Communication control device including business card database with associated business card agents for controlling communicated electronic mail between user and card provider

• US 6,157,954 A
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Moon, Billy G., Wooldridge, Tammy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Ai T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US08/939,828
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/206, 709/218, 709/245, 709/303, 709/26, 709/217, 709/227, 709/228, 707/10, 345/334, 358/400, 379/219, 379/243, 379/258, 379/372
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A communication control software application is used in a user communication device having a processor and associated memory. The processor controls a display and a user input device. A communications terminal transmits and receives electronic mail. The communication control software application includes a phone application stored in the memory, the phone application including a business card database storing plural business cards. Each business card identifies characteristics of a particular card provider who electronic mail is to be sent to or received from. One or more of the business cards includes an associated business card agent defined by an agent software routine controlling how electronic mail is communicated between the user and the particular provider. A messaging application initiates communications to transmit or receive electronic mail. The phone application and the messaging application determining if a business card agent is associated with a business card of a provider to whom electronic mail is to be sent or is received from by the phone dialer application, and in response thereto implement the agent software routine to control how the electronic mail is communicated.

Claims

1. In a user communication device having a processor and associated memory, the processor controlling a display and a user input device, and a communications terminal for transmitting and receiving electronic mail, a communication control software application comprising:

a phone application stored in the memory of the communication device, the phone application including a business card database storing plural business cards, each business card identifying characteristics of a particular card provider whom electronic mail is to be sent to or received from, one or more of the business cards including an associated business card agent defined by an agent software routine controlling how electronic mail is communicated between the user and the particular provider;

a messaging application for initiating communications to transmit or receive electronic mail; and

control means operatively associated with the phone application and the messaging application for determining if a business card agent is associated with a business card of a provider to whom electronic mail is to be sent or to whom electronic mail is received from by the messaging application, and in response thereto implementing the agent software routine to control how the electronic mail is communicated.

2. The communication control software routine of claim 1 wherein the characteristics of the card provider include one or more fax numbers and/or E-mail addresses and the agent software routine automatically selects one of the fax numbers or E-mail addresses for the control means, the selection being made according to time or date that electronic mail is to be sent to the particular provider.

3. The communication control software routine of claim 2 wherein the control means includes means for permitting the user to override the automatic selection of one of the fax numbers or E-mail addresses.

4. The communication control software routine of claim 1 wherein the agent software routine comprises a private encryption routine and the control means encrypts each message to the particular provider using the private encryption routine prior to transmission via the messaging application.

5. The communication control software routine of claim 1 wherein the agent software routine comprises a private decryption routine and the control means decrypts each message from the particular provider using the private decryption routine after receipt from the messaging application.

6. The communication control software routine of claim 1 wherein the agent software routine selects time of day or date that electronic mail is to be sent to the particular provider.

7. The communication control software routine of claim 1 wherein the characteristics of the card provider include a network address for the particular provider and the agent software routine is adapted to automatically retrieve available information from the network address.

8. The communication control software routine of claim 7 wherein the control means implements the agent software routine to retrieve the select information form the network address when communication is initiated by the messaging application.

9. The communication control software routine of claim 8 wherein the select information is stored in the business card.

10. The communication control software routine of claim 1 wherein the agent software routine further includes a user display control panel accessible by select other software applications in the user communication device and the control means implements the agent software routine using the display control panel to control communication of electronic mail from the other software applications.

11. The communication control software routine of claim 10 wherein the display control panel comprises a display menu to be filled in by the user and then transmitted to the card provider.

12. A method of controlling the receipt or transmission of electronic mail using a user communication device having a processor and associated memory, the processor controlling a display and a user input device, and a communications terminal for transmitting and receiving electronic mail, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a phone application in the memory of the communication device;

associating with the phone application a business card database storing plural business cards, each business card identifying characteristics of a particular card provider whom electronic mail is to be sent to or received from, one or more of the business cards including an associated business card agent defined by an agent software routine controlling how electronic mail is communicated between the user and the particular provider;

initiating communications to transmit or receive electronic mail; and

determining if a business card agent is associated with a business card of a provider to whom electronic mail is to be sent or to whom electronic mail is received from, and in response thereto implementing the agent software routine to control how the electronic mail is communicated.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the characteristics of the card provider include one or more fax numbers and/or E-mail addresses and further comprising the step of automatically selecting one of the fax numbers or E-mail addresses, the selection being made according to time or date that electronic mail is to be sent to the particular provider.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of permitting the user to override the automatic selection of one of the fax numbers or E-mail addresses.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the agent software routine comprises a private encryption routine and further comprising the step of encrypting each message to the particular provider using the private encryption routine prior to transmission of the electronic mail.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the agent software routine comprises a private decryption routine and further comprising the step of decrypting each message from the particular provider using the private decryption routine after receipt of the electronic mail.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the agent software routine specifies time of day or date that electronic mail is to be sent to the particular provider.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the characteristics of the card provider include a network address for the particular provider and the agent software routine is adapted to automatically retrieve available information from the network address.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising the step of implementing the agent software routine to retrieve the select information form the network address when communication is initiated.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the select information is stored in the business card.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the agent software routine further includes a user display control panel accessible by select other software applications in the user communication device and further comprising the step of implementing the agent software routine using the display control panel to control communication of electronic mail from the other software applications.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the display control panel comprises a display menu to be filled in by the user and then transmitted to the card provider.