Method and Apparatus for Identifying, Managing, and Controlling Communications

• US 20090248826A1
• Filed: 06/09/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John R. Klug
• Original Assignee: John R. Klug
• Inventors: Klug, John R.
• Application Number:
  US12/481,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248826A1
• 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: G07B 17/00024 Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00475 Sorting mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sorting, prioritizing, identifying, managing, and otherwise controlling (collectively, “controlling”) a communication. A frank may be used to associate a value and a class with a communication. The communication may be associated with the frank through the method of selecting a frank associated with a value from among a plurality of frank types, each of the frank types having a pre-assigned value, associating the frank with the communication, and initiating transmission of the franked communication across a network. Value may include anything important of having meaning to the parties, including, for example, money, credit (or a promise to pay), frequent flier miles, and so forth. “Franking” a communication generally associates some indicia of value and/or a service class with a communication.

Claims

1. A computer system for generating and sending a franked communication, comprising:

a frank request module operative to request a frank;

wherein the request associates at least one franking criterion indicative of the relative importance, as specified by a user, with regards to a given communication;

a frank generation module, operatively connected to the frank request module, operative to receive a request, generate the frank and output the frank;

a frank attachment module, operatively connected to the frank generation module, operative to receive the frank and attach the frank requested by the frank request module to a communication, thereby creating a franked communication; and

a franked communication transmission module, operatively connected to the frank attachment module, operative to transmit the franked communication to at least one recipient.

2. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising a frank receipt module operative to receive the frank requested by the request module, and further operative to pass the frank to the frank attachment module.

3. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a sender system on which the frank request module, frank attachment module, franked transmission module, and franked receipt module reside.

4. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising a network node on which the frank attachment module, franked transmission module, and frank generation module reside.

5. A computer system for receiving and processing a franked communication, comprising:

a communication receipt module operative to receive a communication;

wherein the communication is associated with at least one franking criterion specified by a sender;

a determination module operative to determine whether the communication is franked, the determination module operatively connected to the communication receipt module; and

a franked communication processing module operative to process the communication according to a first rule in the event the communication is franked, the franked communication processing module operatively connected to the determination module.

6. The computer system of claim 5, further comprising a non-franked communication processing module, operatively connected to the communication receipt module, operative to process the communication according to a second rule in the event the communication is not franked, the non-franked communication processing module operatively connected to the determination module.

7. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising a display module, operatively connected to at least one of the franked communication process module and the non-franked communication process module, operative to display the communication in a first state dictated by the first rule.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the display module is further operative to display the communication in a second state dictated by the second rule.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the communication receipt module, determination module, franked communication processing module, and non-franked communication processing module are incorporated into an electronic mail application.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the communication receipt module, determination module, franked communication processing module, and non-franked communication processing module are co-located at a network node associated with an Internet service provider.

11. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the communication receipt module, determination module, franked communication processing module, and non-franked communication processing module are co-located at a recipient system.

12. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the communication receipt module, determination module, franked communication processing module, and non-franked communication processing module are co-located at a mail server.