Method and system to derive salutations

• US 8,417,719 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Black, Daniel P., Rosas, Patricia, Clark, Larry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Amresh
• Application Number:
  US11/550,756
• Time in Patent Office: 2,365 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/1, 707/708, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system to derive salutations. User information for a user is accessed. A title salutation is selectively generated for the user when the user has a title identified within the user information and the use of the title has not been overridden, and another salutation has not been generated for the user. A military salutation is selectively generated for the user when the user has a military rank and a military title identified within the user information, the user is not separated from a military organization, a rank of the user has not been suppressed, and another salutation has not been generated for the user. A gender salutation is generated for the user when another salutation has not been generated for the user and the user information is in an acceptable format.

Claims

1. A system for deriving salutations comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions;

a memory holding data including user data for a plurality of users, military data, and association data;

a salutation application, executed on the processor, to;

determine whether an association is identified between at least two users of the plurality of users based on the association data;

when the association has been identified, determine whether the at least two users are a member of a same family based on the user data;

determine a military activity status of at least one user of the at least two users of the plurality of users based on the military data;

determine if the user data is an acceptable format, wherein the acceptable format comprises the user data including at least a last name of the at least two users;

derive a family salutation to a family of the at least two users responsive to a determination of the user data being in the acceptable format;

derive a default salutation to at least one user of the at least two users responsive to a determination of the user data not being in the acceptable format;

transmit one of the derived family salutation and the derived default salutation in response to a salutation request for the at least two users; and

a use application, distinct from the salutation application, to;

transmit the salutation request to the salutation application;

receive one of the derived family salutation and the derived default salutation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the family salutation is at least one of “

To The Family Of [Last Name]”

or “

To The [Last Name] Family”

.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user data comprises:

a user identification field to identify the plurality of users within a database; and

a name and designation field to provide personal information regarding the plurality of users.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user data is stored within a user database.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the salutation application derives a non-family salutation for an additional user of the plurality of users from the user data that is not a member of the same family or another family with another user of the at least some of the plurality of users and transmits the derived non-family salutation in response to the salutation request, and the use application receives the derived non-family salutation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein identification of the at least two users that are the member of the same family based on the user data includes identification of the at least two users that have a same last name and a same residential address based on the user data.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the default salutation is at least one of “

Dear Shareholder” and

“

Dear Account Holder.”

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions;

a memory holding data including user data for a plurality of users, military data, and association data;

a salutation application to determine whether an association is identified between at least two users of the plurality of users based on the association data, determine whether the at least two users are a member of a same family based on the user data, determine a military activity status of at least one user of the at least two users of the plurality of users based on the military data, determine if the user data is an acceptable format, wherein the acceptable format comprises the user data including at least a last name of the at least two users, derive a family salutation to a family of the at least two users responsive to a determination of the user data being in the acceptable format, derive a default salutation to at least one user of the at least two users responsive to a determination of the user data not being in the acceptable format, and transmit one of the derived family salutation and the derived default salutation in response to a salutation request for the at least two users; and

a use application, distinct from the salutation application, to transmit the salutation request to the salutation application, receive one of the derived family salutation and the derived default salutation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the derived family salutation is a phrase of a greeting that comes before a body of a letter to the at least two users.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the family salutation is at least one of “

To The Family Of [Last Name]”

or “

To The [Last Name] Family”

.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user data comprises:

a user identification field to identify the plurality of users within a database; and

a name and designation field to provide personal information regarding the plurality of users.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user data is stored within a user database.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application derives a non-family salutation for an additional user of the plurality of users from the user data that is not a member of the same family or another family with another user of the at least some of the plurality of users and transmits the derived non-family salutation in response to the salutation request, and the use application receives the derived non-family salutation.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein identification of the at least two users that are the member of the same family based on the user data includes identification of the at least two users that have a same last name and a same residential address based on the user data.

14. A method comprising:

using one or more processors to perform at least a portion of one or more of the following operations;

accessing user data for a plurality of users, military data, and association data;

receiving a salutation request for at least some of the plurality of users;

determining, by a salutation application, whether an association is identified between at least two users of the plurality of users based on the association data;

when the association has been identified, determine, by the salutation application, whether the at least two users are a member of a same family based on the user data;

determining, by the salutation application, a military activity status of at least one user of the at least two users of the plurality of users based on the military data;

determining, by the salutation application, if the user data is an acceptable format, wherein the acceptable format comprises the user data including at least a last name of the at least two users;

deriving, by the salutation application, a family salutation to a family of the at least two users responsive to a determination of the user data being in the acceptable format;

deriving, by the salutation application, a default salutation to at least one user of the at least two users responsive to a determination of the user data not being in the acceptable format;

transmitting, to a use application, distinct from the salutation application, one of the derived family salutation and the derived default salutation in response to the receiving of the salutation request.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the derived family salutation is a phrase of a greeting that comes before a body of a letter to the at least two users.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting at least one of “

To The Family Of [Last Name]”

or “

To The [Last Name] Family”

as the family salutation.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the user data comprises:

a user identification field to identify the plurality of users within a database; and

a name and designation field to provide personal information regarding the plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the user data within a user database.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

deriving a non-family salutation for an additional user of the plurality of users from the user data that is not a member of the same family or another family with another user of the at least some of the plurality of users; and

transmitting the derived non-family salutation in response to the receiving of the salutation request.