CUSTOMIZABLE DYNAMIC E-MAIL DISTRIBUTION LISTS

• US 20090282110A1
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haynes, Thomas, Bouknight, Wendell, Price, Dana, Bitonti, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/119,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282110A1
• 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 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for generating a customized dynamic distribution e-mail list is provided. The method includes determining a predefined addressee-selecting rule in response to a user-executed command to send an e-mail. The method also includes selecting at least one addressee from an electronic data file based upon the addressee-selecting rule. The method further includes, for each addressee selected, inserting a corresponding address into a predetermined field of an e-mail prior to conveying the e-mail over a data communications network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a customized dynamic distribution e-mail list, the method comprising:

in response to a user-executed command to send an e-mail, determining a predefined addressee-selecting rule;

based upon the addressee-selecting rule, selecting at least one addressee from an electronic data file; and

for each addressee selected, inserting a corresponding address into a predetermined field of an e-mail prior to conveying the e-mail over a data communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises identifying the electronic data file from among a plurality of different data files based upon the addressee-selecting rule, and, in response thereto, accessing the electronic data file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises accessing the electronic data file at a remotely-located site and automatically performing a log-in procedure to access the electronic data file based upon the addressee-selecting rule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises accessing the electronic data file at a remotely-located site and automatically linking to another site based upon the addressee-selecting rule.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein automatically linking comprises determining when additional links are identifiable and successively linking to a plurality of other sites until no additional links are identifiable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting the at least one addressee from an electronic data file based upon at least one of a user-specified date and a user-specified time associated with the at least one addressee provided in the addressee-selecting rule.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting, based upon the addressee-selecting rule, one of a plurality of electronically stored messages pre-specified by a user and inserting the message into a field of the e-mail prior to conveying the e-mail over a data communications network.

8. A system for generating a customized dynamic distribution e-mail list, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a network interface for communicatively linking the at least one processor to a data communications network; and

an addressee-selecting module that executes on the at least one-processor, the module configured to;

in response to a user-executed command to send an e-mail over the data communications network, determine a predefined addressee-selecting rule,

based upon the addressee-selecting rule, select at least one addressee from an electronic data file, and

for each addressee selected, inserting a corresponding address into a predetermined field of an e-mail prior to conveying the e-mail over a data communications network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the module is configured to identify the electronic data file from among a plurality of different data files based upon the addressee-selecting rule, and, in response thereto, access the electronic data file.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the module is configured to access the electronic data file at a remotely-located site and to automatically perform a log-in procedure to access the electronic data file based upon the addressee-selecting rule.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the module is configured to access the electronic data file at a remotely-located site and automatically link to another site based upon the addressee-selecting rule.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the module is further configured to automatically determine when no additional links are identifiable and to successively link to a plurality of other sites until no additional links are identifiable.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the module is configured to select the at least one addressee from an electronic data file based upon at least one of a user-specified date and a user-specified time associated with the at least one addressee provided in the addressee-selecting rule.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the module is further configured to select, based upon the addressee-selecting rule, one of a plurality of electronically stored messages pre-specified by a user and to insert an address of a contributor of the selected message into a field of the e-mail prior to conveying the e-mail over a data communications network.

15. A computer-readable medium in which is embedded computer-readable code that when loaded on a computer causes the computer to:

determine a predefined addressee-selecting rule in response to a user-executed command to send an e-mail;

based upon the addressee-selecting rule, select at least one addressee from an electronic data file; and

for each addressee selected, insert a corresponding address into a predetermined field of an e-mail prior to conveying the e-mail over a data communications network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable code causes the computer to select by identifying the electronic data file from among a plurality of different data files based upon the addressee-selecting rule, and, in response thereto, accessing the electronic data file.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable code causes the computer to select by accessing the electronic data file at a remotely-located site and automatically performing a log-in procedure to access the electronic data file based upon the addressee-selecting rule.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable code causes the computer to select by accessing the electronic data file at a remotely-located site and automatically linking to another site based upon the addressee-selecting rule.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein automatically linking comprises determining when additional links are identifiable and successively linking to a plurality of other sites until no additional links are identifiable.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable code causes the computer to select by selecting the at least one addressee from an electronic data file based upon at least one of a user-specified date and a user-specified time associated with the at least one addressee provided in the addressee-selecting rule.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable code that causes the computer to select, based upon the addressee-selecting rule, one of a plurality of electronically stored messages pre-specified by a user and to insert an address of a contributor of the selected message into a field of the e-mail prior to conveying the e-mail over a data communications network.