Method and apparatus for filtering messages in a data processing system

• US 6,571,275 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SINOEAST CONCEPT LIMITED (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tannenbaum, Alan Richard, Dong, Jianming, Mullaly, John Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): BANANKHAH, MAJID A
• Application Number:
  US09/300,318
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/208, 709/209, 709/202, 709/203, 709/204, 709/100, 709/200, 709/201
• US Class Current: 709/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a computer for processing messages. A message is received. The message is stored. The message is parsed according to a policy. The message is selectively displayed in a graphical user interface based on the policy, wherein messages failing to meet the policy are undisplayed in the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method in a client data processing system for processing messages, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving a message;

storing the message in a storage device;

parsing the message according to a policy;

selectively displaying the message in a graphical user interface based on the policy, wherein messages failing to meet the policy are undisplayed in the graphical user interface and remain stored in the storage device; and

responsive to a change in the policy in which a prior undisplayed message in the storage device now meets the policy, displaying the prior undisplayed message in the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a phone message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy selects messages based on a selected sender.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy selects messages containing a keyword in the message.

6. A method in a client data processing system for processing messages, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving a message;

storing the message in a storage device, wherein the storage device stores received messages;

filtering the message using filter parameters, wherein messages meeting the filter parameters are passed by the filter;

responsive to the message being passed by the filter, presenting the message to a user, wherein only messages passed by the filter are presented to the user and wherein the unpresented messages remain stored in the storage device; and

responsive to a change in the filter parameters in which a prior unpresented message in the storage device now matches the filter parameters, presenting the prior unpresented message to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the filter parameters pass messages from a selected sender.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the filter parameters pass messages containing a selected keyword.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the message is presented in at least one of a visual presentation and a audio presentation.

10. A message processing mechanism for use in a client data processing system for processing messages received by the client data processing system, the message processing mechanism comprising a plurality of modes of operation:

a first mode of operation in which the message processing mechanism waits for a message;

a second mode of operation, responsive to receiving a message in the first mode of operation, in which the message processing mechanism parses the message;

a third mode of operation, responsive to parsing the message in the second mode of operation, in which the message processing mechanism determines whether selected content is present in the message;

a fourth mode of operation, responsive to selected content being present in the message, in which the message processing mechanism initiates a display of the message in a graphical user interface;

a fifth mode of operation, responsive to new selected content, in which the message processing mechanism parses all stored messages;

a sixth mode of operation, responsive to parsing all the messages, in which the message processing mechanism determines whether the new selected content is present in the stored messages; and

a seventh mode of operation, responsive to a stored message containing the new selected content, in which the message processing mechanism initiates a display of the stored message in the graphical user interface.

11. The message processing mechanism of claim 10 further comprising:

an eighth mode of operation, responsive to a determination that the new selected content is absent from a stored message, in which the message processing mechanism prevents the stored message from being displayed by the graphical user interface.

12. The message processing mechanism of claim 11, wherein in the eighth mode of operation the stored message was displayed in the graphical user interface prior to parsing the stored messages using the new selected content and wherein the message processing mechanism removes the stored message from the display in the graphical user interface.

13. A client data processing system for processing messages, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a message;

storing means for storing the message in a storage device;

parsing means for parsing the message according to a policy;

first displaying means for selectively displaying the message in a graphical user interface based on the policy, wherein messages failing to meet the policy are undisplayed in the graphical user interface and remain stored in the storage device; and

second displaying means, responsive to a change in the policy in which a prior undisplayed message in the storage device now meets the policy, for displaying the prior undisplayed message in the graphical user interface.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the message is an e-mail message.

15. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the message is a phone message.

16. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the policy selects messages based on a selected sender.

17. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the policy selects messages containing a keyword in the message.

18. A client data processing system for processing messages, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a message;

storing means for storing the message in a storage device, wherein the storage device stores received messages;

filtering means for filtering messages using filter parameters, wherein messages meeting the filter parameters are passed by the filter;

first displaying means, responsive to the message being passed by the filter, for presenting the message to a user, wherein only messages passed by the filter are presented to the user and wherein the unpresented messages remain stored in the storage device; and

second displaying means, responsive to a change in the filter parameters in which a prior unpresented message in the storage device now matches the filter parameters, for presenting the prior unpresented message to the user.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the filter parameters pass messages from a selected sender.

20. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the filter parameters pass messages containing a selected keyword.

21. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing messages in a client, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a message;

second instructions for storing the message in a storage device;

third instructions for parsing the message according to a policy;

fourth instructions for selectively displaying the message in a graphical user interface based on the policy, wherein messages failing to meet the policy are undisplayed in the graphical user interface and remain stored in the storage device; and

fifth instructions, responsive to a change in the policy in which a prior undisplayed message in the storage device now meets the policy, displaying the prior undisplayed message in the graphical user interface.

22. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing messages in a client, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a message;

second instructions for storing the message in a storage device, wherein the storage device stores received messages;

third instructions for filtering messages using filter parameters, wherein messages meeting the filter parameters are passed by the filter;

fourth instructions, responsive to the message being passed by the filter, for presenting the message to a user, wherein only messages passed by the filter are presented to the user and wherein the unpresented messages remain stored in the storage device; and

fifth instructions, responsive to a change in the filter parameters in which a prior unpresented message in the storage device now matches the filter parameters, presenting the prior unpresented message to the user.