Method and system for filtering notification of e-mail messages

• US 7,181,495 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Skladman, Julia, Thornberry, Robert Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAWAZ, ASAD M
• Application Number:
  US10/096,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20020159575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-238, 702/10, 702/9, 379/93.24, 379 9323- 24, 379/90.01, 379/88, 706/47, 707/9, 707/10, 707/104, 455/566
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 an email message, comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface window to a user comprising a listing of a plurality of received email messages;

receiving a first indication via the graphical user interface to permit notification of one or more future incoming email messages associated with a first received email of the plurality of received email messages while the first received email is selected;

storing a priority flag for an attribute associated with the first received email in a filter list to permit notification of future incoming email messages associated with the first received email in response to the received first indication;

receiving a second indication via the graphical user interface to block notification of one or more future incoming email messages associated with a second received email of the plurality of received email messages while the second received email is selected;

storing a priority flag for an attribute associated with the second received email in the filter list to block notification of future incoming email messages associated with the second received email in response the received second indication; and

selectively notifying a user of an incoming email message as a function of a priority flag of an attribute associated with the incoming email message and the filter list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute associated with the first received email, the attribute associated with the second received email, and the attribute associated with the incoming email is a sender email address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute associated with the first received email, the attribute associated with the second received email, and the attribute associated with the incoming email is a subject field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute associated with the first received email, the attribute associated with the second received email, and the attribute associated with the incoming email is a recipient email address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively notifying a user of an incoming email message as a function of a priority flag of an attribute associated with the incoming email message and the filter list comprises:

determining whether the attribute associated with the incoming message is associated with an inclusion priority flag in the filter list; and

sending a notification to the user regarding the incoming email message in response to determining the attribute associated with the incoming message is associated with an inclusion priority flag.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending a notification to the user comprises:

faxing a notification to the user regarding the incoming email message.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein sending a notification to the user comprises:

leaving a voicemail for the user regarding the incoming email message.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein sending a notification to the user comprises:

placing a telephone call to a telephone of the user regarding the incoming email message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the telephone is a cellular telephone.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein sending a notification to the user comprises:

sending a page to a pager of the user regarding the incoming email message.

11. A system for selective notification of an email message, comprising:

a user interface comprising a listing of a plurality of received email messages;

an email server, coupled to the user interface, the email server operative to store a priority flag in a filter list for an attribute associated with a received email of the plurality of received email messages in response to a user selecting the received email and indicating via the user interface whether to notify the user of an incoming email message associated with the selected received email or to block notification of incoming email messages associated with the selected received email; and

a notification server coupled with the email server, the notification server operative to selectively notify the user of an incoming email message as a function of a priority flag stored in the filter list for an attribute associated with the incoming email message and the filter list;

wherein in response to indicating to notify the user of an incoming messages associated with the selected received email, the filter list permits notification of future incoming email messages associated with the attribute associated with the received email and in response to indicating to block notification of incoming email messages associated with the selected received email, the filter list blocks notification of future incoming email messages associated with the received email.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute associated with the received email and the attribute associated with the incoming email message is a sender email address.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute associated with the received email and the attribute associated with the incoming email message is a subject field.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute associated with the received email and the attribute associated with the incoming email message is a recipient email address.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification server comprises an interface operative to send a fax to a fax machine of the user regarding the incoming email message.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification server comprises an interface operative to leave a voicemail for the user regarding the incoming email message.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification server comprises an interface operative to send a page to a pager of the user regarding the incoming email message.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification server comprises an interface operative to place a telephone call to a telephone of the user regarding the incoming email message.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the telephone is a cellular telephone.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable data which directs one or more computer processors to perform acts of:

displaying a graphical user interface window to a user comprising a listing of a plurality of received email messages;

receiving a first indication via the graphical user interface to permit notification of one or more future incoming email messages associated with a first received email of the plurality of received email messages while the first received email is selected;

storing a priority flag for an attribute associated with the first received email in a filter list to permit notification of future incoming email messages associated with the first received email in response to the received first indication;

receiving a second indication via the graphical user interface to block notification of one or more future incoming email messages associated with a second received email of the plurality of received email messages while the second received email is selected;

storing a priority flag for an attribute associated with the second received email in the filter list to block notification of future incoming email messages associated with the second received email in response the received second indication; and

selectively notifying a user of an incoming email message as a function of a priority flag of an attribute associated with the incoming email message and the filter list.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein selectively notifying a user of an incoming email message as a function of a priority flag of an attribute associated with the incoming email message and the filter list comprises:

determining whether the attribute associated with the incoming message is associated with an inclusion priority flag in the filter list; and

sending a notification to the user regarding the incoming email message in response to determining the attribute associated with the incoming message is associated with an inclusion priority flag.