Community messaging lists for authorization to deliver electronic messages

• US 7,882,360 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Landsman, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schmidt; Kari L
• Application Number:
  US11/017,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,234 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/7, 726/27, 713/157, 713/163, 713/182, 380/225, 380/255, 709/205, 709/223
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

A third-party can subscribe to one or more electronic message group lists without joining the group lists by creating a trust relationship between the subscriber and a group list member. In particular, the subscriber can send a trust indicator to the group member, who can then determine whether to accept the trust indicator for all or specific groups that are associated with the group member, as appropriate. In at least one embodiment, the group member can send a trust indicator acceptance message to the subscriber that identifies the group member, and any or all group lists associated with the group member. The subscriber can then receive messages directed to the trusted group member or group lists, and can send group messages to the group lists subject to a receive setting associated with the group lists or group members of the group lists.

Claims

1. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method of relaying a group message between a subscriber and one or more group members in the one or more group lists without the subscriber having to separately join the one or more group lists, the method comprising the acts of:

identifying a group list and one or more group members of the group list;

sending a trust indicator by a subscriber who is not a member of the group list to one of the one or more group members, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the one group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with a group list associated with the one or more group members without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list;

sending a trust acceptance indicator by the one group member to the subscriber who is not a member of the group list, the trust acceptance indicator indicating that the one group member has accepted the trust indicator;

generating a relay mechanism based on a trust relationship created between the subscriber and the one group member by acceptance of the trust indicator even though the subscriber is not a member of the group list such that the subscriber can receive group messages sent to the identified group list, the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the group list that includes an electronic address associated with the subscriber;

relaying to the subscriber a group message sent by any of the one or more group members to the group list without the subscriber being a member of the group list; and

relaying to the group list a group message sent by the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the group list, such that the one group member that sent the trust acceptance indicator receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but one or more other group members receive the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying a group list and one or more group members of the group list includes one or more of the subscriber receiving an electronic message from the one group member, and the subscriber receiving a digital signature associated with the one group member.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the trust indicator includes an identifier for at least one of a specific group list associated with the one group member, an electronic message address for the subscriber, a username and password associated with the subscriber, and a digital signature associated with the subscriber.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one group member is the creator of the group list.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the trust indicator includes a request to receive group list messages from additional group lists associated with the one group member.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the one group member sending a challenge message to the subscriber that requests a specified response from the subscriber prior to accepting the trust indicator.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating an approval list, the approval list including one or more trusted subscribers, one or more corresponding routing instructions, and a set of instructions for allowing the one or more trusted subscribers to receive messages from the group list.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least first and second group lists are associated with the one group member, and wherein each of the first and second group lists have a different trust configuration that differentiates sending or receiving of a group message based on content of the group message.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises an act of:

sending a first group message by the one group member to other of the one or more group members in the first group list based on content identified in the first group message, wherein the subscriber does not receive the first group message; and

sending a second group message by the one group member to the other of the one or more group members and to the subscriber of the first group list based on the content of the second group message.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identified group list comprises a non-trusted second group member, and wherein a receive setting is associated with one or more of the identified group list and the non-trusted second group member.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the receive setting indicates that the non-trusted second group member can receive a group message sent by the subscriber to the identified group list.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the subscriber is identified as part of a sub-class, and wherein the receive setting indicates that the non-trusted second group member can receive a group message sent by any subscriber that is part of the sub-class.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein a second group list is subscribed to the identified group list, and wherein a group message sent by the subscriber to the group list is also sent to the second group list.

14. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method of communicating a group message between a subscriber and one or more group members in the one or more group lists without the subscriber having to separately join the one or more group lists, the method comprising:

an act of identifying a group member;

a step for creating an electronic message trust relationship between a subscriber and the identified group member using a trust indicator, the step for creating an electronic message trust relationship comprising an act of sending the trust indicator by the subscriber who is not a member of one or more group lists associated with the identified group member to the identified group member, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the identified group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with the one or more group lists without the subscriber becoming a member of the one or more group lists;

a step for generating a relay mechanism based on the trust relationship created between the subscriber and the identified group member such that the subscriber can communicate with the one or more group lists without requiring the subscriber to join the one or more group lists, the one or more group lists including a first group list and the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the first group list including an electronic address associated with the subscriber;

a step for relaying a group message to the first group list from the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the identified group member receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but at least one additional group member belonging to the first group list receives the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber; and

a step for relaying a group message from the at least one additional group member to the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the subscriber receives the group message from the at least one additional group member without challenge.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the step for creating an electronic message trust relationship further comprises:

an act of receiving a trust acceptance indicator that indicates that the group member has accepted the trust indicator, wherein the subscriber gains communicative access to a group list associated with the group member; and

an act of sending a group message from the group member or any other group members of the associated group list to the group list, such that the subscriber receives the group message.

16. In a computerized system, including a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method for relaying messages between group members of a group list and a subscriber based on one or more trust relationships, the method comprising:

an act of a group member of a group list accepting a trust indicator from a subscriber who is not a member of the group list such that the group member is a trusted group member and without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the trusted group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with the group list without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list;

a step for, based on the accepted trust indicator and without the subscriber being a member of the group list, relaying a group message to the group list from the subscriber, such that the group member that sent accepted the trust indicator receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but a non-trusted group member receives the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber; and

a step for, based on the accepted trust indicator and without the subscriber being a member of the group list, relaying a group message from any group member of the group list to the subscriber, such that the subscriber receives the group message from any group member without challenge.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step for relaying a group message to the group list from the subscriber comprises:

an act of the subscriber sending a group message to the group list;

an act of the trusted group member receiving the group message from the subscriber; and

an act of the non-trusted group member challenging the group message from the subscriber based on the receive setting.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein first and second group messages are created by any of the trusted or non-trusted group members and sent to the group list, and wherein the subscriber receives the first group message based on content identified in the first group message, and wherein the subscriber does not receive the second group message due to content identified in the second group message.

19. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a computer program product comprising non-transitory computer readable storage media having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, instruct a computerized system to perform:

an act of identifying a group member;

a step for creating an electronic message trust relationship between a subscriber and the identified group member using a trust indicator, the step for creating an electronic message trust relationship including an act of sending the trust indicator by the subscriber who is not a member of one or more group lists associated with the identified group member to the identified group member, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with the one or more group lists without the subscriber becoming a member of the one or more group lists;

a step for generating a relay mechanism based on the trust relationship created between the subscriber and the identified group member such that the subscriber can communicate with the one or more group lists without requiring the subscriber to join the one or more group lists, the one or more group lists including a first group list and the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the first group list that includes an electronic address associated with the subscriber;

a step for relaying a group message to the first group list from the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the identified group member receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but at least one additional group member belonging to the first group list receives the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber; and

a step for relaying a group message from the at least one additional group member to the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the first group list, such that the subscriber receives the group message from the at least one additional group member without challenge.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the step for creating an electronic message trust relationship further includes an act of receiving a trust acceptance indicator that indicates that the group member has accepted the trust indicator, wherein the subscriber gains communicative access to a group list associated with the group member;

and

an act of sending a group message from the group member or any other group members of the associated group list to the group list, such that the subscriber receives the group message.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the step for relaying a group message to the first group list from the subscriber comprises:

an act of the subscriber sending a group message to the first group list;

an act of the identified group member receiving the group message from the subscriber; and

an act of the at least one additional group member challenging the group message from the subscriber based on the receive setting.

22. In a computerized environment that includes an electronic messaging service, a group member, and one or more group lists associated with the group member, a method of relaying a group message between a subscriber and one or more group members in the one or more group lists without the subscriber having to separately join the one or more group lists, the method comprising the acts of:

identifying a group list and one or more group members of the group list;

sending a trust indicator by a subscriber who is not a member of the group list to one of the one or more group members, the trust indicator comprising an electronic message sent to the one group member, the trust indicator indicating a request to send or receive electronic communication with a group list associated with the one or more group members without the subscriber becoming a member of the group list, wherein the trust indicator includes an identifier for at least one of a specific group list associated with the one group member, an electronic message address for the subscriber, a username and password associated with the subscriber, or a digital signature associated with the subscriber;

sending a trust acceptance indicator by the one group member to the subscriber who is not a member of the group list, the trust acceptance indicator indicating that the one group member has accepted the trust indicator;

generating a relay mechanism based on a trust relationship created between the subscriber and the one group member by acceptance of the trust indicator even though the subscriber is not a member of the group list such that the subscriber can receive group messages sent to the identified group list, the relay mechanism comprising an address forwarding file in the group list that includes an electronic address associated with the subscriber;

relaying to the subscriber a group message sent by any of the one or more group members to the group list without the subscriber being a member of the group list; and

relaying to the group list a group message sent by the subscriber without the subscriber being a member of the group list, such that the one group member that sent the trust acceptance indicator receives the group message from the subscriber without requiring a response to a challenge from the subscriber, but one or more other group members receive the group message from the subscriber subject to a receive setting that requires a response to a challenge from the subscriber.