Controlling location and time preferences for messages

• US 8,352,560 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Harpur, Liam, Zimmet, Carol S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US12/494,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 713/154
• 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 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A system and method for controlling preferences for messages that includes receiving a message from a sender to a recipient, determining if the message will be received by the recipient based on message policies for the recipient, and notifying the sender that the message will not be received by the recipient and when it will be received responsive to the determination that the message will not be received by the recipient.

Claims

1. A method, operable on a server, for controlling preferences for messages comprising:

receiving, by the server, a message from a sender to a recipient;

determining, by the server, if the message will be received by the recipient based on at least a first message policy of a plurality of message policies for the recipient;

notifying, by the server, the sender that the message will not be received by the recipient and an estimated time of when it will be received responsive to the determination that the message will not be received by the recipient; and

resolving, by the server, a conflict between the first message policy and a second message policy of the plurality of message policies such that the actual time the message is received is different from the estimated time of when the message will be received in the notification to the sender.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring, by the server, the message policies in response to receiving input from the recipient or automatically based on set rules.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message policies define at least one time period when the recipient does not desire to receive messages or define at least one current location of the recipient where the recipient will only receive messages.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the message policies define at least one current location of the recipient where the recipient will only receive messages of a specific type.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by the server, if the message is of a type currently not being received by the recipient based on message policies for the recipient and notifying the sender that the message will not be currently received by the recipient and when it will be received responsive to the determination that the message is of a type currently not being received by the recipient based on the message policies for the recipient.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the type comprises at least one of at least one location from which the recipient does not desire to receive messages from, at least one of an email, a short message service (SMS) message and an instant message (IM), and at least one job title of the sender.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a decision making hierarchy being specified to resolve the conflict between rules of the first message policy and the second message policy.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising reminding, by the server, the recipient to respond to the message.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising one of suspending, by the server, receipt of all messages for a set period and disabling, by the server, receipt of all messages until enabled, the suspending and the disabling overriding the message policies for the recipient.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing to the sender, by the server, information regarding at least one period when the recipient will receive messages, the sender being allowed to select one of the at least one period for sending a message to the recipient.

11. A computing device for controlling preferences for messages comprising:

a network interface, the network interface being configured to receive and send messages;

a storage device, the storage device containing a plurality of message policies for a recipient comprising a first message policy and a second message policy; and

a processor, the processor configured to determine if a message sent from a sender to a recipient will be received by the recipient based on at least the first message policy of the plurality of message policies for the recipient and notify the sender that the message will not be received by the recipient and an estimated time of when it will be received responsive to the determination that the message will not be received by the recipient and resolve a conflict between the first message policy and the second message policy of the plurality of message policies such that the actual time the message is received is different from the estimated time of when the message will be received in the notification to the sender.

12. The computing device according to claim 11, wherein the computing device comprises one of a server and a client device of the recipient.

13. The computing device according to claim 11, wherein the message policies at least one of define at least one time period when the recipient does not desire to receive messages and define at least one current location of the recipient where the recipient will only receive messages.

14. The computing device according to claim 11, wherein the message policies are configured at least one of responsive to receiving input from the recipient and automatically based on set rules.

15. The computing device according to claim 11, further comprising the processor determining if the message is of a type currently not being received by the recipient based on message policies for the recipient and notifying the sender that the message will not be currently received by the recipient and when it will be received responsive to the determination that the message is of a type currently not being received by the recipient.