METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SORTING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110093546A1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bryan Rubingh
• Original Assignee: Bryan Rubingh
• Inventors: Rubingh, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US12/904,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093546A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method of sorting a message from a sender to a recipient based on a key code incorporated in, attached to, or logically associated with the message, and ascertaining the validity of the key code.

Claims

1. A method of sorting a message received from a communications network, the method comprising:

ascertaining whether a key code is associated with the message by using messaging software in a controller, and if no key code is associated with the message, then assigning the message to a first category, and

checking whether the key code is valid wherein the controller compares it to a database in a memory, and if valid, then assigning the message to a second category, and if not valid, then assigning it to the first category.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message includes a sender identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the key code is one of a public key code and a private key code.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the message assigned to the first category is not wanted by a receiver of the message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message assigned to the second category is wanted by a receiver of the message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the message assigned to the first category is moved into a folder where messages may be reviewed prior to being deleted.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the message assigned to the second category is moved to an inbox.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a reply to a sender of the message if no valid key code is associated with the message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the key code with the message is one of the key code being incorporated in, attached to, and logically associated with the message.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning a confidence level to the message assigned to the second category, the method comprising:

assigning a first level of confidence if the key code matches a valid public key code;

assigning a second level of confidence if the key code matches the valid public key code and a sender identifier is found the database;

assigning a third level of confidence if the key code matches a private key code associated with a sender identifier found in the database.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the key code is performed by the messaging software parsing the message.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is a telephone call, the sender identifier is unique information from a caller and the key code is one of digital and analog data.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the messaging software indicating the level of confidence of the message.

14. A system for sorting a message received from a communications network, comprising:

an electronic device having a controller, access to a memory, messaging software, and a connection to a communications network, wherein the memory has a database of valid key codes whereby when the electronic device is connected to a communications network and a message is received from the communications network, the controller can ascertain whether a key code is associated with the message using the communication software, and check the validity of the key code by comparing it to the database of valid key codes.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the message is an email message and the key code is a data code that is one of incorporated in, attached to, and logically associated with the message.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the message is a telephone call and the key code is one of digital and analog data.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the database further contains a sender identifier related to a key code.

18. A method of preparing a message for sending over a communications network, the method comprising:

identifying a recipient for the message,

ascertaining whether an existing key code has been provided by the recipient by searching a database, and if not, then obtaining a new key code from the recipient, and

associating one of the existing key code and the new key code to the message for transmission over the communications network.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising associating additional key codes corresponding to additional recipients to the message.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the message is an email message and the key code is a data code that is one of incorporated in, attached to, and logically associated with the message.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the message is a telephone call, the recipient is the number being called, and the key code is one of a digital and analog code.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising associating a sender'"'"'s key code to the electronic message.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the recipient receiving the message and storing the sender'"'"'s key code in a database stored in a memory on a recipient'"'"'s electronic device.