Recipient control system for ensuring non-conflicting and comprehensive distribution of digital information and method thereof

• US 9,032,038 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gatekeeper Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gatekeeper Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Dick, Stephen G., Cohen, Todd, Miller, Barry, Garnier, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US14/027,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• 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 ensuring an electronic communication sent by a user to one or more recipients is not sent to one or more inappropriate recipients. The system and method controls, monitors, detects and prevents sending of electronic communications to an unintended recipient or recipients. The system and method also controls, monitors, detects and ensures electronic communications are sent to all intended recipients. Based on parameters that identify conditions for an inappropriate recipient, the system and method compares each recipient of an electronic communication with the parameters and stops the sending if an inappropriate recipient exists. A notification is then provided identifying each inappropriate recipient and the parameters that were triggered. Mechanism to override the stopping of the electronic communication may be provided.

Claims

1. A system for ensuring an electronic communication being sent by a user to two or more recipients, each recipient having at least one associated email address, telephone number and/or title, is not sent to another conflicting recipient, comprises:

a. means for receiving one or more parameters identifying conditions for a conflicting recipient for each recipient;

b. means for storing said parameters;

c. means for comparing the parameters of each recipient of said electronic communication with said parameters of other recipients to determine whether any of the other recipients is a conflicting recipient;

d. means for stopping the sending of the electronic communication when said comparing means determines at least one conflicting recipient;

e. means for notifying the user of each conflicting recipient as determined by said comparing means and the parameters that identify each conflicting recipient; and

f. means for sending the electronic communication when said comparing means does not determine at least one conflicting recipient.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprises:

means for overriding the stopping means to allow the sending means to send the electronic communication despite a conflicting recipient.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprises:

means for editing the electronic communication to remove a conflicting recipient.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprises:

means for deleting the electronic communication from the system after it is sent.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprises:

means for integrating said system with an electronic communication program.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said parameter identifies one or more conflicting recipients inclusion of all of which are conflicting recipients.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by an email address.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a portion of an email address.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a telephone number.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a portion of a telephone number.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a title.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said comparing means compares the recipient'"'"'s email address with said parameters.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said comparing means compares the recipient'"'"'s telephone number with said parameters.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said comparing means compares the recipient'"'"'s title with said parameters.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication is selected from a group consisting of:

electronic mail, text message, instant message, social media distribution and blogging.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said storing means comprises one or more databases.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said storing means comprises persistent storage.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprises:

means for recording each instance when a conflicting recipient is determined by said comparing means, including the parameters that identify the conflicting recipient and other information on the electronic communication.

22. The system of claim 2, further comprises:

means for recording each instance when the stopping means is overridden, including the parameters that identify the conflicting recipient that was overridden and other information on the electronic communication.

7. A system for ensuring an electronic communication being sent by a user to one or more recipients, each recipient having at least one associated email address, telephone number and/or title, is not sent to one or more inappropriate recipients, comprises:

a. means for receiving one or more parameters identifying conditions for an inappropriate recipient, wherein said parameter identifies a group of one or more recipients lacking one or more of which the remaining recipients are inappropriate recipients;

b. means for storing said parameters;

c. means for comparing each recipient of said electronic communication with said parameters to determine whether a recipient is an inappropriate recipient;

d. means for stopping the sending of the electronic communication when said comparing means determines at least one inappropriate recipient;

e. means for notifying the user of each inappropriate recipient as determined by said comparing means and the parameters that identify each inappropriate recipient; and

f. means for sending the electronic communication when said comparing means does not determine at least one inappropriate recipient.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said parameter identifies any two recipients as an inappropriate recipient.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprises:

a list of the user'"'"'s potential recipients'"'"' contact information, wherein said parameter identifies a recipient not on said list as an inappropriate recipient.

23. A method for ensuring an electronic communication being sent by a user to two or more recipients, each recipient having at least one associated email address, telephone number and/or title, is sent to another conflicting recipient, comprises the steps of:

a. receiving one or more parameters identifying conditions for a conflicting recipient for each recipient;

b. storing said parameters;

c. comparing the parameters of each recipient of said electronic communication with said parameters of other recipients to determine whether any of the other recipients is a conflicting recipient;

d. stopping the sending of the electronic communication when at least one conflicting recipient is determined;

e. notifying the user of each conflicting recipient and the parameters that identify each conflicting recipient; and

f. sending the electronic communication when there is no conflicting recipient.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprises the step of:

overriding the stopping to allow the sending of the electronic communication despite a conflicting recipient.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprises the step of:

editing the electronic communication to remove a conflicting recipient.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprises the step of:

deleting the electronic communication from the system after it is sent.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprises the step of:

integrating said system with an electronic communication program.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameter identifies one or more conflicting recipients inclusion of all of which are conflicting recipients.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by an email address.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a portion of an email address.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a telephone number.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a portion of a telephone number.

36. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameter identifies a conflicting recipient by a title.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein the recipient'"'"'s email address is being compared with said parameters.

38. The method of claim 23, wherein the recipient'"'"'s telephone number is being compared with said parameters.

39. The method of claim 23, wherein the recipient'"'"'s title is being compared with said parameters.

40. The method of claim 23, wherein the electronic communication is selected from a group consisting of:

electronic mail, text message, instant message, social media distribution and blogging.

41. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameters are stored in one or more databases.

42. The method of claim 23, wherein said parameters are stored in persistent storage.

43. The method of claim 23, further comprises the step of:

recording each instance when a conflicting recipient is determined after comparing, including the parameters that identify the conflicting recipient and other information on the electronic communication.

44. The method of claim 24, further comprises the step of:

recording each instance of overriding, including the parameters that identify the conflicting recipient that was overridden and other information on the electronic communication.

29. A method for ensuring an electronic communication being sent by a user to one or more recipients, each recipient having at least one associate email address, telephone number and/or title, is sent to an appropriate recipient, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving one or more parameters identifying conditions for an inappropriate recipient, wherein said parameter identifies a group of one or more recipients lacking one or more of which the remaining recipients are inappropriate recipients;

b. storing said parameters;

c. comparing each recipient of said electronic communication with said parameters to determine whether a recipient is an inappropriate recipient;

d. stopping the sending of the electronic communication when at least one inappropriate recipient is determined;

e. notifying the user of each inappropriate recipient and the parameters that identify each inappropriate recipient; and

f. sending the electronic communication when there is no inappropriate recipient.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said parameter identifies any two recipients as an inappropriate recipient.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprises the step of:

providing a list of the user'"'"'s potential recipients'"'"' contact information, wherein said parameter identifies a recipient not on said list as an inappropriate recipient.

45. A system for ensuring an electronic communication being sent by a user to two or more recipients, each recipient having at least one associated email address, telephone number and/or title, is not sent to another conflicting group of recipient, comprises:

a. means for receiving one or more parameters identifying conditions for a conflicting group of recipient for each recipient;

b. means for storing said parameters;

c. means for comparing the parameters of each recipient of said electronic communication with said parameters of other recipients to determine whether any of the other recipients is in a conflicting group of recipient;

d. means for stopping the sending of the electronic communication when said comparing means determines at least one conflicting recipient;

e. means for notifying the user of each conflicting recipient as determined by said comparing means and the parameters that identify each conflicting recipient; and

f. means for sending the electronic communication when said comparing means does not determine at least one conflicting recipient.