System and method for prioritizing communications messages

• US 6,351,764 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: Joe Conner, Michael Voticky
• Inventors: Conner, Joe, Voticky, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/224,148
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 709/103, 709/203, 709/207, 709/206, 709/314, 709/315, 706/45, 706/47, 707/10, 707/6, 707/526
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method of sorting a received information message in which a source of delivery of the message is indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the message, for example, in an e-mail or voice message system. The method includes steps of receiving the message, looking-up the identifier in a database, assigning a code for the message per the result of the step of looking-up, and prioritizing or forwarding the message according to the code.

Claims

1. A method of prioritizing a received information message, a source of delivery of the received information message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the received information message, comprising:

receiving the received information message;

looking-up the unique identifier in a database;

assigning a code for the received information message based on a result from a step of looking-up wherein the code is maintained in the database and corresponds to the unique identifier in the database;

prioritizing the received information message according to the code; and

depositing the received information message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each virtual mailbox in the plurality of virtual mailboxes performs a plurality of conventional mailbox functions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information message is an e-mail message and the unique identifier is an e-mail address corresponding to the e-mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information message is a voice-mail message and the identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voice-mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information message is a fax and the identifier is a fax number corresponding to the fax.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one step of the method is performed by a client selected from a group comprising at least one of the following:

a computer, a message storage device, and a combination of a computer and a message storage device.

7. A system for sorting a received information message, a source of delivery of the message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the received information message, the system including a database maintaining a plurality of known identifiers and a plurality of desired codes corresponding to the known identifiers, the system also including a designated code different from the desired codes, comprising:

means for receiving the received information message;

means for looking-up the unique identifier in the database and determining whether the unique identifier corresponds to any of the known identifiers in the database;

a data code, the data code being;

(i) a single desired code from the plurality of desired codes (a) that corresponds to a single known identifier from the plurality of known identifiers in the database and (b) that corresponds to the unique identifier if the unique identifier corresponds to one of the known identifiers;

or (ii) the designated code;

means for assigning the data code to the received information message; and

means for prioritizing the received information message according to the data code into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the data code.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each virtual mailbox in the plurality of virtual mailboxes performs a plurality of conventional mailbox functions.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the received information message is an e-mail message and the unique identifier is an e-mail address corresponding to the e-mail message.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the received information message is a voice-mail message and the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voice-mail message.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the received information message is a fax and the unique identifier is a fax number corresponding to the fax.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is a client selected from a group comprising at least one of the following:

a computer, a message storage device, and a combination of a computer and a message storage device.

13. A computer-readable medium of instructions and data, comprising:

a unique identifier corresponding to a received information message;

means for receiving the received information message and the unique identifier;

a database containing a plurality of known identifiers and a plurality of desired codes respectively corresponding to the known identifiers;

a designated code;

means for looking-up the unique identifier in the database and determining whether the unique identifier corresponds to any one of the known identifiers in the database;

a data code, the data code being;

(i) a single desired code from the plurality of desired codes that corresponds to a single known identifier from the plurality of known identifiers in the database that corresponds to the unique identifier if the unique identifier corresponds to one of the known identifiers;

or (ii) the designated code;

means for assigning the data code to the received information message; and

means for depositing the received information message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the data code.

14. A system for sorting a received information message, comprising an alphanumeric identifier accompanying the received information message (a) wherein the alphanumeric identifier is used to prioritize the received information message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes and (b) wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the alphanumeric identifier.

15. The system for sorting a received information messages of claim 14 wherein the received information message is an e-mail message and the alphanumeric identifier is an e-mail address corresponding to the e-mail message.

16. The system for sorting a received information messages of claim 14 wherein the received information message is an e-mail message and the alphanumeric identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the e-mail message.

17. The system for sorting a received information messages of claim 14 wherein the received information message is a voice-mail message and the alphanumeric identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voice-mail message.

18. The system for sorting a received information messages of claim 14 wherein the received information message is a voice-mail message and the alphanumeric identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voice-mail message.

19. The system for sorting a received information messages of claim 14 wherein the received information message is a fax and the alphanumeric identifier is a fax number corresponding to the fax.

20. The system for sorting a received information messages of claim 14 wherein the received information message is a fax and the alphanumeric identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the fax.

21. A method of prioritizing a voice-mail message, a source of delivery of the voice-mail message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the voice-mail message, the method comprising:

receiving the voice-mail message;

looking-up the unique identifier in a database;

assigning a code for the voice-mail message based on a result from a step of looking-up wherein the code is maintained in the database and corresponds to the unique identifier in the database;

prioritizing the voice-mail message according to the code; and

depositing the voice-mail message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the voice-mail message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the code.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each virtual mailbox in the plurality of virtual mailboxes performs a plurality of conventional voice-mail mailbox functions.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one step of the method is performed by a client selected from a group comprising at least one of the following:

a computer, a voice-mail message storage device, and a combination of a computer and a voice-mail message storage device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voice-mail message.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voice-mail message.

26. A system for sorting a voice-mail message, a source of delivery of the message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the voice-mail message, the system including a database maintaining a plurality of known identifiers and a plurality of desired codes corresponding to the known identifiers, the system also including a designated code different from the desired codes, comprising:

means for receiving the voice-mail message;

means for looking-up the unique identifier in the database and determines whether the unique identifier corresponds to any of the known identifiers in the database;

a data code, the data code being;

(i) a single desired code from the plurality of desired codes (a) that corresponds to a single known identifier from the plurality of known identifier corresponds to one of the known identifiers;

or (ii) the designated code;

means for assigning the data code to the voicemail message; and

means for prioritizing the voicemail message according to the data code into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the voicemail message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the data code.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein each virtual mailbox in the plurality of virtual mailboxes performs a plurality of conventional voicemail mailbox functions.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the system is a client selected from a group comprising at least one of the following:

a computer, a voicemail message storage device, and a combination of a computer and a voicemail message storage device.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the unique identifier is a priority aplhanumeric code corresponding to the voicemail message.

31. A computer-readable medium of instructions and data, comprising:

a voicemail message;

a unique identifier corresponding to the voicemail message wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message;

means for receiving the voicemail message and the unique identifier;

a database containing a plurality of know identifiers and a plurality of desired code respectively corresponding to the known identifiers;

a designated code;

means for looking-up the unique identifier in the database and determining whether the unique identifier corresponds to any one of the known identifiers in the database;

a data code, the data code being;

(i) a single desired code from the plurality of desired codes that corresponds to a single known identifier from the plurality of known identifiers in the database that corresponds to the unique identifier if the unique identifier corresponds to one of the known identifiers;

or (ii) the designated code;

means for assigning the data code to the voicemail message; and

means for depositing the voicemail message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the voicemail message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(ex) based on the data code.

32. The computer-readable medium of instructions of claim 31, wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message.

33. The computer-readable medium of instructions of claim 31, wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voicemail message.