Communication system using alias management rules for automatically changing sender alias in a message based on group that includes recipient address

• US 7,231,428 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alan H. Teague
• Inventors: Teague, Alan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US10/447,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/201, 709/205, 709/207, 706/47, 370/338, 345/752
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for automated management and control of contact aliases. In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a computer implemented method for processing messages. The process includes maintaining rules of which a first rule specifies a first alias of a first sender to be used for messages sent from the first sender to a first group of one or more intended recipients. The process includes receiving a first message from the first sender to one or more intended recipients of the first group. The process includes changing the first message so that address information presented shows the first alias of the first sender.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing messages, the method comprising:

maintaining rules of which a first rule specifies a first alias of a first sender to be used for messages sent from the first sender to a first group of one or more intended recipients, and a second rule that specifies a second alias of the first sender to be used for messages sent from the first sender to a second group of one or more other recipients

receiving a first message from the first sender to the one or more intended recipients of the first group;

changing the first message so that address information presented shows the first alias of the first sender;

receiving a second message from the first sender, the message having a particular intended recipient;

determining which of the first and second groups includes the particular intended recipient;

selecting one of the first rule and the second rule based on a result of the determining; and

changing the second message so that the address information presented shows the alias specified by the rule selected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first rule includes a first recipient-address pattern key that specifies the first group of one or more intended recipients, and the second rule includes a second recipient-address pattern key that specifies the second group of one or more other recipients, the method further comprising:

defining a recipient-address pattern instance for the second message based on a matching of the recipient-address pattern instance with the recipient-address pattern keys.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

maintaining rules includes maintaining rules that include recipient-address pattern keys that are regular expressions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

changing the first message includes changing the first message in response to input from the sender.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

changing the first message in response to input includes changing the first message in response to the sender placing a particular string in the first message.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

changing the first message in response to input includes changing the first message in response to input received through an administrative interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message received includes a new alias that is different from the first alias specified in the first rule, the method further comprising:

determining whether the first sender wants to use the new alias or the first alias specified in the first rule; and

updating the first rule to specify the new alias when it is determined that the first sender wants to use the new alias.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving a first message includes receiving an email.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving a first message includes receiving an short-message-service (“

SMS”

) message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving a first message includes receiving a fax message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving a first message includes receiving a voice message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving a first message includes receiving an instant message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein

selecting one of the first rule and the second rule is, based on which of the first sender and the second sender sent the second message.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message from an entity who is not one of the intended recipients of the first group, the message being addressed to a particular alias of the first sender; and

defining a new rule that specifies that the particular alias is to be used when the first sender sends messages to the entity.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the first rule.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

an address pattern key of the first rule is more specific than an address pattern key of the second rule; and

the selection is based on a level of specificity of the first rule and the second rule.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the selection is based on an order of priority in which the first rule has a higher order than does the second rule.

18. A computer program product, tangibly stored on machine readable medium, for processing messages, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

maintain rules of which a first rule specifies a first alias of a first sender to be used for messages sent from the first sender to a first group of one or more intended recipients, and a second rule that specifies a second alias of the first sender to be used for messages sent from the first sender to a second group of one or more other recipients;

receive a first message from the first sender to the one or more intended recipients of the first group;

change the first message so that address information presented shows the first alias of the first sender;

receive a second message from the first sender, the message having a particular intended recipient;

determine which of the first and second groups includes the particular intended recipient;

select one of the first rule and the second rule based on the a result of the determination; and

change the second message so that the address information presented shows the alias specified by the rule selected.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein the first rule includes a first recipient-address pattern key that specifies the first group of the one or more intended recipients, and the second rule includes a second recipient-address pattern key that specifies the second group of the one or more other recipients, the product further comprising instructions to:

define a recipient-address pattern instance for the second message based on a matching of the recipient-address pattern instance with the recipient-address pattern keys.

20. The product of claim 19, wherein:

the rules include recipient-address pattern keys that are regular expressions.

21. The product of claim 18, the product further comprising instructions to:

change the first message in response to input from the sender.

22. The product of claim 21, the product further comprising instructions to:

change the first message in response to the sender placing a particular string in the first message.

23. The product of claim 22, the product further comprising instructions to:

change the first message in response to input received through an administrative interface.

24. The product of claim 18, wherein the first message received includes a new alias that is different from the first alias specified in the first rule, the product further comprising instructions to:

determine whether the first sender wants to use the new alias or the first alias specified in the first rule; and

update the first rule to specify the new alias when it is determined that the first sender wants to use the new alias.

25. The product of claim 18, the product further comprising instructions to:

receive a first message that is an email.

26. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

receive a first message that is a short-message-service (“

SMS”

) message.

27. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

receive a first message that is a fax message.

28. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

receive a first message that is a voice message.

29. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

receive a first message that is an instant message.

30. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

in response to receiving a second message, select one of the first rule and the second rule, based on which of the first sender and the second sender sent the second message.

31. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

receive a message from an entity who is not one of the intended recipients of the first group, the message being addressed to a particular alias of the first sender; and

define a new rule that specifies that the particular alias is to be used when the first sender sends messages to the entity.

32. The product of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

select the first rule.

33. The product of claim 32, wherein:

an address pattern key of the first rule is more specific than an address pattern key of the second rule; and

the selection is based on a level of specificity of the first rule and the second rule.

34. The product of claim 33, wherein:

the selection is based on an order of priority in which the first rule has a higher order than does the second rule.