Method for creating adaptive distributions

• US 8,019,821 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Hamilton, Rick Allen, Williams, Susan Marie, Li, Jenny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHATIA, AJAY M
• Application Number:
  US11/924,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method to dynamically create an adaptive distribution list through an application of a combination of mathematical, logical and/or programmable operations to existing static distribution lists or user directories. This list is created as part of the information message sent to the entries on the distribution list. In this invention, the user or sender does not need to interface with the Group creation modification tool. Another feature of the invention is that the newly created distribution lists can be temporarily or permanently saved as designed by the sender. This invention eliminates the need to separately create distribution and then send messages to the entries on the distribution list.

Claims

1. A method for generating a distribution list prior to the transmission of information, wherein the generated list is based on the contents of information contained in a message destination field of a message containing the information to be transmitted, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting and intercepting a message transmission attempt;

identifying, from the contents of the information contained in the message destination field of the message, one or more sources of entrants for a distribution list;

identifying one or more operations needed for generating a new distribution list from the contents of the information in the message destination field;

generating the new distribution list based on the application of identified operations to the one or more identified sources of entrants according to a specified order of the identified operations;

determining storage requirements for the newly generated distribution list, the storage requirements being based on contents of the information in the message destination field; and

transmitting the intercepted message to entries in the newly generated distribution list,

wherein said generating the new distribution list comprises performing mathematical, logical, and/or programmable operations, said logical operations including UNION and XOR set operations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial distribution list identifying step further comprises the step of determining whether the one or more sources of entrants comprise multiple distribution lists and/or individual entrants from which a new distribution list will be generated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage requirements require the new distribution list to be permanently or temporarily stored.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining storage requirements comprises:

permanently replacing an existing distribution list with the newly generated distribution list in response to a specification by a user of the contents of the information in the message destination field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining storage requirements comprises:

determining that the newly generated list is to be stored for a period of time beyond a time to distribute the transmitted information to each entry in the newly generated list;

identifying an existing distribution list that is to be replaced by the newly generated distribution list for the period of time; and

temporarily replacing the existing distribution list with the newly generated distribution list in response to a specification by a user of the contents of the information in the message destination field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents of the message destination field comprise:

(I) contents for identifying the one or more sources of entrants for the newly generated distribution list; and

(ii) an identification of operations for generating the new distribution list and information for determining whether to save the newly generated distribution list.

7. A method for generating a distribution list prior to the transmission of information, wherein the generated list is based on the contents of information contained in a message destination field of a message containing the information to be transmitted, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting and intercepting a message transmission attempt;

identifying, from the contents of the information contained in the message destination field of the message, one or more sources of entrants for a distribution list;

identifying one or more operations needed for generating a new distribution list from the contents of the information in the message destination field;

generating the new distribution list based on the application of identified operations to the one or more identified sources of entrants according to a specified order of the identified operations;

determining storage requirements for the newly generated distribution list, the storage requirements being based on contents of the information in the message destination field; and

transmitting the intercepted message to entries in the newly generated distribution list,

wherein said determining storage requirements comprises;

determining that the newly generated list is to be stored for a period of time beyond a time to distribute the transmitted information to each entry in the newly generated list;

identifying an existing distribution list that is to be replaced by the newly generated distribution list for the period of time; and

temporarily replacing the existing distribution list with the newly generated distribution list in response to a specification by a user of the contents of the information in the message destination field,

wherein said determining storage requirements further comprises the steps of;

identifying temporal restrictions associated with the initial distribution lists and/or individual entrants that will be included or excluded temporarily within a specified start and end date pertaining to the period of time;

tagging the temporal restrictions as non-permanent; and

recording the period of the time in relation to the temporal restrictions.

8. The method of claim 7, said method further comprising the step of monitoring a time duration of the newly generated distribution list and terminating the newly generated distribution list when the time duration of the newly generated distribution list has expired.

9. A computer program product, comprising a tangible computer-readable storage device having a computer readable software stored therein, said computer readable software containing instructions configured to be executed by a server device to implement a method for generating a distribution list prior to the transmission of information wherein the generated list is based on the contents of information contained in a message destination field of a message containing information to be transmitted, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting and intercepting a message transmission attempt;

identifying, from the contents of the information contained in the message destination field of the message, one or more sources of entrants for a distribution list;

identifying one or more operations needed for generating a new distribution list from the contents of the information in the message destination field;

generating the new distribution list based on the application of identified operations to the one or more identified sources of entrants according to the specified order of the identified operations;

determining storage requirements for the newly generated distribution list, the storage requirements being based on contents of the information in the message destination field; and

transmitting the intercepted message to entries in the newly generated distribution list,

wherein said generating the new distribution list comprises performing mathematical, logical, and/or programmable operations, said logical operations including UNION and XOR set operations.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said determining storage requirements comprises:

determining that the newly generated list is to be stored for a period of time beyond a time to distribute the transmitted information to each entry in the newly generated list;

identifying an existing distribution list that is to be replaced by the newly generated distribution list for the period of time; and

temporarily replacing the existing distribution list with the newly generated distribution list in response to a specification by a user of the contents of the information in the message destination field.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the contents of the message destination field comprise:

(I) contents for identifying the one or more sources of entrants for the newly generated distribution list; and

(ii) an identification of operations for generating the new distribution list and information for determining whether to save the newly generated distribution list.

12. A system for generating a distribution list prior to the transmission of information, wherein the generated list is based on the contents of information contained in a message destination field of a message containing the information to be transmitted, the system comprising:

an input/output terminal device for electronically constructing and transmitting messages to a designated destination location;

recipient terminals devices connected to said input/output terminal device to receive electronically constructed and transmitted messages;

a communication network for connecting terminal devices and for receiving and transmitted electronically constructed and transmitted messages;

a server device connected to said communication network, said server capable of detecting and intercepting messages transmitted from said input/output terminal device;

a software module for generating new distribution lists based on criteria contained in a message destination field of an electronically constructed and transmitted message, said software module containing logical operations and search routines used to generate new distribution lists; and

a database containing currently generated distributions and individual entries, said individual entries being stored in records with fields containing identifiers that are used during searches of the database in the operation of generating a new distribution list;

said server device configured to execute the software module to perform a method for generating a distribution list prior to the transmission of information wherein the generated list is based on the contents of information contained in a message destination field of a message containing information to be transmitted, said method comprising the steps of;

detecting and intercepting a message transmission attempt;

identifying, from the contents of the information contained in the message destination field of the message, one or more sources of entrants for a distribution list;

identifying one or more operations needed for generating a new distribution list from the contents of the information in the message destination field;

generating a new distribution list based on the application of identified operations to the one or more identified sources of entrants according to a specified order of the identified operations;

determining storage requirements for the newly generated distribution list, the storage requirements being based on contents of the information in the message destination field; and

transmitting the intercepted message to entries in the newly generated distribution list.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said determining storage requirements comprises:

determining that the newly generated list is to be stored for a period of time beyond a time to distribute the transmitted information to each entry in the newly generated list;

identifying an existing distribution list that is to be replaced by the newly generated distribution list for the period of time; and

temporarily replacing the existing distribution list with the newly generated distribution list in response to a specification by a user of the contents of the information in the message destination field.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said determining storage requirements further comprises the steps of:

identifying temporal restrictions associated with the initial distribution lists and/or individual entrants that will be included or excluded temporarily within a specified start and end date pertaining to the period of time;

tagging the temporal restrictions as non-permanent; and

recording the period of the time in relation to the temporal restrictions.

15. The system of claim 14, said method further comprising the step of monitoring a time duration of the newly generated distribution list and terminating the newly generated distribution list when the time duration of the newly generated distribution list has expired.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the contents of the message destination field comprise:

(I) contents for identifying the one or more sources of entrants for the newly generated distribution list; and

(ii) an identification of operations for generating the new distribution list and information for determining whether to save the newly generated distribution list.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said generating the new distribution list comprises performing mathematical, logical, and/or programmable operations, said logical operations including UNION and XOR set operations.

18. A computer program product, comprising a tangible computer-readable storage device having a computer readable software stored therein, said computer readable software containing instructions configured to be executed by a server device to implement a method for generating a distribution list prior to the transmission of information wherein the generated list is based on the contents of information contained in a message destination field of a message containing information to be transmitted, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting and intercepting a message transmission attempt;

identifying, from the contents of the information contained in the message destination field of the message, one or more sources of entrants for a distribution list;

identifying one or more operations needed for generating a new distribution list from the contents of the information in the message destination field;

generating the new distribution list based on the application of identified operations to the one or more identified sources of entrants according to the specified order of the identified operations;

determining storage requirements for the newly generated distribution list, the storage requirements being based on contents of the information in the message destination field; and

transmitting the intercepted message to entries in the newly generated distribution list,

wherein said determining storage requirements comprises;

determining that the newly generated list is to be stored for a period of time beyond a time to distribute the transmitted information to each entry in the newly generated list;

identifying an existing distribution list that is to be replaced by the newly generated distribution list for the period of time; and

temporarily replacing the existing distribution list with the newly generated distribution list in response to a specification by a user of the contents of the information in the message destination field,

wherein said determining storage requirements further comprises the steps of;

identifying temporal restrictions associated with the initial distribution lists and/or individual entrants that will be included or excluded temporarily within a specified start and end date pertaining to the period of time;

tagging the temporal restrictions as non-permanent; and

recording the period of the time in relation to the temporal restrictions.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, said method further comprising the step of monitoring a time duration of the newly generated distribution list and terminating the newly generated distribution list when the time duration of the newly generated distribution list has expired.