Prioritizing electronic messages based on the sender's address

• US 6,871,217 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• 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:
  US09/683,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207
• 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;

assigning a code for the received information message based on the unique identifier accompanying the received information message;

depositing the message into at least two of a plurality of virtual mailboxes; and

prioritizing the received information message in each of the plurality of virtual mailboxes according to the code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received message is a voicemail message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voicemail message.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information message is prioritized in each of the plurality of virtual mailboxes according to a criteria of a plurality of criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising looking-up the unique identifier in a database in order to determine if the unique identifier corresponds to a specific code in the database that is to be assigned to the received information message.

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the received message is a fax message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one step of the method is performed by a recipient'"'"'s client system selected from a group comprising at least one of the following:

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

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

referencing the unique identifier against a database to determine whether the unique identifier corresponds to a know identifier in said database;

assigning a data code to the received information message, the data code comprising at least one of the following;

a desired code or a designated code.

12. 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 comprising:

means for receiving the received information message;

means for assigning a data code to the unique identifier, said assignment based at least in part on whether the unique identifier corresponds to a known identifier; and

means for prioritizing the received information message according to the data code into at least two of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is prioritized within such virtual mailboxes based on the data code.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the received information message is a voicemail message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voice mail message.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voice mail message.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the received information message is an e-mail message.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the received information message is a fax message.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is a recipient'"'"'s client system 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.

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

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

means for referencing the unique identifier against a database in order to determine whether the unique identifier corresponds to a known identifier in the database;

means for assigning a data code to the received information message based at least in part on the unique identifier; and

means for depositing the received information message into a least two of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is prioritized within such virtual mailboxes based on the data code.