System and method for processing electronic mail status rendezvous

• US 5,893,099 A
• Filed: 11/10/1997
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Schreiber, Robert W., Arnold, Gordon K., Miles, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/966,522
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 395/200.31, 395/200.34, 395/200.48, 395/200.54
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method for processing electronic mail status rendezvous. A system for processing electronic mail status rendezvous includes an object for receiving a status message having incomplete reported recipient information; an object for initiating a candidate list of a plurality of candidates, the candidates being selected according to an identification in the status message; an object for preparing a search list of object identifiers; an object for eliminating non-matching candidates; and an object for selecting a matching candidate. A method for processing electronic mail status rendezvous includes the steps of receiving a status message having incomplete reported recipient information; preparing a candidate list of a plurality of candidates; the candidates selected according to an identification in the status message, preparing a search list of object identifiers; eliminating non-matching candidates; and selecting a matching candidate.

Claims

1. A method for processing electronic mail status rendezvous comprising:

receiving a status message having incomplete reported recipient information;

preparing a candidate list of a plurality of intended recipients, said candidates selected according to an identification in said status message;

preparing a search list of object identifiers;

eliminating non-matching candidates; and

selecting a matching candidate.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said search list comprises an elimination rate and a weight for each of said object identifiers;

and

wherein said candidate list comprises a score for each of said candidates.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of preparing a candidate list comprises:

creating an empty candidate list; and

filling said empty candidate list with identifying information for each of said intended recipients.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of preparing a search list of object identifiers comprises:

creating a list of said object identifiers;

calculating said elimination rate for each of said object identifier;

sorting said object identifiers in descending elimination rate order; and

establishing said weight for each of said object identifiers.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of performing elimination comprises:

selecting one of said object identifiers based on the elimination rate;

determining a matching attribute for said selected object identifier;

raising said score by said weight for said candidates having a value matching said matching attribute for said selected object identifier;

eliminating said candidates not matching said matching attribute for said selected object identifier; and

bypassing said candidates not having a value for said matching attribute.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of performing elimination is repeated until no further eliminations are possible.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of selecting a matching candidate comprises counting the number of candidates having a highest non-zero score.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising

selecting a candidate having a highest non-zero score when only one candidate has a highest non-zero score.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising

selecting all candidates having a highest non-zero score when more than one candidate has a highest non-zero score.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

determining if all selected candidates are the same candidate.

11. A system for processing electronic mail status rendezvous comprising:

means for receiving a status message having incomplete reported recipient information;

means for initiating a candidate list of a plurality of candidates, said candidates selected according to an identification in said status message;

means for preparing a search list of object identifiers;

means for eliminating non-matching candidates; and

means for selecting a matching candidate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said search list comprises

an elimination rate and a weight for each of said object identifiers;

wherein said candidate list comprises a score for each of said candidates.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for preparing a search list comprises:

means for creating a list of said object identifiers;

means for calculating said elimination rate for each of said object identifiers;

means for sorting said object identifiers in descending elimination rate order; and

means for establishing said weight for each of said object identifiers.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for performing elimination comprises:

means for selecting one of said object identifiers based on the elimination rate;

means for determining a matching attribute for said selected object identifier;

means for raising said score by said weight for said candidates having a value matching said matching attribute for said selected object identifier;

means for eliminating said candidates not matching said matching attribute for said selected search attribute; and

means for bypassing said candidates not having a value for said matching attribute.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for selecting a matching candidate comprises:

means for counting the number of candidates having a highest non-zero score; and

means for selecting a candidate having a highest non-zero score when only one candidate has a highest non-zero score.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising

means for selecting all candidates having a highest non-zero score when more than one candidate has a highest non-zero score.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising

means for determining if a plurality of candidates have a highest non-zero score.

18. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for processing electronic mail status rendezvous, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code for receiving a status message having incomplete reported recipient information;

computer readable program code for initiating a candidate list of a plurality of candidates, the candidates selected according to an identification in the status message;

computer readable program code for preparing a search list of object identifiers;

computer readable program code for eliminating non-matching candidates; and

computer readable program code for selecting a matching candidate.

19. The computer usable medium of claim 18 further comprising computer readable program code for selecting all candidates having a highest non-zero score when more than one candidate has a highest non-zero score.

20. The computer usable medium of claim 18 further comprising computer readable program code for determining if a plurality of candidates have a highest non-zero score.