AUTONOMIC CORRECTION OF INCORRECT IDENTITIES IN REPOSITORIES

• US 20090307271A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murphy, Thomas E. Jr., Essenmacher, Michael D., Pflug, Francis A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Autonomic correction of incorrect identities in repositories. A communication is prepared and sent to one or more recipients. In response thereto, a notification is provided to the sender that one or more of the recipient'"'"'s identities is incorrect. Based on this notification, corrective action is automatically initiated in order to locate the repository, and in particular, an entry in the repository corresponding to the incorrect identity and to take action to correct that identity.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating correction of identities indicated in communications, said method comprising:

determining that an identity specified in a communication sent by a sender to one or more receivers is incorrect; and

automatically initiating correction of the incorrect identity in a repository in which the identity is maintained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity is of an intended receiver of the communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is an e-mail and the identity is an e-mail address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically initiating includes providing information relating to the incorrect identity to one or more parties that may be able to correct the incorrect identity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more parties comprises the sender of the communication or an administrator of the repository.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a history of the communication, said history usable in at least one of the automatically initiating correction or correcting the incorrect identity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically initiating comprises:

determining a party authorized to update the repository;

providing repository information relating to the incorrect identity to the authorized party; and

obtaining approval to update the repository.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the obtaining approval is implicit and granted absent explicit authorization by the authorized party.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the providing repository information includes locating an entry in said repository corresponding to said incorrect identity, said locating using said incorrect identity, and obtaining information from the entry corresponding to the incorrect identity, wherein said repository information comprises the obtained information.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating the repository, in response to obtaining approval.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the updating comprises revising the identity to provide a correct identity.

12. A system of facilitating correction of identities indicated in communications, said system comprising:

at least one communications unit to;

determine that an identity specified in a communication sent by a sender to one or more receivers is incorrect; and

automatically initiate correction of the incorrect identity in a repository in which the identity is maintained.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one communications unit is further adapted to obtain a history of the communication, said history usable in at least one of the automatically initiating correction or correcting the incorrect identity.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the automatically initiating comprises:

determining a party authorized to update the repository;

providing repository information relating to the incorrect identity to the authorized party; and

obtaining approval to update the repository.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the providing repository information includes locating an entry in said repository corresponding to said incorrect identity, said locating using said incorrect identity, and obtaining information from the entry corresponding to the incorrect identity, wherein said repository information comprises the obtained information.

16. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code logic to facilitate correction of identities indicated in communications, said computer readable program code logic for execution by a computer for performing a method comprising;

determining that an identity specified in a communication sent by a sender to one or more receivers is incorrect; and

automatically initiating correction of the incorrect identity in a repository in which the identity is maintained.

17. The article of manufacture claim 16, further comprising obtaining a history of the communication, said history usable in at least one of the automatically initiating correction or correcting the incorrect identity.

18. The article of manufacture claim 16, wherein the automatically initiating comprises:

determining a party authorized to update the repository;

providing repository information relating to the incorrect identity to the authorized party; and

obtaining approval to update the repository.

19. The article of manufacture claim 18, wherein the providing repository information includes locating an entry in said repository corresponding to said incorrect identity, said locating using said incorrect identity, and obtaining information from the entry corresponding to the incorrect identity, wherein said repository information comprises the obtained information.

20. The article of manufacture claim 18, further comprising updating the repository, in response to obtaining approval.