Network system and method for providing user-relative addressing

• US 7,047,280 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cuzzo, Clint S., Hall, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUCKART, BENJAMIN R
• Application Number:
  US09/810,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 709/207, 709/245, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping

Abstract

A system and method of providing user-relative addressing in a computer network environment includes associating a plurality of user-relative destinations with a corresponding plurality of actions. User identification information and a first user-relative destination are received. A first action in the plurality of actions associated with the first user-relative destination is identified. A first absolute destination is determined based on the first action and the user identification information.

Claims

1. A method of providing sender-relative addressing in a computer network environment, the method comprising:

associating a plurality of sender-relative destinations with a corresponding plurality of actions, wherein each of the sender-relative destinations is a non-absolute destination having an associated absolute destination that varies based on sender identity, and wherein each action specifies a plurality of search terms;

receiving a first sender-relative destination for a communication via the computer network;

receiving sender identification information via the computer network, the sender identification information identifying a sender of the communication;

identifying a first action in the plurality of actions associated with the first sender-relative destination;

performing a search of a directory server based on the search terms specified by the first action; and

determining a first absolute destination for the communication based on the search terms specified by the first action and the sender identification information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory server stores a plurality of entries of different types, each entry including a plurality of attributes of different types, and wherein the determination of the first absolute destination is made by retrieving from the directory server the first absolute destination based on the search terms specified by the first action and the sender identification information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the directory server is an LDAP server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sender identification information is an email address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sender identification information is a user name.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first absolute destination is an email address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first absolute destination is a plurality of email addresses.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first absolute destination is a fax phone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first absolute destination is a plurality of fax phone numbers.

10. The method of claim 1, and further comprising providing a mapping table that associates the plurality of sender-relative destinations with the corresponding plurality of actions.

11. A network device configured to be coupled to a computer network, the computer network having a directory server separate from the network device that stores a plurality of entries of different types, each entry including a plurality of attributes of different types, the network device comprising:

a receiver for receiving a communication from the computer network, the communication including destination information and sender identification information;

a memory for storing search information identifying searches terms associated with sender-relative destinations, each sender relative destination having a plurality of associated search terms, and wherein each of the sender-relative destinations is a non-absolute destination having an associated absolute destination that varies based on sender identity; and

a controller coupled to the receiver and the memory, the controller configured to;

process the destination information to identify a type of destination specified including identifying whether the destination information specifies a non-absolute sender-relative destination;

perform at least one search of the directory server based on the stored search information and the sender identification information if the destination information specifies a sender-relative destination; and

identify at least one absolute destination based on the search.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the memory stores a mapping table that includes the search information identifying searches terms associated with sender-relative destinations, and wherein the search terms for at least one of the sender-relative destinations include a plurality of search terms that are not email addresses.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein the memory stores an address resolving process, and wherein the controller is configured to identify the at least one absolute destination based on information in the stored mapping table and in the stored address resolving process.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of providing sender-relative addressing in a computer network comprising:

associating a plurality of sender-relative destinations with a corresponding plurality of actions, wherein each of the sender-relative destinations is a non-absolute destination having an associated absolute destination that varies based on sender identity, and wherein each action specifies a plurality of hierarchical search terms, including at least one search term that is not an email address;

receiving a first sender-relative destination for a communication via the computer network;

receiving sender identification information via the computer network, the sender identification information identifying a sender of the communication;

identifying a first action in the plurality of actions associated with the first sender-relative destination;

performing a search of a directory server based on the search terms specified by the first action; and

determining a first absolute destination for the communication based on the search terms specified by the first action and the sender identification information.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the directory server stores a plurality of entries of different types, each entry including a plurality of attributes of different types and wherein the determination of the first absolute destination is made by retrieving from the directory server the first absolute destination based on the search terms specified by the first action and the sender identification information.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein the first absolute destination is a fax phone number.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises providing a mapping table that associates the plurality of sender-relative destinations with the corresponding plurality of actions.

18. A method of providing user-relative addressing in a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from the comnuter network including destination information and sender identification information, the destination information including a first sender-relative destination;

processing the destination information to determine a type of destination specified, including determining whether the destination information specifies a non-absolute sender-relative destination that has an associated absolute destination that varies based on sender identity;

accessing a sender record based on the received sender identification information, the sender record including at least three different tpyes of attributes, including a name attribute for identifying a name of a sender and an email attribute for identifying an email address of the sender;

providing action information identifying a plurality of actions associated with a plurality of sender-relative destinations, wherein each action specifics a plurality of hierarchical search terms;

identifying a first action in the action information based on the received destination information, the first action associated with the first sender-relative destination;

identifying a first attribute in the sender record based on the first action and the received destination information; and

determining a first absolute destination based on the first attribute.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the network includes a directory server, and wherein the sender record is accessed from the directory server, and wherein the determination of the first absolute destination is made by retrieving from the directory server the first absolute destination based on the first attribute.

20. The method of claim 18, and further comprising providing a mapping table that associates the plurality of actions with the plurality of sender-relative destinations.

21. The method of claim 19, and further comprising:

accessing a plurality of employee records from the directory server based on the first action, each of the employee records includinig at least three different types of attributes, including a name attribute for identifying a name of an employee and an email attribute for identifying an email address of the employee;

comparing a first attribute in each employee record with the first attribute in the sender record;

identifying employee records with a first attribute that matches the first attribute of the sender'"'"'s record;

determining a plurality of absolute destinations based on the identified employee records.