MESSAGE DISTRIBUTION AND VIEWING RULES IN A NETWORK

• US 20140025752A1
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Li, Jenny S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,775 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: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system, method and computer-readable medium for displaying a message over a network are disclosed. A distribution indicator is associated with a defined distribution rule for displaying messages over the network. A message includes the distribution indicator in the message. The message is displayed over the network according to the distribution rule indicated by the distribution indicator included in the message.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a message over a network, comprising:

associating a distribution indicator with a defined distribution rule for sending messages over the network;

composing the message to include the distribution indicator in the message; and

displaying the message over the network according to the distribution rule indicated by the distribution indicator included in the message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising partitioning the message into two or more message segments using the distribution indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distribution indicator is associated with at least one of the two or more message segments, further comprising displaying the at least one message segment over the network using the distribution rule indicated by the associated distribution indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising removing the distribution indicator from the at least one message segment when displaying the at least one message segment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the network includes one or more groups, further comprising notifying the user which groups will receive which message segments based on the distribution indicators included in the message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution rule is at least one of:

display the message to a selected group of recipients in the network;

display the message to all but a selected group of recipients in the network;

display the message to a selected individual in the network; and

display the message to all but a selected individual in the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a user connection device coupled to the network to perform at least one of:

defining the distribution rule;

composing the message;

including the distribution indicator in the message by typing the distribution indicator into the message; and

sending the message to a distribution engine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein including the distribution indicator in the message further comprises at least one of:

highlighting a segment of the message and selecting a distribution rule for the highlighted segment; and

typing the distribution indicator to precede a selected message segment.

9. A system comprising:

a network including a user;

a user connection device operatively coupled to the network configured to define a distribution rule for the user and associate a distribution indicator with the defined distribution rule; and

a distribution engine operatively coupled to the network configured to receive a message from the user connection device that includes the distribution indicator therein and display the received message over the network according to the distribution rule indicated by the distribution indicator included in the message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the distribution engine is further configured to use the distribution indicator to partition the received message into two or more message segments.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the distribution engine associates the distribution indicator with at least one of the two or more message segments and displays the at least one message segment over the network using the distribution rule indicated by the associated distribution indicator.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the user connection device is further configured to provide a display that notifies the user which groups in the network will receive which message segments based on the distribution indicator included in the message.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the distribution rule is at least one of:

display the message to a selected group of recipients in the network;

display the message to all but a selected group of recipients in the network;

display the message to a selected individual in the network; and

display the message to all but a selected individual in the network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the user connection device is further configured to perform at least one of:

defining the distribution rule;

composing the message; and

including the distribution indicator by typing the distribution indicator into the message.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the user connection device is further configured to include the distribution indicator in the message by performing at least one of:

highlighting a segment of the message and selecting a distribution rule for the highlighted segment; and

typing the distribution indicator to precede a selected message segment.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement a method of displaying a message over a network, wherein the computer readable program code comprises;

computer readable program code configured to;

define a distribution rule over the network;

associate a distribution indicator with the distribution rule; and

display a message having the distribution indicator therein over the network according to the distribution rule indicated by the distribution indicator included in the message.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to partition the message into two or more message segments using the distribution indicator.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

associate the distribution indicator with at least one of the two or more message segments; and

display the at least one message segment over the network using the distribution rule indicated by the associated distribution indicator.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to display the message over the network using the distribution rule that is selected from the group consisting of:

display the message to a selected group of recipients in the network;

display the message to all but a selected group of recipients in the network;

display the message to a selected individual in the network; and

display the message to all but a selected individual in the network.