Community messaging lists for authorization to deliver electronic messages
First Claim
1. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method of relaying a group message between a subscriber and one or more group members in the one or more group lists without the subscriber having to separately join the one or more group lists, the method comprising the acts of:
- identifying a group list and one or more group members of the group list;
sending a trust indicator by a subscriber who is not a member of the group list to one of the one or more group members, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the one group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with a group list associated with the one or more group members without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list;
sending a trust acceptance indicator by the one group member to the subscriber who is not a member of the group list, the trust acceptance indicator indicating that the one group member has accepted the trust indicator;
generating a relay mechanism based on a trust relationship created between the subscriber and the one group member by acceptance of the trust indicator even though the subscriber is not a member of the group list such that the subscriber can receive group messages sent to the identified group list, the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the group list that includes an electronic address associated with the subscriber;
relaying to the subscriber a group message sent by any of the one or more group members to the group list without the subscriber being a member of the group list; and
relaying to the group list a group message sent by the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the group list, such that the one group member that sent the trust acceptance indicator receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but one or more other group members receive the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A third-party can subscribe to one or more electronic message group lists without joining the group lists by creating a trust relationship between the subscriber and a group list member. In particular, the subscriber can send a trust indicator to the group member, who can then determine whether to accept the trust indicator for all or specific groups that are associated with the group member, as appropriate. In at least one embodiment, the group member can send a trust indicator acceptance message to the subscriber that identifies the group member, and any or all group lists associated with the group member. The subscriber can then receive messages directed to the trusted group member or group lists, and can send group messages to the group lists subject to a receive setting associated with the group lists or group members of the group lists.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method of relaying a group message between a subscriber and one or more group members in the one or more group lists without the subscriber having to separately join the one or more group lists, the method comprising the acts of:
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identifying a group list and one or more group members of the group list; sending a trust indicator by a subscriber who is not a member of the group list to one of the one or more group members, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the one group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with a group list associated with the one or more group members without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list; sending a trust acceptance indicator by the one group member to the subscriber who is not a member of the group list, the trust acceptance indicator indicating that the one group member has accepted the trust indicator; generating a relay mechanism based on a trust relationship created between the subscriber and the one group member by acceptance of the trust indicator even though the subscriber is not a member of the group list such that the subscriber can receive group messages sent to the identified group list, the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the group list that includes an electronic address associated with the subscriber; relaying to the subscriber a group message sent by any of the one or more group members to the group list without the subscriber being a member of the group list; and relaying to the group list a group message sent by the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the group list, such that the one group member that sent the trust acceptance indicator receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but one or more other group members receive the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method of communicating a group message between a subscriber and one or more group members in the one or more group lists without the subscriber having to separately join the one or more group lists, the method comprising:
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an act of identifying a group member; a step for creating an electronic message trust relationship between a subscriber and the identified group member using a trust indicator, the step for creating an electronic message trust relationship comprising an act of sending the trust indicator by the subscriber who is not a member of one or more group lists associated with the identified group member to the identified group member, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the identified group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with the one or more group lists without the subscriber becoming a member of the one or more group lists; a step for generating a relay mechanism based on the trust relationship created between the subscriber and the identified group member such that the subscriber can communicate with the one or more group lists without requiring the subscriber to join the one or more group lists, the one or more group lists including a first group list and the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the first group list including an electronic address associated with the subscriber; a step for relaying a group message to the first group list from the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the identified group member receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but at least one additional group member belonging to the first group list receives the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber; and a step for relaying a group message from the at least one additional group member to the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the subscriber receives the group message from the at least one additional group member without challenge. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. In a computerized system, including a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method for relaying messages between group members of a group list and a subscriber based on one or more trust relationships, the method comprising:
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an act of a group member of a group list accepting a trust indicator from a subscriber who is not a member of the group list such that the group member is a trusted group member and without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the trusted group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with the group list without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list; a step for, based on the accepted trust indicator and without the subscriber being a member of the group list, relaying a group message to the group list from the subscriber, such that the group member that sent accepted the trust indicator receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but a non-trusted group member receives the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber; and a step for, based on the accepted trust indicator and without the subscriber being a member of the group list, relaying a group message from any group member of the group list to the subscriber, such that the subscriber receives the group message from any group member without challenge. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a computer program product comprising non-transitory computer readable storage media having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, instruct a computerized system to perform:
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an act of identifying a group member;
a step for creating an electronic message trust relationship between a subscriber and the identified group member using a trust indicator, the step for creating an electronic message trust relationship including an act of sending the trust indicator by the subscriber who is not a member of one or more group lists associated with the identified group member to the identified group member, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with the one or more group lists without the subscriber becoming a member of the one or more group lists;a step for generating a relay mechanism based on the trust relationship created between the subscriber and the identified group member such that the subscriber can communicate with the one or more group lists without requiring the subscriber to join the one or more group lists, the one or more group lists including a first group list and the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the first group list that includes an electronic address associated with the subscriber; a step for relaying a group message to the first group list from the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the identified group member receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but at least one additional group member belonging to the first group list receives the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber; and a step for relaying a group message from the at least one additional group member to the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the subscriber receives the group message from the at least one additional group member without challenge. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method of relaying a group message between a subscriber and one or more group members in the one or more group lists without the subscriber having to separately join the one or more group lists, the method comprising the acts of:
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identifying a group list and one or more group members of the group list; sending a trust indicator by a subscriber who is not a member of the group list to one of the one or more group members, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the one group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with a group list associated with the one or more group members without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list, wherein the trust indicator includes an identifier for at least one of a specific group list associated with the one group member, an electronic message address for the subscriber, a username and password associated with the subscriber, or a digital signature associated with the subscriber; sending a trust acceptance indicator by the one group member to the subscriber who is not a member of the group list, the trust acceptance indicator indicating that the one group member has accepted the trust indicator; generating a relay mechanism based on a trust relationship created between the subscriber and the one group member by acceptance of the trust indicator even though the subscriber is not a member of the group list such that the subscriber can receive group messages sent to the identified group list, the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the group list that includes an electronic address associated with the subscriber; relaying to the subscriber a group message sent by any of the one or more group members to the group list without the subscriber being a member of the group list; and relaying to the group list a group message sent by the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the group list, such that the one group member that sent the trust acceptance indicator receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but one or more other group members receive the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber.
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Specification