MINIMIZING INCORRECTLY ADDRESSED COMMUNICATIONS WHEN WORKING WITH AMBIGUOUS RECIPIENT DESIGNATIONS

• US 20090307316A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murphy, Thomas E., Corbin, George E., Murphy, Thomas E. JR., Essenmacher, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,284 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]
• 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

Sending communications to incorrect recipients is minimized. Recipients that have ambiguous names or other designations are marked as ambiguous. Then, in response to including one of those names or designations in a communication, the originator of the communication is automatically warned of the ambiguity. This enables the originator to re-confirm that the communication is being sent to the intended recipient.

Claims

1. A method of minimizing the sending of communications to incorrect recipients, said method comprising:

identifying in a communication a recipient to receive the communication;

determining, in response to the identifying, whether the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient; and

specifying that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient, in response to the determining indicating that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying is by an originator of the communication, and wherein the specifying includes providing a warning to the originator that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises checking an indicator associated with the identified recipient to determine if the identified recipient is indicated as ambiguous.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indicator is located in an entry of a shared repository corresponding to the identified recipient.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising setting the indicator in the entry.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the setting comprises:

specifying in another repository write accessible by the identified recipient that a designation used to identify the recipient is ambiguous; and

using the specification in the another repository to set the indicator in the shared repository.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to the identified recipient being indicated as an ambiguous recipient, whether a designation of the identified recipient is to be added to a local repository of an originator of the communication; and

including the designation in the local repository, in response to the determining indicating that it is to be included.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein inclusion in the local repository is an indication that the identified recipient is no longer indicated as an ambiguous recipient.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking, in response to the specifying, whether the intended recipient is correct.

10. A system of minimizing the sending of communications to incorrect recipients, said system comprising:

at least one communications unit to;

identify in a communication a recipient to receive the communication;

determine, in response to the identifying, whether the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient; and

specify that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient, in response to the determining indicating that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises checking an indicator associated with the identified recipient to determine if the identified recipient is indicated as ambiguous, and wherein the indicator is located in an entry of a shared repository corresponding to the identified recipient.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one communications unit is further adapted to set the indicator in the entry.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the setting comprises:

specifying in another repository write accessible by the identified recipient that a designation used to identify the recipient is ambiguous; and

using the specification in the another repository to set the indicator in the shared repository.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one communications unit is further adapted to:

determine, in response to the identified recipient being indicated as an ambiguous recipient, whether a designation of the identified recipient is to be added to a local repository of an originator of the communication; and

include the designation in the local repository, in response to the determining indicating that it is to be included.

15. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code logic to minimize the sending of communications to incorrect recipients, said computer readable program code logic for execution by a computer for performing a method comprising;

identifying in a communication a recipient to receive the communication;

determining, in response to the identifying, whether the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient; and

specifying that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient, in response to the determining indicating that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the identifying is by an originator of the communication, and wherein the specifying includes providing a warning to the originator that the identified recipient is indicated as an ambiguous recipient.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the determining comprises checking an indicator associated with the identified recipient to determine if the identified recipient is indicated as ambiguous, and wherein the indicator is located in an entry of a shared repository corresponding to the identified recipient.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising setting the indicator in the entry.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the setting comprises:

specifying in another repository write accessible by the identified recipient that a designation used to identify the recipient is ambiguous; and

using the specification in the another repository to set the indicator in the shared repository.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, in response to the identified recipient being indicated as an ambiguous recipient, whether a designation of the identified recipient is to be added to a local repository of an originator of the communication; and

including the designation in the local repository, in response to the determining indicating that it is to be included.