Method and apparatus for disseminating messages to unspecified users in a data processing system
First Claim
1. A method, performed in a data processing system, of disseminating a message sent by a sender, said message including addresses and content, wherein said addresses includes information pertaining to the sender of said message and all desired recipients of said message that were explicitly specified by the sender of said message, and wherein said content includes the remainder of the message other than said addresses, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
- associating a message content condition with an identity of a user of the data processing system;
comparing the content of the message sent to a message content condition previously associated with the identity of a user to determine whether the condition is met by the content of the message;
determining whether the condition is met by the content of the message;
associating with the message the identity of a nonspecified user whose user identity is associated with a condition that is met by the content of the message, wherein a nonspecified user is a user who was not explicitly specified by the sender of the message as a desired recipient of the message; and
routing the message to the nonspecified user whose nonspecified user identity is associated with the message, as a result of the association of a user identity with the message, wherein a nonspecified user identity is the user identity of a nonspecified user.
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Abstract
The method and apparatus of the present invention permit users to associate conditions of interest, such as keywords or originator identities. In response to the sending of a message, the data processing system determines which user conditions are met by the message input into the system and may associate the identities of such users with the message. In one embodiment, the system returns to the sender of the message the identities of users whose conditions are met by the message. In another embodiment, the system routes the message to users whose conditions are met by the message and, optionally, returns a confirmation of the delivery of the message to the sender. In either embodiment, a user can designate himself as "invisible", so that the system will not report the invisible user'"'"'s identity to the sender.
150 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method, performed in a data processing system, of disseminating a message sent by a sender, said message including addresses and content, wherein said addresses includes information pertaining to the sender of said message and all desired recipients of said message that were explicitly specified by the sender of said message, and wherein said content includes the remainder of the message other than said addresses, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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associating a message content condition with an identity of a user of the data processing system; comparing the content of the message sent to a message content condition previously associated with the identity of a user to determine whether the condition is met by the content of the message; determining whether the condition is met by the content of the message; associating with the message the identity of a nonspecified user whose user identity is associated with a condition that is met by the content of the message, wherein a nonspecified user is a user who was not explicitly specified by the sender of the message as a desired recipient of the message; and routing the message to the nonspecified user whose nonspecified user identity is associated with the message, as a result of the association of a user identity with the message, wherein a nonspecified user identity is the user identity of a nonspecified user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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11. A method, performed in a data processing system, of disseminating a message sent by a sender, said message including addresses and content, wherein said addresses includes information pertaining to the sender of said message and all desired recipients of said message that were explicitly specified by the sender of said message, and wherein said content includes the remainder of the message other than said addresses, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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associating a message content condition with an identity of a user of the data processing system; comparing the content of the message sent to a message content condition previously associated with an identity of a user to determine whether the condition is met by the content of the message; and delivering the message to a user whose user identity is associated with a condition that is met by the content of the message and who is not a desired recipient of the message, as a result of the meeting of the condition by the content of the message. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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20. A data processing system for disseminating a message sent by a sender, said message including addresses and content, wherein said addresses includes information pertaining to the sender of said message and all desired recipients of said message that were explicitly specified by the sender of said message, and wherein said content includes the remainder of the message other than said addresses, said system comprising:
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means for associating a message content condition with a user identity of a user of the system; means for comparing the content of the message sent to a message content condition previously associated with an identity of a user and determining whether the condition is met by the content of the message; and means for associating with the message the identity of a user who is not an explicitly specified desired recipient of the message and whose user identity is associated with a condition that is met by the content of the message. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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26. A data processing system for disseminating a message sent by a sender, said message including addresses and content, wherein said addresses includes information pertaining to the sender of said message and all desired recipients of said message that were explicitly specified by the sender of said message, and wherein said content includes the remainder of the message other than said addresses, said system comprising:
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means for associating a message content condition with a user identity of a user of the system; means for comparing the content of the message sent to a message content condition previously associated with an identity of a user and determining whether the condition is met by the content of the message; and means for delivering the message to a user who is not an explicitly specified desired recipient of the message and whose user identity is associated with a condition that is met by the content of the message, as a result of the meeting of the condition by the content of the message. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification