more user-selectable message handling rules to be associated with outgoing data messages; and

each participating message handling server being programmed with;

a server message management program including the message routing program; and

a rules management program, which is adapted to interpret the user-selected message handling rule or rules associated with data messages routed to the server in use and to route the data messages, using the message routing program, in accordance with the user-selected message handling rule or rules associated with each data message;

the outgoing message management program being adapted;

to operate in conjunction with the data messaging system in use on the message originating client;

to permit the selection, in use by a user of the message originating client prior to transmission of an outgoing data message, of one or more user-selectable message handling rules to be associated with that outgoing data message;

to associate the user-selected message handling rule or rules with the outgoing data message on transmission thereof to one or more addressee message clients; and

to associate the message routing program with each outgoing data message that has a message handling rule associated therewith, on transmission of that outgoing data message to one or more addressee message clients; and

the message routing program being adapted to remain associated with the outgoing data message and all data messages linked thereto and to direct all such linked data messages to a participating message handling server;

such that outgoing data messages with their associated message handling rules and all linked data messages, including data messages transmitted by addressee clients in response to the outgoing data message, are routed through a participating message handling server; and

the rules management program in the message handling server being programmed to control the transmission of reply data messages to the originating message client in accordance with the message handling rules associated with the outgoing data message.

2. A data message management system according to claim 1 in which the message handling server is programmed to prevent the transmission of linked data messages to the originating message client, pending compliance with all the message handling rules associated with the outgoing data message.

9. A data message management system according to claim 1 in which the data messages are constituted by cellular communications data.

10. A data message management system according to claim 9 in which the data messages are constituted by voice data.

11. A data message management system according to claim 9 in which the data messages are constituted by message protocol data.

12. A data message management system according to claim 9 in which the data messages are constituted by General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) data, Wireless Application Protocol data (WAP) or any cellular communication data addressable to a cell phone.

13. A data message management system according to claim 9 in which:

the message originating client is a phone device, such as a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a computer;

the addressee client is an addressee client phone;

the outgoing data message is an outgoing phone data message;

the message handling server is constituted by a cellular service provider;

the cellular service provider being adapted to;

intercept an outgoing phone data message sent to an addressee client phone associated with that cellular service provider;

compare the sender information in respect of the outgoing phone data message to a database of permitted callers in respect of the addressee client phone kept by the cellular service provider;

if the comparison is positive, to route the outgoing phone data message directly to the addressee client phone; and

If the comparison is negative, to automatically implement a registration process by means of which originating client phone data may be registered on the database of permitted callers;

the cellular service provider being adapted, in the registration process, to generate a form request message and send the form request message to the originating client phone, the form request message being adapted to require the originating client phone to respond with a form request response;

the form request message being seeded with a program that drives the originating client phone to send a form request response back to the cellular service provider;

the cellular service provider being adapted, if a positive form request response is received, to automatically generate a registration form and to send the registration form back to the originating client phone for completion in a manual input step, the registration form containing a forced manual input mechanism that compels a manual response;

the registration form being seeded with a program that drives the originating client phone to send the completed form back to the cellular service provider on completion of the manual input process;

the cellular service provider being adapted to validate the input code and if valid, to generate and send an authorisation request to the addressee client phone;

the addressee client phone being adapted to display the authorisation request as a form for a manual input process, the authorisation request being is seeded with a program that drives the addressee client phone to send a database modification authorisation to the cellular service provider if access is to be granted to register the originating client phone on the permitted caller database; and

the cellular service provider being adapted to send a retransmission advice to the originating client phone, the retransmission advice being seeded with a program that drives the originating client phone to retransmit the outgoing phone data message to the addressee client phone.

3. A data message management system including a plurality of participating message clients each adapted to receive incoming data messages only from a participating message handling server programmed with a database containing information pertaining to the identities of authorised senders of data messages to participating message clients, the participating message handling server being programmed to compare identity information pertaining to the sender of each data message incoming to each participating message client, which is contained in each such data message, to the database of authorised senders and, if the identity information is not recorded in the database, to recognise such a sender as an unauthorised sender and to implement a pre-programmed registration process by means of which the unauthorized sender may be registered in the database as an authorised sender by either or both the participating message client and the unauthorised sender, the latter case requiring the participation or authorisation of the participating client and, if necessary the network administrator with network administration authority over that participating message client.

5. A data message management system according to claim 3.

7. A data message management system according to claim 3 in which the registration process involves the automatic transmission of one or more on-line registration forms to either or both the networked message client and the un-connected recipient (in respect of data messages outgoing from message clients on the network) or the un-connected sender (in respect of data messages incoming to message clients on the network), which must be completed and retransmitted to the message handling server to register the recipient or sender in the database as a recognised recipient or sender respectively.

20. A data message management system according to claim 5 for data messages exchanged between message clients connected in a network and normally un-connected message clients in which the or one of the message handling servers is included in the network, the message routing program being adapted to route data messages outgoing from and incoming to networked message clients through the networked message handling server, the networked server including a database of authorised sender and recipient information and being programmed to implement the pre-programmed registration processes by means of which the senders and recipient may, in use, be registered in the database as authorised senders and recipients respectively.

4. A data message management system including a plurality of participating message clients each adapted to transmit outgoing data messages only by way of a participating message handling server which is programmed with a database containing information pertaining to the identities of authorised recipients of data messages from participating message clients, the participating message handling server being programmed to compare the identity information pertaining to the recipient of each data message outgoing from each participating message client, which is contained in each such data message, to a database of authorised recipients held in the server and, if the identity information is not recorded in the database, to recognise such a recipient as an unauthorised recipient and to implement a pre-programmed registration process by means of which the unauthorised recipient may be registered in the database as an authorised recipient by either or both the participating message client and the unauthorised recipient, the latter case requiring the participation or authorisation of the participating client and, if necessary the network administrator with network administration authority over that participating message client.

6. A data message management system according to claim 4 for data messages exchanged between message clients connected in a network and normally un-connected message clients in which the or one of the message handling servers is included in the network, the message routing program being adapted to route data messages outgoing from and incoming to networked message clients through the networked message handling server, the networked server including a database of authorised sender and recipient information and being programmed to implement the pre-programmed registration processes by means of which the senders and recipient may, in use, be registered in the database as authorised senders and recipients respectively.

8. A data message management system according to claim 4 in which the data messages are constituted by e-mail, the messaging system in use on the message client and addressee clients comprising e-mail handling software.

19. A data message management system according to claim 4.

14. A method of managing the transmission of data messages between normally un-connected message clients in a data messaging system including at least one participating message handling server and one or more participating message originating clients, which, in use, require to transmit one or more data messages to addressee clients, which need not necessarily be participants in the system, the method comprising the steps of:

programming each participating message originating client with an outgoing message management program including a message routing program and one or more user-selectable message handling rules to be associated with outgoing data messages; and

programming each participating message handling server with a server message management program including the message routing program and a rules management program, which is adapted to interpret the user-selected message handling rule or rules associated with data messages routed to the server in use and to route the data messages, using the message routing program, in accordance with the user-selected message handling rule or rules associated with each data message, the outgoing message management program being adapted to operate in conjunction with the data messaging system in use on the message originating client to permit the selection, in use by a user of the message originating client prior to transmission of an outgoing data message, of one or more user-selectable message handling rules to be associated with that outgoing data message;

associating the user-selected message handling rule or rules with the outgoing data message on transmission thereof to one or more addressee message clients;

associating the message routing program with each outgoing data message that has a message handling rule associated therewith, on transmission of that outgoing data message to one or more addressee message clients, the message routing program being adapted to remain associated with the outgoing data message and all data messages linked thereto and to direct all such data messages to a participating message handling server such that outgoing data messages with their associated message handling rules and all data messages transmitted by addressee clients in response to the outgoing data message are routed through a participating message handling server; and

programming the message handling server to control the transmission of reply data messages to the originating message client in accordance with the message handling rules associated with the outgoing data message.

15. A method of managing the transmission of data messages in a data messaging system including a plurality of participating message clients each adapted to receive incoming data messages only from a participating message handling server, including the steps of programming the message handling server with a database containing information pertaining to the identities of authorised senders of data messages to participating message clients, comparing the identity information pertaining to the sender of each data message incoming to each participating message client, which is contained in each such data message, to the database of authorised senders recorded in the database and, if the identity information is not recorded in the database, recognising such a sender as an unauthorised sender and implementing a pre-programmed registration process by means of which the unauthorised sender may be registered in the database as an authorised sender.

17. A method of managing the transmission of data messages in a data messaging system according to claim 15.

16. A method of managing the transmission of data messages in a data messaging system including a plurality of participating message clients each adapted to transmit outgoing data messages only by way of a participating message handling server, including the steps of programming the message handling server with a database containing information pertaining to the identities of authorised recipients of data messages from participating message clients, comparing the identity information pertaining to the recipient of each data message outgoing from each participating message client, which is contained in each such data message, to the database of authorised recipients recorded in the database and, if the identity information is not recorded in the database, recognising such a recipient as an unauthorised recipient and implementing a pre-programmed registration process by means of which the participating message client sender may register the unauthorised recipient, in the database, as an authorised recipient.

18. A method of managing the transmission of data messages between normally un-connected message originating clients in a data messaging system including at least one participating message handling server and at least one participating message addressee client in which,

the message originating client is a phone device, such as a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a computer;

the addressee client is an addressee client phone;

the outgoing data message is an outgoing phone data message; and

the message handling server is constituted by the cellular service provider associated with the addressee client phone;

the method comprising the steps of programming the cellular service provider to;

intercept any phone data message sent to an addressee client phone associated with that cellular service provider;

compare the sender information in respect of the outgoing phone data message to a database of permitted callers in respect of the addressee client phone kept by the cellular service provider;

if the comparison is positive, routing the outgoing phone data message directly to the addressee client phone; and

if the comparison is negative, automatically implementing a registration process by means of which originating client phone data may be registered on the database of permitted callers;

programming the cellular service provider to, in the registration process;

generate a form request message and send the form request message to the originating client phone, the form request message being adapted to require the originating client phone to respond with a form request response and seeded with a program adapted to drive the originating client phone to send a form request response back to the cellular service provider;

if a positive form request response is received, to automatically generate a registration form and to send the registration form back to the originating client phone for completion in a manual input step, the registration form containing a forced manual input mechanism that compels a manual response and seeding the registration form with a program adapted to drive the originating client phone to send the completed registration form back to the cellular service provider on completion of the manual input process;

if a completed registration form is received, to validate the input code and if valid, to generate and send an authorisation request to the addressee client phone;

programming the addressee client phone to display the authorisation request as a form for a manual input process, the authorisation request being is seeded with a program that drives the addressee client phone to send a database modification authorisation to the cellular service provider if access is to be granted to register the originating client phone on the permitted caller database; and

programming the cellular service provider to send a retransmission advice to the originating client phone, the retransmission advice being seeded with a program that drives the originating client phone to retransmit the outgoing phone data message to the addressee client phone.