Apparatus and method for intelligent routing of electronic messages to pagers and computers

• US 6,618,710 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1999
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Foley, Stephen J., Day, Mark S., Zondervan, Quinton Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US09/348,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 709/206, 709/227, 709/224, 709/232, 340/506, 340/7.29, 704/200, 704/235, 379/142.15, 379/93.24, 713/201, 706/11
• US Class Current: 706/11
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Apparatus and method are provided for intelligently routing electronic messages to computers and pagers. Program code executable by a programmable controller is operative to monitor user activity at a computer workstation, for example. If the user appears to be at the workstation based on the detected activity of a computer workstation input device, the electronic message is forwarded to the computer workstation. If, however, no user activity is detected, the electronic message is forwarded to the user'"'"'s pager.

Claims

1. A computer system program implemented and enabled in a recordable media for routing an electronic message intended for a user of a computer, the system comprising:

a mail server program for routing electronic messages to computers; and

a notification server program connected to the mail server program for obtaining a computer activity status of the user as active or inactive and for communicating the status to the mail server, wherein the mail server program routes the electronic message to the computer if the status is active indicating at least that the computer is in communication with a network and to a pager of the user if the status is inactive.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising the computer detecting the status, and comprising the notification server obtaining the status by the computer transmitting the status to the notification server.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising detecting whether the user is logged onto a network, and wherein the active status indicates that the user is logged onto the network, and the inactive status indicates that the user is not logged onto the network.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising the notification server communicating the status to the mail server upon change of the status.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising the notification server communicating the status to the mail server without receiving a request from the mail server for the notification server to communicate the status to the mail server.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising the notification server communicating the status to the mail server at predetermined time intervals.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising detecting the status by network traffic monitoring.

8. The system of claim 2, comprising the computer detecting the status utilizing an activity detection program.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising detecting the status by monitoring an input device of the computer for activity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein monitoring an input device comprises detecting whether a key on a keyboard has been activated within a predetermined time interval.

11. The system of claim 10, comprising changing the status from active to inactive if no key has been activated within the predetermined time interval.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein monitoring an input device comprises detecting whether a mouse has been moved within a predetermined time interval.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising changing the status from active to inactive if the mouse has not been moved within the predetermined time interval.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer transmitting the status to the notification server comprises the computer transmitting any changes of the status to the notification server.

15. A method, implemented using one or more computers, for routing an electronic message intended for a user of a computer, the method comprising:

a mail server program routing electronic messages to computers; and

a notification server program, connected to the mail server program, obtaining a computer activity status of the user as active or inactive and for communicating the status to the mail server, wherein the mail server program routes the electronic message to the computer if the status is active indicating at least that the computer is in communication with a network and to a pager of the user if the status is inactive.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising the computer detecting the status, and comprising the notification server obtaining the status by the computer transmitting the status to the notification server.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising detecting whether the user is logged onto a network, and wherein the active status indicates that the user is logged onto the network, and the inactive status indicates that the user is not logged onto the network.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising the notification server communicating the status to the mail server upon change of the status.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising the notification server communicating the status to the mail server without receiving a request from the mail server for the notification server to communicate the status to the mail server.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising the notification server communicating the status to the mail server at predetermined time intervals.

21. The method of claim 15, comprising detecting the status by network traffic monitoring.

22. The method of claim 16, comprising the computer detecting the status utilizing an activity detection program.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising detecting the status by monitoring an input device of the computer for activity.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein monitoring an input device comprises detecting whether a key on a keyboard has been activated within a predetermined time interval.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising changing the status from active to inactive if no key has been activated within the predetermined time interval.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein monitoring an input device comprises detecting whether a mouse has been moved within a predetermined time interval.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising changing the status from active to inactive if the mouse has not been moved within the predetermined time interval.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the computer transmitting the status to the notification server comprises the computer transmitting any changes of the status to the notification server.

29. Computer usable media storing program code which, when executed on one or more computerized devices, causes the computerized devices to execute a method for routing an electronic message intended for a user of a computer, the method comprising:

a mail server program routing electronic messages to computers; and

a notification server program, connected to the mail server program, obtaining a computer activity status of the user as active or inactive and for communicating the status to the mail server, wherein the mail server program routes the electronic message to the computer if the status is active indicating at least that the computer is in communication with the network and to a pager of the user if the status is inactive.

30. The computer usable media of claim 29, wherein the method comprises the computer detecting the status, and the notification server obtaining the status by the computer transmitting the status to the notification server.

31. The computer usable media of claim 29, wherein the method comprises detecting whether the user is logged onto a network, and wherein the active status indicates that the user is logged onto the network, and the inactive status indicates that the user is not logged onto the network.

32. The computer usable media of claim 29, wherein the method comprises the notification server communicating the status to the mail server upon change of the status.

33. The computer usable media of claim 29, wherein the method comprises the notification server communicating the status to the mail server without receiving a request from the mail server for the notification server to communicate the status to the mail server.

34. The computer usable media of claim 29, wherein the method comprises the notification server communicating the status to the mail server at predetermined time intervals.

35. The computer usable media of claim 29, wherein the method comprises detecting the status by network traffic monitoring.

36. The computer usable media of claim 30, wherein the method comprises the computer detecting the status utilizing an activity detection program.

37. The computer usable media of claim 34, wherein the method comprises detecting the status by monitoring an input device of the computer for activity.

38. The computer usable media of claim 37, wherein monitoring an input device comprises detecting whether a key on a keyboard has been activated within a predetermined time interval.

39. The computer usable media of claim 38, wherein the method comprises changing the status from active to inactive if no key has been activated within the predetermined time interval.

40. The computer usable media of claim 37, wherein monitoring an input device comprises detecting whether a mouse has been moved on within a predetermined time interval.

41. The computer usable media of claim 40, wherein the method comprises changing the status from active to inactive if the mouse has not been moved within the predetermined time interval.

42. The computer usable media of claim 30, wherein the computer transmitting the status to the notification server comprises the computer transmitting any changes of the status to the notification server.