Message management system and method

• US 8,108,470 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Lai, Mu-Hsuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US10/896,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,749 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A message management system and method is described. A message control unit includes a dispatch rule, a role table, and a dispatch engine. The dispatch rule defines system identification, message type, and corresponding client identification and mail role. The role table defines client identification, mail role, and corresponding message recipient. The dispatch engine receives a plurality of messages from a plurality of systems, and transmits the messages to corresponding recipients according to the dispatch rule, the role table, and content.

Claims

1. A wafer lot production line with a message management system, comprising:

a message control unit comprising;

a dispatch rule defining a system identification, a message type, and corresponding client identification and mail role, wherein when a message is transmitted to a mail role, recipients defined by the mail role and the client identification are respectively transmitted with the message;

a role table defining the client identification, the mail role, and at least one corresponding recipient, wherein the combination of the client identification and the mail role defines a group of recipients;

at least one filter mask having a subscription function whereby each of the recipients can edit the at least one filter mask to forward some messages; and

a processor executing a dispatch engine and a parsing engine to receive at least one message from one of a plurality of systems, parse the message to obtain message content comprising at least a defined system identification, a defined message type, a lot type in the production line and a defined client identification, a defined message type and a defined client identification, correspond to a defined mail role based on the defined system identification, the defined message type and the defined client identification using the dispatch rule, and retrieve a plurality of defined recipients based on the defined client identification and the defined mail role using the role table, wherein the defined recipients are defined by the defined client identification and the defined mail role in the role table, filtering the message according to the filter mask, and respectively transmit the message to the defined recipients if the message complies with the filter mask.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the message control unit further classifies and stores the messages in a message database according to content.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the message control unit further comprises a user interface for recipients to query the messages according to corresponding client identification and mail role.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the user interface comprises a web-based interface, the query result viewable and browsable therein.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the message control unit further comprises a user interface for respective recipients to modify dispatch rule or role table.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the message control unit further comprises a user interface for message recipients to modify the filter mask.

7. A wafer lot production line with a computer-implemented message management method for use in a computer, wherein the computer is programmed to perform the steps of:

receiving at least one message from one of a plurality of systems by the computer;

parsing the message by the computer to obtain message content comprising at least a defined system identification, a defined message type, a lot type in the production line and a defined client identification;

corresponding to a defined mail role based on the defined system identification, the defined message type and the defined client identification using a dispatch rule by the computer, wherein the dispatch rule defines a system identification, a message type, and corresponding client identification and mail role, wherein when a message is transmitted to a mail role, recipients defined by the mail role and the client identification are respectively transmitted with the message;

retrieving a plurality of defined recipients based on the defined client identification and the defined mail role using a role table by the computer, wherein the role table defines the client identification, the mail role, and at least one corresponding recipient, the combination of the client identification and the mail role defines a group of recipients, and the defined recipients are defined by the defined client identification and the defined mail role in the role table;

filtering the message according to at least one filter mask having a subscription function whereby each of the recipients can edit the at least one filter mask to forward some messages; and

respectively transmitting the message to the defined recipients if the message complies with the filter mask by the computer.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising classifying and storing the messages in a message database according to content.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising querying the messages according to corresponding client identification and mail role of respective recipients via a user interface.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the user interface comprises a web-based interface, further comprising display and browsing of query results therein.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising modification of the dispatch rule or role table by respective recipients via a user interface.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising modification of the filter mask by respective recipients via a user interface.

13. A wafer lot production line with a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing a computer program, causing when executed a computer to perform a message management method, comprising:

receiving at least one message from one of a plurality of systems by the computer;

parsing the message by the computer to obtain message content comprising at least a defined system identification, a defined message type, a lot type in the production line and a defined client identification;

corresponding to a defined mail role based on the defined system identification, the defined message type and the defined client identification using a dispatch rule by the computer, wherein the dispatch rule defines a system identification, a message type, and corresponding client identification and mail role, wherein when a message is transmitted to a mail role, recipients defined by the mail role and the client identification are respectively transmitted with the message;

retrieving a plurality of defined recipients based on the defined client identification

and the defined mail role using a role table by the computer, wherein the

role table defines the client identification, the mail role, and at least one corresponding recipient, the combination of the client identification and the mail role defines a group of recipients, and the defined recipients are defined by the defined client identification and the defined mail role in the role table;

filtering the message according to at least one filter mask having a subscription function whereby each of the recipients can edit the at least one filter mask to forward some messages for the respective recipients; and

respectively transmitting the message to the defined recipients if the message complies with the filter mask by the computer.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, the method further comprising classifying and storing the messages in a message database according to content of respective message, and displaying a query result of the messages based on corresponding client identification and mail role of respective recipients in the web-based interface.