Automatic electronic messaging system with feedback and work flow administration
First Claim
1. A method for automated processing of electronic messages in a rule based electronic messaging system, said rule based electronic messaging system including at least a first workstation and a second workstation, said first workstation including a first electronic mail utility and said second workstation including a second electronic mail facility for electronic communication therebetween, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing in a file accessible to said first workstation at least one user name of at least one user of said second workstation;
accessing, via said first workstation, said file containing said at least one user name of said at least one user to retrieve said at least one username therefrom;
starting said second electronic mail facility with said first workstation without intervention of an actual user;
running said second electronic mail facility without intervention of an actual user to process rules for processing electronic messages of said at least one user; and
reporting status of said step of running said second electronic mail facility to process said rules for processing electronic messages of said at least one user.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rule based electronic messaging system with a facility for automatically running a user'"'"'s rules under system control without need for user intervention or attendance, having a feedback mechanism which reports status relating to users automatically processed. System status reporting or feedback can be used for workflow administration or routing. A controller utility accesses a user-list-file with the user name of every "user" whose messages are to be automatically, periodically processed. Upon accessing the user-list-file, a user name is selected and that user'"'"'s copy of the mail messaging facility is started. The controller runs that user'"'"'s rules against that user'"'"'s messages and effects processing of the messages accordingly. Status information is reported and rules can be invoked as a function of the status reporting. A dedicated rule server can be implemented wherein the feedback information is used for work flow administration.
611 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for automated processing of electronic messages in a rule based electronic messaging system, said rule based electronic messaging system including at least a first workstation and a second workstation, said first workstation including a first electronic mail utility and said second workstation including a second electronic mail facility for electronic communication therebetween, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing in a file accessible to said first workstation at least one user name of at least one user of said second workstation; accessing, via said first workstation, said file containing said at least one user name of said at least one user to retrieve said at least one username therefrom; starting said second electronic mail facility with said first workstation without intervention of an actual user; running said second electronic mail facility without intervention of an actual user to process rules for processing electronic messages of said at least one user; and reporting status of said step of running said second electronic mail facility to process said rules for processing electronic messages of said at least one user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for connection to a network for sending messages from said apparatus and for receiving messages from at least one other network connected device, comprising:
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storage having a username for at least said at least one other network connected device; a processor accessing said storage to retrieve said username and processing messages sent to said at least one other network connected device in accordance with at least one of a plurality of rules, said at least one of said plurality of rules comprising an event portion, a condition portion and an action portion, said event portion specifying at least one of a plurality of types of events which upon occurrence initiate evaluation of said condition portion, said condition portion specifying at least one condition which if satisfied initiates execution of an action specified in said action portion, said processor including a mailbox processor cycling through messages sent to said other network connected device and executing said at least one of said plurality of rules and performing said action specified in said action portion of said at least one of said plurality of rules on at least one of said messages; and at least one status processor receiving status information from said processor indicating status of processing of said at least one of said messages. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification