RECIPIENT VERIFICATION

• US 20180091455A1
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Andrew Nicholas Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,560,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Recipient verification converses computation resources, reduces network bandwidth and reduces the amount of user input required for generating email messages that include personal salutations that are matched to the recipient'"'"'s proper title, style, or honorific. The email addresses are associated with a number of recipients, gender-specific markers in names within a salutation, internal and external data sources using the email addresses (e.g., an enterprise contact server, a social network), and historical salutations to determine whether the salutation in an email message is correct for a given recipient or group of recipients. In response to detecting that the sender has not used an appropriate salutation, recipient verification is operable to suggest an appropriate salutation to a user for approval, or to automatically substitute an appropriate salutation for an inappropriate salutation in various aspects.

Claims

1. A method for providing recipient verification, comprising:

receiving a draft of an email message addressed to a recipient, wherein the email message includes an email address and a salutation;

receiving a request to perform recipient verification;

identifying the email address in the email message;

identifying the salutation in the email message;

determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address;

when the salutation is verified, transmitting the email message;

when the salutation is not verified, providing a notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification further comprises:

displaying one or more verified salutations associated with the email address;

receiving a selection of one of the one or more verified salutations;

updating the email message to include the selected verified salutation; and

sending the updated email message with the selected verified salutation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to perform recipient verification further comprises receiving an indication to send the email message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to perform recipient verification further comprises receiving selection of a control function to initiate the functionality.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address further comprises accessing a data source that includes additional contact information relating to one or more of the email address and the salutation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address further comprises accessing a global library that identifies a plurality of salutations, names, and nicknames to determine whether the identified salutation is verified for the email address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address further comprises accessing a user-defined library that identifies a plurality of user-defined salutations associated with one or more email addresses.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user-defined library stores the plurality of user-defined salutations associated with the one or more email addresses that were identified in email messages previously sent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address further comprises parsing previously received email messages for salutations associated with the email address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address further comprises interrogating third-party data sources to identify salutations associated with the email addresses.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third-party data sources include social media networks.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address further comprises:

accessing a data source that includes additional contact information relating to the email address or the salutation; and

determining a masculinity attribute or a femininity attribute relating to the email address or the salutation.

13. A system for providing recipient verification, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a memory including computer readable instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, causes the system to be operable to;

receive a search query;

receive a draft of an email message addressed to a recipient, wherein the email message includes an email address and a salutation;

receive a request to perform recipient verification;

identify the email address in the email message;

identify the salutation in the email message;

determine whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address, including interrogating a data source that includes additional contact information relating to the email address or the salutation;

when the salutation is verified, transmit the email message;

when the salutation is not verified, display a notification that the salutation is not a verified salutation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein to display the notification includes to:

display one or more verified salutations associated with the email address;

receive a selection of one of the one or more verified salutations;

update the email message to include the selected verified salutation; and

send the updated email message with the selected verified salutation.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address further comprises to:

access a data source that includes additional contact information relating to the email address or the salutation; and

determine a masculinity attribute or a femininity attribute relating to the email address or the salutation.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the data source includes third-party data sources such as a social media network.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the data source includes a global library that identifies a plurality of salutations, names, and nicknames to determine whether the identified salutation is verified for the email address.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the data source includes a user-defined library that identifies a plurality of user-defined salutations associated with one or more email addresses.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user-defined salutations include salutations identified in email messages previously sent.

20. A computer readable storage device including computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processing unit, performs steps for recipient verification, comprising:

receiving a draft of an email message addressed to a recipient, wherein the email message includes an email address and a salutation;

receiving a request to perform recipient verification;

identifying the email address in the email message;

identifying the salutation in the email message;

determining whether the salutation is a verified salutation associated with the email address, including interrogating a data source that includes additional contact information relating to the email address or the salutation;

when the salutation is verified;

transmitting the email message;

when the salutation is not verified;

displaying a notification that the salutation is not a verified salutation;

displaying one or more verified salutations associated with the email address;

receiving a selection of one of the one or more verified salutations;

updating the email message to include the selected verified salutation; and

sending the updated email message with the selected verified salutation.