Triggering a communication system to automatically reply to communications

• US 7,912,910 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patil, Sandeep R., Banerjee, Dwip N., Venkatsubra, Venkat, Das, Ranadip
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/874,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A communication system, which facilitates distribution of electronic communications for a user account, includes an emergency auto-reply agent that scans each received communication addressed to the user account for a particular communication sent from at least one emergency address specified for the user account separate from the address of the user account. Responsive to the communication system detecting the particular communication sent from one of the emergency addresses, the emergency auto-reply agent parses the content of the particular communication to detect whether the particular communication comprises a required password. Responsive to detecting the required password within the content of the particular communication, the emergency auto-reply agent directs the communication system to compose and send auto-reply communications from the user account in reply to received communications addressed to the user account.

Claims

1. A system for triggering a communication system to automatically reply to email communications received for a user account facilitated by the email server communication system, comprising:

an emergency auto-reply agent of the email server for scanning each received email communication of a plurality of received email communications addressed to a user account at the email server communication system for a particular email communication addressed from at least one emergency address specified in association with the user account separate from the address of the user account;

the emergency auto-reply agent, responsive to detecting the particular email communication addressed from the at least one emergency address, for parsing the content of the particular email communication content to detect whether the particular email communication comprises a required password by parsing a subject line within the content of the email particular communication to identify a first string specifying a password followed by a comma and followed by a second string comprising a date; and

the emergency auto-reply agent, responsive to detecting the required password within the content of the particular email communication by detecting the password within the subject line matches the required password, for automatically composing a reply email communication addressed from the user account and triggering the email server communication system to automatically send the composed reply communication in reply to a selection of received email communications received after the date from among the plurality of received email communications addressed to the user account.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the email server communication system for receiving, from a communication client logged into the user account at the email server communication system, emergency trigger communication criteria comprising the at least one emergency address and the required password;

the email server communication system for storing the emergency trigger communication criteria in association with the user account at the email server communication system; and

the email server communication system, responsive to storing the emergency trigger communication criteria for the user account, for activating the emergency auto-reply agent to scan of each received email communication of the plurality of received email communications addressed to the user account at the email server communication system.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the emergency auto-reply agent for parsing the content of the particular email communication to detect a message within the content of the particular email communication; and

the emergency auto-reply agent for composing the reply email communication addressed from the user account with the message from the content of the particular email communication specified within the reply email communication.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the emergency auto-reply agent for detecting whether the particular email communication is addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address; and

the emergency auto-reply agent, responsive to detecting the particular email communication addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address, for composing the reply email communication addressed from the user account with the at least one carbon copy recipient address from the particular email communication specified as a carbon copy recipient of the reply email communication.

5. A method for triggering an email server to automatically reply to communications received for a user account facilitated by the email server, comprising:

enabling an email server communicatively connected to a network to facilitate receipt of email communications addressed to a plurality of user accounts via the network and to distribute the email communications addressed from a plurality of user account via the network;

controlling, within said email server, automatic composition and sending of a reply email from a selection of the plurality of user accounts for which an auto-reply controller is activated to each of a plurality of received emails for the selection of the plurality of user accounts;

activating, at the email server, an emergency auto-reply agent for a particular user account from among the plurality of user accounts with specified emergency trigger email criteria, for scanning each received email for the particular user account to detect a particular received email matching the emergency trigger email criteria, wherein the emergency trigger email criteria specifies at least one emergency sender address;

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent, a subject line within the content of the particular received email to identify a first strong specifying a password followed by a comma and followed by a second string comprising a date;

responsive to the emergency auto-reply agent detecting the sender of the particular received email matching the emergency trigger email criteria by detecting the password within the subject line matches a required password in the emergency trigger email criteria, triggering the auto-reply controller for the particular user account to send the reply email in reply to a selection of received emails received after the date from among the plurality of email communications; and

automatically composing and sending the reply email with a message matching the message specified in the particular received email matching the emergency trigger email criteria.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

facilitating, at an email client system communicatively connected to the email server via the network, an interface through which a user logs into the particular user account and specifies the emergency trigger email criteria for activating the emergency auto-reply agent.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

specifying, from a user entry, at the email server, a first emergency sender address assigned to a same user of the particular user account and at least one additional sender address assigned to a user separate from the user of the particular user account.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent, a message of the particular received email; and

triggering, by the emergency auto-reply agent, the auto-reply controller to send the reply email message specified with the message from the particular received email.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent the particular received email to detect a carbon copy recipient address of the particular received email; and

triggering, by the emergency auto-reply agent, the auto-reply controller to send the reply email with the carbon copy recipient in the reply email specified to the carbon copy recipient address.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

parsing by the emergency auto-reply agent the particular received email to detect at least one rule for determining a qualified selection of recipients to receive the reply email message; and

triggering, by the emergency auto-reply agent, the auto-reply controller to send the reply email to only the qualified selection of recipients addressed as senders of the plurality of received emails.

11. A program product comprising a non-transitory storage-type computer-usable medium including a computer-readable program for triggering an email server communication system to automatically reply to email communications received for a user account facilitated by the email server communication system, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

scan each received email communication of a plurality of received email communications addressed to a user account at the email server communication system for a particular email communication addressed from at least one emergency address specified in association with the user account separate from the address of the user account;

responsive to detecting the particular email communication addressed from the at least one emergency address, parse the content of the particular email communication content to detect whether the particular email communication comprises a required password by parsing a subject line within the content of the particular email communication to identify a first string specifying a password followed by a comma and followed by a second string comprising a date; and

responsive to detecting the required password within the content of the particular email communication by detecting the password within the subject line matches the required password, automatically compose a reply email communication addressed from the user account and triggering the email server communication system to automatically send the composed reply email communication in reply to a selection of received email communications received after the date from among the plurality of received email communications addressed to the user account.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein said computer-readable program is transmitted over a network.

13. The program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

receive emergency trigger communication criteria comprising the at least one emergency address and the required password;

store the emergency trigger communication criteria in association with the user account at the email server communication system; and

responsive to storing the emergency trigger communication criteria for the user account, activate the scanning of each received email communication of the plurality of received email communications addressed to the user account at the email server communication system.

14. The program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

parse the content of the particular email communication to detect a message within the content of the particular email communication; and

compose the reply email communication addressed from the user account with the message from the content of the particular email communication specified within the reply email communication.

15. The program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

detect whether the particular email communication is addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address; and

responsive to detecting the particular email communication addressed to at least one carbon copy recipient address, compose the reply email communication addressed from the user account with the at least one carbon copy recipient address from the particular email communication specified as a carbon copy recipient of the reply email communication.