Method and apparatus for managing subscription-type messages
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method of operating a subscription manager to manage incoming machine readable messages arriving at a communications network having multiple remote user recipients, the method comprising the operations of:
- independent of whether incoming messages have originated from a message originator pre-approved by the incoming messages'"'"' addressees, the subscription manager determining if incoming messages are subscription type messages, subscription type messages comprising recurring messages multicast to a plurality of addressees who have previously communicated to originators of the recurring messages their intent to receive such messages;
responsive to finding that a given message is a subscription type message, the given message having at least one addressee, performing operations comprising;
determining whether the given message originated from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee for sending subscribed-to messages to the given message'"'"'s addressee;
if the given message originated from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee, forwarding the given message to the given message'"'"'s addressee;
if the given message did not originate from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee, blocking delivery of the given message to the given message'"'"'s addressee.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for managing subscription-type arrangements involving a recurring series of messages sent to a plurality of user recipients on a communications network is disclosed. Incoming messages are monitored by a filtering agent, and message attributes are compared to corresponding parameters stored in a database to block certain messages from unauthorized sources and forward authorized messages to an addressee. Provisions are made for a communications service provider to create special arrangements with commercial partners to facilitate the starting, modification, and canceling of subscription arrangements. Individual user recipients can independently contact the commercial partners, third-party commercial entities, individual or groups to establish a subscription-type arrangement. Various forms and procedures enable a subscription manager component to keep track of all such arrangements in the database.
62 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method of operating a subscription manager to manage incoming machine readable messages arriving at a communications network having multiple remote user recipients, the method comprising the operations of:
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independent of whether incoming messages have originated from a message originator pre-approved by the incoming messages'"'"' addressees, the subscription manager determining if incoming messages are subscription type messages, subscription type messages comprising recurring messages multicast to a plurality of addressees who have previously communicated to originators of the recurring messages their intent to receive such messages; responsive to finding that a given message is a subscription type message, the given message having at least one addressee, performing operations comprising; determining whether the given message originated from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee for sending subscribed-to messages to the given message'"'"'s addressee; if the given message originated from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee, forwarding the given message to the given message'"'"'s addressee; if the given message did not originate from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee, blocking delivery of the given message to the given message'"'"'s addressee. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for managing incoming machine readable messages arriving at a communications network having multiple remote user recipients, comprising:
a subscription manager programmed to perform computer-executed operations comprising; independent of whether incoming messages have originated from a message originator pre-approved by the incoming messages'"'"' addressees, determining if incoming messages are subscription type messages, subscription type messages comprising recurring messages multicast to a plurality of addressees who have previously communicated to originators of the recurring messages their intent to receive such messages; responsive to finding that a given message is a subscription type message, the given message having at least one addressee, performing operations comprising; determining whether the given message originated from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee for sending subscribed-to messages to the given message'"'"'s addressee; if the given message originated from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee, forwarding the given message to the given message'"'"'s addressee; if the given message did not originate from a subscription source pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee, blocking delivery of the given message to the given message'"'"'s addressee. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of managing incoming machine readable messages arriving at a communications services provider for delivery to multiple remote user recipient customers of the communications services provider, where the communications services provider has commercial relationships with one or more affiliates that serve as known originators of subscription messages comprising messages repeatedly transmitted to multiple addressees that have pre-approved receipt of such subscription messages, the method comprising the operations of:
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apart from messages arriving at the communications services provider for delivery to customers, the communications services provider receiving from each affiliate pre-agreed indicia identifying subscription messages originated by that affiliate; responsive to receiving incoming machine readable messages addressed to remotely located user recipient customers of the communications services provider, the communications services provider examining the incoming machine readable messages for presence of the pre-agreed indicia to determine if the incoming machine readable messages originate with any of the commercial affiliates; responsive to absence of the pre-agreed indicia in a given message, the given message having at least one addressee, and independent of whether the given message originated with a message originator pre-approved by the given message'"'"'s addressee for sending subscribed-to messages to the addressee, the communications services provider forwarding the given message to its addressee; responsive to presence of the pre-agreed indicia in a subject message, the subject message having at least one addressee, the communications services provider determining whether the subject message originated from a message originator that is pre-approved by the subject message'"'"'s addressee for sending subscribed-to messages to the subject message'"'"'s addressee; if so, forwarding the given message to the subject message'"'"'s addressee; if not, blocking delivery of the given message to the subject message'"'"'s addressee.
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Specification