Correction of address information

• US 7,194,484 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Norihiro Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Sunray
• Application Number:
  US10/715,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/200, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 713/250, 705/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The invention provides a process for updating electronic information in a computer environment. A preferred embodiment of the invention automatically inspects a message that is to be delivered to a first address upon receiving the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address. In response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, a record for the second address in a database is updated. The record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database. The message is stored at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address. When the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address, the address book is updated according to a user preference.

Claims

1. A process for updating electronic information in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

automatically inspecting a message that is to be delivered to a first address upon receiving the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address,

in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the second address in a database, and

storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address,

wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address;

and said updating is according to a user preference.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

transparently removing the second address from the address book.

5. The process of claim 3, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.

6. The process of claim 3, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

marking the second address; and

prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address; and

determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein said updating further comprises the step of:

determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the second address comprises one of:

an address for electronic mails;

an address for a web page; and

a phone number.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses;

and said updating comprises the step of;

adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.

11. An apparatus for updating address information in a computer environment, comprising:

a module for receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;

a module for automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains Information about a status of a second address;

a module for updating a record for the address in a database, in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address; and

a module for storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address,

wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address;

and the record is updated according to a user preference.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for transparently removing the second address from the address book.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for marking the second address; and

a module for prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address; and

a module for determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second address comprises one of:

an address for electronic mails;

an address for a web page; and

a phone number.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses;

and said module for updating comprises;

a module for adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.

21. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for updating address information in a computer environment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;

automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address;

in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the address in a database; and

storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address,

wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address;

and, said updating is according to a user preference.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein said updating further comprises the step of:

transparently removing the second address from the address book.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.

26. The medium of claim 23, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

marking the second address; and

prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.

27. The medium of claim 21, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address; and

determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein said updating further comprises the step of:

determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.

29. The medium of claim 21, wherein the second address comprises one of:

an address for electronic mails;

an address for a web page; and

a phone number.

30. The medium of claim 21, wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses;

and said updating comprises the step of;

adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.

31. A process for updating electronic information in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

automatically inspecting a message that is to be delivered to a first address upon receiving the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address;

in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the second address in a database, where said updating includes

counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address;

determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold; and

determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.

32. The process of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.

34. The process of claim 33, wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address;

and said updating is according to a user preference.

35. The process of claim 34, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

transparently removing the second address from the address book.

36. The process of claim 34, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.

37. The process of claim 34, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

marking the second address; and

prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.

38. The process of claim 32, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.

39. The process of claim 32, wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses;

and said updating comprises the step of;

adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.

40. The process of claim 31, wherein the second address comprises one of:

an address for electronic mails;

an address for a web page; and

a phone number.

41. An apparatus for updating address information in a computer environment, comprising:

a module for receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;

a module for automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address;

a module for updating a record for the address in a database, in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, said module for updating further comprising;

a module for counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address,

a module for determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold, and

a module for determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

a module for storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address;

and the record is updated according to a user preference.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for transparently removing the second address from the address book.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said module for updating further comprises:

a module for marking the second address; and

a module for prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.

48. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.

49. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses;

and said module for updating comprises;

a module for adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.

50. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the second address comprises one of:

an address for electronic mails;

an address for a web page; and

a phone number.

51. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for updating address information in a computer environment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;

automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address; and

in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the address in a database, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of;

counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address,

determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold, and

determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.

52. The medium of claim 51, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address.

53. The medium of claim 52, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.

54. The medium of claim 53, wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address;

and, said updating is according to a user preference.

55. The medium of claim 54, wherein said updating further comprises the step of:

transparently removing the second address from the address book.

56. The medium of claim 54, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.

57. The medium of claim 54, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:

marking the second address; and

prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.

58. The medium of claim 52, wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.

59. The medium of claim 52, wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses;

and said updating comprises the step of;

adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.

60. The medium of claim 51, wherein the second address comprises one of:

an address for electronic mails;

an address for a web page; and

a phone number.