Method and system for filtering notification of e-mail messages

• US 20020159575A1
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Skladman, Julia, Thornberry, Robert Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A messaging system (10) for notifying subscribers of incoming e-mail messages includes an e-mail system (12) communicating with a notification system (14). The e-mail system (12) includes a user interface (22) that permits subscribers to populate filter lists (16) with e-mail message attributes, such as sender e-mail addresses. The filter list (16) is provided to the notification system (14), which selectively notifies subscribers of incoming e-mail messages based on the contents of their respective filter lists. The notification system (14) can alert subscribers to incoming e-mail messages by pager, facsimile, voice mail, synthetic speech via cellular or conventional telephones, or the like.

Claims

1. A method for selective notification of e-mail messages, the method comprising:

displaying a received e-mail message and a user interface element in the same window;

while the e-mail message is displayed in the window, receiving a selection of the user interface element from a user;

in response to the selection of the user interface element, storing a predetermined attribute associated with the e-mail message in a filter list; and

selectively notifying the user of an incoming e-mail message as a function of the predetermined attribute stored in the filter list.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the predetermined attribute is selected from the group consisting of a sender address, a subject field, and a recipient address.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein the act of displaying a received e-mail message comprises displaying summary information regarding the received e-mail message.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the act of displaying a received e-mail message comprises displaying content of the received e-mail message.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein the act of selectively notifying comprises blocking notification of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein the act of selectively notifying comprises notifying the user of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein the user interface element comprises a notification include button, and wherein the act of selectively notifying comprises notifying the user of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein the user interface element comprises a notification exclude button, and wherein the act of selectively notifying comprises blocking notification of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

9. The invention of claim 1 further comprising transferring the filter list from an e-mail system to a notification system.

10. A communication system comprising:

a filter list;

an e-mail system operative to display a received e-mail message and a user interface element in the same window, wherein the e-mail system is further operative to store a predetermined attribute associated with the e-mail message in the filter list in response to the selection of the user interface element by a user; and

a notification system, in communication with the e-mail system, operative to selectively notify the user of an incoming e-mail message as a function of the predetermined attribute stored in the filter list.

11. The invention of claim 10, wherein the predetermined attribute is selected from the group consisting of a sender address, a subject field, and a recipient address.

12. The invention of claim 10, wherein the e-mail system is operative to display a received e-mail message by displaying summary information regarding the received e-mail message.

13. The invention of claim 10, wherein the e-mail system is operative to display a received e-mail message by displaying content of the received e-mail message.

14. The invention of claim 10, wherein the notification system is operative to selectively notify the user by blocking notification of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

15. The invention of claim 10, wherein the notification system is operative to selectively notify the user by notifying the user of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

16. The invention of claim 10, wherein the user interface element comprises a notification include button, and wherein the notification system notifies the user of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

17. The invention of claim 10, wherein the user interface element comprises a notification exclude button, and wherein the notification system blocks notification of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

19. The invention of claim 18, wherein the act of selectively notifying comprises blocking notification of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

20. The invention of claim 18, wherein the act of selectively notifying comprises notifying the user of an incoming e-mail message associated with the predetermined attribute.

18. A method for selective notification of e-mail messages, the method comprising:

providing a user interface window displaying an e-mail message, wherein the user interface window includes a user interface element;

while the e-mail message is displayed in the user interface window, receiving a selection of the user interface element from a user;

in response to the selection of the user interface element, storing a predetermined attribute associated with the e-mail message in a filter list; and

selectively notifying the user of an incoming e-mail message as a function of the predetermined attribute stored in the filter list.