Recipient prioritized communication channel profiles

• US 5,689,642 A
• Filed: 11/22/1995
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Loramax LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Harkins, Larry E., Hayward, Ken, Herceg, Thomas J., Levine, Jonathan D., Parsons, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, KYLE JAEHUN
• Application Number:
  US08/562,325
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 364/514 A, 364/514 C, 364/514 R, 395/200.04, 395/200.08, 395/200.15
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for a sender to automatically distribute information to a receiver on a network using devices (such as printers and facsimile machines) and communication channels (such as electronic mail) defined in a receiver profile. The receiver profile establishes the properties and mode for receipt of information for receivers on the network and the profile is published in a network repository for all network users or is accessible by selected groups or individuals on the network. Receivers have additional control over network senders by defining an information filter which further controls sender channel access (to a receiver) by defining some channels as having priority of access such as direct or delayed access, as well as selectively permitting senders to override the receiver profile. Consequently, receiver profiles provide a variable receiver definable link to senders using multiple forms of media as well as multiple hardware platforms and network configurations.

Claims

1. In a network having a plurality of devices interconnected over a network channel having a plurality of connecting paths, the method of transmitting predetermined data from a given source to a designated recipient on the network comprising the steps of:

identifying the recipient to receive the data,

accessing the recipients profile for receiving said data, said profile designating recipients'"'"' priority of receiving data including designating a least one device on the network,

responsive to recipients profile for receiving said data, determining a set of connecting paths to transmit the predetermined data from the given source to the recipient, and

conveying the predetermined data from the given source to the device on the network designated by the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipients profile for receiving data includes a priority of devices on the network including electronic workstations and electronic printers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network includes printers, file and electronic mail servers, electronic workstations, and modems.

4. The method of claim 1 including the option of overriding the recipients profile for receiving said data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipients profile for receiving said data is unalterable.

6. In a network repository with a plurality of services and a plurality of network users registered therein, a method for distributing data from a first network user to a set of network users, comprising the steps of:

developing a communication channel profile for each network user registered in the network repository, said developing step specifying at least one preferred mode of data receipt in the communication channel profile;

selecting a set of communication channel profiles that identify a set of network users from the network repository;

defining a distribution list with the set of communication channel profiles that identify a set of network users from the network repository;

defining a distribution list with the set of communication channel profiles;

selecting a set of data for transmission to the distribution list; and

transmitting the set of data to the distribution list in accordance with the communication channel profile developed for each network user in the set of network users so that the set of data is transmitted in a preferred mode of data receipt.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of providing each network user with read-only access to each communication channel profile registered in the network repository.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of identifying a network service that corresponds to the preferred mode of data receipt specified in the communication channel profile of each network user.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of storing the network repository on a network server.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of registering each printer connected to the network in the network repository.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of providing an illustrative identification for each user having a communication channel profile registered in the network repository.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of scanning an image representing a network user.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of selecting from the network repository a set of distribution lists.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of registering in the network repository the set of distribution lists and a single distribution list.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein said developing step specifies a facsimile machine.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein said developing step specifies a color printing machine.

17. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of registering the distribution list in the network repository for access from the network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said registering step includes providing an illustrative identification for the distribution list.

19. In a network having M devices and N users, a method for single network user to communicate with a set of network users, comprising the steps of:

recording each of the M devices and each of the N users in a network repository;

specifying a communication channel profile for each of the N users in the network repository to identify a device for data receipt;

identifying the set of network users from the N users recorded in the network repository to define a distribution list including one or more of the devices for data receipt; and

transmitting data to one or more of the M devices in accordance with the communication channel profile of the set of network users in the distribution list to deliver the data to each network user in a preferred form of data receipt.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of specifying one of the M devices for each communication channel profile recorded in the network repository.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of recording the distribution list in the repository.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of selecting data for transmission to each user in the distribution list.