Communication management using a token action log

• US 7,010,565 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott E. Sampson
• Original Assignee: Scott E. Sampson
• Inventors: Sampson, Scott E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US10/382,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/227, 709/231, 709/202, 713/159, 713/172, 713/185, 713/103, 707/200
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A communication system includes a token generator to create one or more tokens, as well as a token action log to associate each token with a customizable set of one or more actions, where each token is to trigger the associated set of one or more actions in response to accompanying a communication that experiences an event. The communication system also includes a token distributor to make the one or more tokens available for distribution to entities potentially desiring to communicate with the communication system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating one or more tokens within a communication system of a token originator;

associating each token with a customizable set of one or more actions in a token action log within the token originator'"'"'s communication system;

making the one or more tokens available for distribution to one or more token users, the token users potentially desiring to communicate with the token originator by including the one or more tokens with a communication to be sent to the token originator;

receiving a communication at the token originator'"'"'s communication system accompanied by a specific token previously generated within the communication system;

searching the token action log for a set of one or more actions associated with the specific token; and

executing the set of one or more actions by the token originator'"'"'s communication system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication system is selected from the group consisting of an email system, a telephone system, an instant messaging system, and short text messaging system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is accompanied by a second specific token previously generated within the token originator'"'"'s communication system, the method further comprising:

searching the token action log for a second set of one or more actions associated with the second specific token; and

executing the second set of one or more actions by the token originator'"'"'s communication system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each token corresponds to a group of token users.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one group of token users is selected from the set consisting of family members, friends, business associates, and students within a particular class.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein making the one or more tokens available comprises distributing the tokens to the corresponding groups of token users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein making the one or more tokens available comprises publishing at least a subset of the tokens in a document viewable by token users potentially desiring to communicate with the communication system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the document is selected from the group consisting of an online directory, a printed directory, a business card, and a course syllabus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein making the one or more tokens available comprises transmitting at least a subset of the tokens in a communication to one or more token users potentially desiring to communicate with the communication system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to generating one or more tokens within a communication system;

receiving a communication that does not include a token; and

requesting an acknowledgement from a sender of the communication; and

wherein making the one or more tokens available for distribution comprises;

transmitting a token to the sender in response to receiving the requested acknowledgement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein requesting an acknowledgment comprises:

requesting an acknowledgement from the sender that includes a statement of the sender'"'"'s purpose for the communication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting comprises:

receiving the acknowledgement including the statement of the senders purpose;

presenting the statement to an operator of the communication system; and

transmitting a token to the sender in response to receiving an approval from an operator of the communication system.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein requesting an acknowledgment comprises:

presenting a communication to the sender including an image that depicts a code, wherein the communication instructs the sander to provide an acknowledgement including the depicted code.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting comprises:

transmitting a token to the sender in response to receiving an acknowledgement including the depicted code.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving a communication including a specific token;

receiving a communication without a token; and

associating the communication with a toke in response to one or more conditions being satisfied.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one condition includes a return address for the communication being found in an address book of a user of the communication system.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching one or more tokens to one or more communications already in the communication system.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one action comprises presenting the communication to an operator of the communication system.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of action is selected from the group consisting of rejecting the communication, sending a reply to the communications filing the communication, logging the communication, tagging the communication with an identifier, deleting the communication, forwarding the communication to a recipient, activating a device, audibly alerting the operator of the communication system, visually alerting the operator of the communication system, extracting information from the communication, modifying the token action log, generating a new token, and sending a previously generated token.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one action includes conditional logic.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific token is accompanied by a set of parameters, and wherein executing the set of one or more actions comprises calling a function with the set of parameters.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific token is associated with conditions for use, and wherein receiving comprises performing one or more operations in response to the conditions of use being satisfied.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one operation comprises rejecting the communication.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the conditions for use comprise an expiration date.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the conditions for use comprise a set number of uses of the specific token.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one token is associated with an indication of an issuer of the at least one token.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one token is associated with an indication of one or more token users to whom the at least one token is issued, which indication is recorded within the token originator'"'"'s communication system.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one token is associated with an indication of en intended purpose for the at least one token.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein making one or more tokens available comprises distributing multiple tokens with different purposes to two or more token users.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein making one or more tokens available comprises distributing multiple tokens with different purposes to one token user.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tying two or more actions in the token action log to different specific events.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one action in the token action log includes a reference to one or more standard action sets that are referenced by one or more token action Log entries.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one action comprises accepting the communication.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting the communication comprises receiving the communication into an inbox.

35. A system comprising:

a token generation module within a communication system of a token originator to create one or more tokens;

a token action log within the token originator'"'"'s communication system to associate each token with a customizable set of one or more actions dynamically specifiable by the token originator, wherein each token is to trigger the associated set of one or more actions in response to accompanying a communication that experiences an event;

a token distribution module to make the one or more tokens available for distribution to token users, the token users potentially desiring to communicate with the token originator by including the one or more tokens with a communication;

a communication reception module to receive a communication accompanied by a specific token previously generated within the token originator'"'"'s communication system;

a lookup module to search the token action log for a set of one or more actions associated with the specific token; and

an action management module to execute the set of one or more actions by the token originator'"'"'s communication system.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the event comprises receiving the communication within the communication system.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the event comprises deleting the communication.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the communication system is selected from the group consisting of an email system, a telephone system, an instant messaging system, and a paging system.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the communication is accompanied by a second specific token previously generated within the communication system, and wherein the lookup module is to search the token action log for a second set of one or more actions associated with the second specific token;

and

wherein the action management module is to execute the second set of one or more actions.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein each token corresponds to a group of token users.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one group of token users is selected from the set consisting of family members, friends, business associates, and students within a particular class.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the tokens are distributed to the corresponding groups of token users.

43. The system of claim 35, wherein at least a subset of the tokens is published in a document viewable by token users potentially desiring to communicate with the communication system.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the document is selected from the group consisting of an online director, a printed directory, a business card, and a course syllabus.

45. The system of claim 35, wherein the token distribution module is to transmit at least a subset of the tokens in a communication to one or more token users potentially desiring to communicate with the communication system.

46. The system of claim 35, wherein the token distribution module is to receive communication that does not include a token, request an acknowledgement from a sender of the communication, and transmit a token to the sender in response to receiving the requested acknowledgement.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the token distribution module is to request an acknowledgement from the sender that includes a statement of the senders purpose for the communication.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the token distribution module is to receive the acknowledgement including the statement of the senders purpose, present the statement to an operator of the communication system, and transmit a token to the sender in response to receiving an approval from an operator of the communication system.

49. The system of claim 46, wherein the token distribution module is to present a communication to the sender including an image that depicts a code, wherein the communication instructs the sender to provide an acknowledgement including the depicted code.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the token distribution module is to transmit a token to the sender in response to receiving an acknowledgement including the depicted code.

51. The system of claim 35, wherein the token distribution module, prior to receiving a communication including a specific token, is to receive a communication without a token and associate the communication with a token in response to one or more conditions being satisfied.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein at least one condition includes a return address for the communication being found in an address book of a user of the communication system.

53. The system of claim 35, wherein an action executed by the action management module is to attach one or more tokens to one or more messages already in the communication system.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein an action executed by the action management module is to present the communication to an operator of the communication system.

55. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one action is selected from the group consisting of rejecting the communication, sending a reply to the communication, tagging the communication with an identifier, deleting the communication, filing the communication, logging the communication, forwarding the communication to a recipient, activating a device, audibly alerting an operator of the communication system, visually alerting an operator of the communication system, extracting information from the communication, modifying the token action log, generating a new token, and sending a previously generated token.

56. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one action includes conditional logic.

57. The system of claim 35, wherein the specific token is accompanied by a set of parameters, and wherein the action management module is to execute the set of one or more actions by calling a function with the set of parameters.

58. The system of claim 35, wherein the specific token is associated with conditions for use, and wherein the communication reception module is to perform one or more operations in response to the conditions for use being satisfied.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein at least one operation comprises rejecting the communication.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein the conditions for use include an expiration date.

61. The system of claim 58, wherein the conditions for use include a set number of uses of the specific token.

62. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one token is associated with an indication of an issuer of the at least one token.

63. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one token is associated with an indication of one or more token users to whom the at least one token is issued, and wherein the system comprises a log for recording the indication.

64. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one token is associated with an indication of an intended purpose for the at least one token.

65. The system of claim 35, wherein the token distribution module is to distribute multiple tokens with different purposes to two or more token users.

66. The system of claim 35, wherein the token distribution module is to distribute multiple tokens with different purposes to one token user.

67. The system of claim 35, wherein the token action log is to tie two or more actions in the token action log to different specific events.

68. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one action in the token action log includes a reference to one or more standard action sets that are referenced by one or more token action log entries.

69. The system of claim 35, wherein the event comprises reading the communication.

70. The system of claim 35, wherein the event comprises printing the communication.

71. The system of claim 35, wherein the event comprises forwarding the communication.

72. The system of claim 35, wherein the event comprises replying to the communication.

73. The system of claim 35, wherein the token action log is dynamically extensible to include a new token.

74. A communication apparatus comprising:

means for generating one or more tokens within a communication system of a token originator;

means for associating each token within the token originator'"'"'s communication system with a customizable set of one or more actions in a token action log, the token action log being dynamically extensible to include new tokens and associated actions specified by the token originator;

means for making the one or more tokens available for distribution to token users, the token users potentially desiring to communicate with the token originator by including the one or more tokens with a communication that is sent to the token originator;

means for receiving the communication at the token originator'"'"'s communication system, the communication accompanied by the one or more tokens previously generated within the communication system;

means for searching the token action log for a set of one or more actions associated with the accompanying one or more tokens; and

means for executing the set of one or more actions by the token originator'"'"'s communication system.

75. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including program code for causing a computing device to performing a method comprising:

generating one or more tokens within a communication system of a token originator;

associating each token with a customizable set of one or more actions in a token action log within the token originator'"'"'s system;

making the one or more tokens available for distribution to at least one token user potentially desiring to communicate with the token originator by including the one or more tokens with a communication that is sent to the token originator;

receiving the communication at the token originator'"'"'s communications system, the communication being accompanied by the one or more tokens previously generated within the communication system;

searching the token action log for a set of one or more actions associated with the accompanying one or more tokens; and

executing the set of one or more actions by the token originator'"'"'s communication system.