Managing forwarded electronic messages

• US 20130172025A1
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: ODELL, James A., BERGSTROM, Raine, APPELMAN, Barry, WICK, Andrew L., KEISTER, Alan, YIN, Xiaoyan, McNALLY, Barbara, HULLFISH, Keith C.
• Application Number:
  US13/620,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20130172025A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Communicating between electronic devices involves sending messages between the electronic devices. An original message having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified is sent. A reply to that original message is sent by the recipient of the original message. The reply message has a reply source indicator and a reply destination indicator. A communication based on the reply message is sent. The communication based on the reply message has a reply source indicator that is the same as the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message. In one example, a message is sent from computer operating an instant messaging program and forwarded to a mobile telephone. The reply sent from the mobile telephone is provided to the sender of the original message without revealing the telephone number of the mobile telephone to which the original instant message was forwarded.

Claims

1. A method for communicating using electronic devices, the method comprising:

receiving an original message having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified by a sender of the original message;

receiving a reply message to the original message with the reply message having a reply destination indicator and a reply source indicator that is different from the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message; and

sending a communication based on the reply message with the communication having a reply source indicator that is the same as the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising replacing the reply source indicator in the reply message with the intended destination indicator.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the reply source indicator is the same as the intended destination indicator; and

replacing the reply source indicator in the reply message with the intended destination indicator only if the reply source indicator is different from the intended destination indicator.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving an indication as to whether the reply source indicator in the reply message is to be replaced with the intended destination indicator, wherein replacing the reply source indicator in the reply message with the intended destination indicator only if the reply source indicator is different from the intended destination indicator comprises doing so only in response to an indication that the reply source indicator in the reply message is to be replaced with the intended destination indicator.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the indication as to whether the reply source indicator is to be replaced is based on input entered by a sender of the reply message.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the display of the communication based on the reply message.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a communication based on the original message to a mobile device identified by a mobile telephone number with the mobile device communication having a source indicator that identifies a temporary telephone number and a destination indicator that identifies the mobile telephone number of the mobile device, wherein:

receiving the original message comprises receiving an original message that is sent using an instant message service,

the original source indicator comprises a screen name for an instant message entity sending the original message,

the intended destination indicator comprises a screen name for an instant message entity who is an intended recipient of the original message,

the reply source indicator of the received reply message comprises the mobile telephone number of the mobile device,

the reply destination indicator of the received reply message comprises the temporary telephone number, and

the reply source indicator of the communication based on the reply message comprises the screen name for the instant message entity who is the intended recipient of the original message.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing message session information based on the communication sent to the mobile device identified by the mobile telephone number.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the original source indicator comprises one of a screen name, a mobile telephone number, or a text message address.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the original source indicator is associated with a sender having multiple identities within a communication service, the method further comprising creating an association between a primary identity associated with the sender and a second identity associated with the sender and wherein:

receiving the original message having the original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message comprises receiving an original message having an original source indicator that identifies the primary identity and an intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message when the sender is signed on to the communication service as the second identity.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an original message having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified by a sender of the original message comprises receiving, from a sending mobile telephone device associated with a sending mobile telephone number, an original message to a destination mobile device identified by a first destination telephone number with the original message having a source indicator that identifies the sending mobile telephone number of the sending mobile device and a destination indicator that identifies the first destination telephone number of the destination mobile device,

the method further comprising forwarding the original message to a second destination telephone number associated with the destination mobile device, wherein:

the reply source indicator of the communication based on the reply message comprises the first destination telephone number, and

the reply destination indicator of the received reply message comprises the mobile telephone number of the sending mobile device.

12. A computer program product that, when executed, generates a graphical user interface on a display device for using a computer service to communicate, the graphical user interface comprising:

a list of potential message recipients selected by a user as significant to the user wherein;

a mobile device identifier is associated with at least one of the listed potential message recipients, and

a user account identifier is associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients; and

an instant message display for a reply message received in reply to an original message sent to one of the listed potential message recipients, wherein;

the instant message display includes a sender address of the reply message, and

the sender address of the reply message is hidden if the sender address is different from a destination address specified in the original message to which the reply message is sent.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein:

the computer service includes an instant messaging computer service, and

the list reflects presence information for each of the listed potential message recipients identified by the user account identifier.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the sender address of the reply message is replaced with the destination address specified in the original message.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the sender address of the reply message is replaced with the destination address specified in the original message only if the sender address is different from the destination address specified in the original message.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the sender address of the reply message is replaced only in response to an indication that the sender address of the reply message is to be replaced, the indication being provided by a sender of the reply message.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein:

the reply message is sent from a mobile telephone,

the sender address of the reply message is a mobile telephone number of the mobile telephone, and the

sender address of the reply message is replaced by a user account identifier corresponding to the destination address specified in the original message.

18. A system for communicating using electronic devices, the system comprising:

means for receiving an original message having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified by a sender of the original message;

means for receiving a reply message to the original message with the reply message having a reply destination indicator and a reply source indicator that is different from the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message; and

means for sending a communication based on the reply message with the communication having a reply source indicator that is the same as the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message.