Office-Based Notification Messaging System

• US 20100185665A1
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunstein KANN Murphy & Timbers LLP
• Original Assignee: Sunstein KANN Murphy & Timbers LLP
• Inventors: MacKenzie, Andrei S., Apperson, Rory A., Horn, Monroe
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• 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

Users of an office-based computer system are prompted to check in upon system login. An office notification message is created that includes a recipient group and an expiration. The notification message is sent only to checked-in members of the recipient group. After the notification message expires, it is deleted from the recipients'"'"' mailboxes. A reply message may be created by a notification message recipient and sent to the recipients of the original notification message. The reply message inherits the expiration of the original notification message and is deleted upon expiration.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for sending an office notification message to users of an office-based computer system, comprising:

prompting a user of the office-based computer system to check-in upon system login;

maintaining an indication in the office-based computer system of which users are checked-in, based on responses by users to the prompting;

creating an office notification message including a recipient group and an expiration;

sending the office notification message to members of the recipient group who are checked-in; and

automatically deleting the office notification message from message recipient mailboxes after the office notification message has expired.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein prompting further comprises prompting a computer system user who logs-in locally to check-in.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically selecting recipients based on the recipient group and on the indication of which users are checked-in;

and wherein sending the office notification comprises sending the office notification to the automatically selected recipients.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically sending the office notification message to members of the recipient group who check-in before the office notification message expiration but after the office notification message was originally sent.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein members of the recipient group are determined based at least in part on user identity.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

users of the office-based computer system log in to computer workstations; and

members of the recipient group are determined based at least in part on attributes of the computer workstations.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the recipient group includes at least one of:

one or more members of an organizational department, members of a group, users of a certain printer, users located in a certain geographic location, users located in a certain area of a facility, and users selected by the sender.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein creating an office notification message including an expiration comprises selecting an expiration, which includes at least one of:

selecting a time interval after the notification message is sent; and

receiving a user input specifying a time.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the office notification message comprises an email message.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the office notification message comprises a voicemail message.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the office notification message comprises a SMS text message.

12. A computer-implemented method for replying to a received office notification message that includes an expiration and a message recipient list on an office-based computer system, comprising:

creating a reply message to the received office notification message;

setting a reply message expiration;

sending the reply message to recipients of the office notification message; and

automatically deleting the reply message from reply message recipient mailboxes after the reply message has expired.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising automatically setting the reply message expiration based at least in part on the received office notification message expiration.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising automatically setting the reply message expiration based at least in part on a time that the reply message is sent.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising automatically resetting the office notification message expiration based at least in part on a time that the reply message is sent.

16. A computer-implemented office notification system, comprising:

an office-based messaging system coupled to an office-based computer system and configured to receive user input for creating an office notification message, including a user-selected messaging system user group of message recipients and an expiration;

a check-in computer application configured to execute on the office-based computer system and prompt a user of the office-based computer system to check in upon computer system login; and

a database coupled to the computer system and configured to store information about checked-in users;

wherein the check-in computer application is configured to update the database as users check in; and

wherein the office-based messaging system is configured to;

compare the selected messaging system user group of message recipients to the information about checked-in users in the database; and

send the created office notification message to members of the selected message system user group of message recipients who are checked in.

17. A computer-implemented office notification system according to claim 16, wherein the office-based messaging system comprises recipient mailboxes to receive and store office notification messages and is further configured to delete office notification messages from the recipient mailboxes after expiration.

18. A computer-implemented office notification system according to claim 16, wherein the check-in computer application is configured to prompt only users of the office-based computer system who log-in locally to check-in.

19. A computer program product for providing an office notification system on an office-based computer system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

program code for prompting a computer system user to check-in upon system login;

program code for maintaining a list of checked-in users;

program code for creating an office notification message including a recipient group and an expiration;

program code for sending the created notification message to members of the recipient group who are checked-in; and

program code for deleting the notification message from message recipient mailboxes after the notification message has expired.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising program code for prompting only users who log-in locally to check-in.

21. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising program code for sending the notification message to members of the recipient group who check-in before the notification message expiration but after the notification message was originally sent.

22. A computer program product for replying to a received office notification message that includes an expiration and a message recipient list on an office-based computer system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:

program code for creating a reply message to the received office notification message;

program code for setting a reply message expiration;

program code for sending the reply message to recipients of the office notification message; and

program code for automatically deleting the reply message from reply message recipient mailboxes after the reply message has expired.