Message server and method for notification of a user about the delivery of an electronic message

• US 8,111,819 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: cycos AG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: cycos AG (Atos Se)
• Inventors: Zegers, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/708,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.12, 379/207.08, 455/466, 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

In one aspect, a message server for processing outgoing and incoming electronic messages is provided. The server includes a receiving facility, a transmission facility, an instruction, a checking facility, and a notification facility. The receiving facility receives the electronic messages, including a first electronic message and a second electronic message. The transmission facility sends the electronic messages including the first electronic message. The instruction is allocated to the first electronic message and includes information for sending a notification message. The checking facility checks the second electronic message to determine if the second electronic message is a reply message to the first electronic message. The notification facility sends the notification message in response to the receipt of the reply message.

Claims

1. A message server for processing outgoing and incoming electronic messages, comprising:

a transmission facility for sending electronic messages;

a receiving facility for receiving electronic messages;

a notification facility for sending a notification message about the receipt of electronic messages;

an allocation means for allocating an instruction to an electronic message which has been sent or is to be sent, wherein the instruction enables provision of the sending of a notification message on the receipt of an incoming reply message to the sent electronic message; and

a checking facility for checking incoming electronic messages to determine whether an incoming electronic message is a reply message to a previously sent electronic message which is equipped with an instruction, and

wherein the notification facility sends a notification message in the event of a positive result by the checking facility that the incoming electronic message is a reply message to a previously sent electronic message which is equipped with an instruction.

2. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electronic message is an email message.

3. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking facility compares at least a portion of the subject line of the sent electronic message with at least a portion of the subject line of the received electronic message.

4. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking facility compares at least one addressee of the sent electronic message with a sender entry of the received electronic message.

5. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking facility compares at least a portion of a body text of the sent electronic message with at least a portion of a body text of the received electronic message.

6. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the instruction includes a destination address for the notification message.

7. The message server as claimed in claim 6, wherein the destination address for the notification is different than an address of a sender of the sent electronic message.

8. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification message is an electronic real-time message.

9. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the instruction includes information to generate a phone call to a user as a notification message.

10. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the instruction includes information to send a text-based message to a user as a notification message.

11. The message server as claimed in claim 10, wherein the text-based message is an SMS message or an email message.

12. The message server as claimed in claim 11, wherein the notification message includes at least a portion of a subject line of the reply message.

13. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification message includes at least a portion of a body text of the reply message.

14. The message server as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message server is an email server or a unified messaging system.

15. A method for notification of a user about the receipt of a reply electronic message, comprising:

creating an electronic message;

allocating, to the created electronic message, an instruction for notification about a future incoming reply message;

sending the created electronic message, the sent electronic message including the instruction;

receiving an electronic message;

checking the received electronic message to determine whether it is a reply message to the sent electronic message which included the instruction; and

if the result of the check is positive, sending a notification message to a user that the received electronic message is a reply message to the previously sent electronic message which is equipped with the instruction.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the instruction includes a time of day information such that the notification message is sent to different addresses based on the time of day.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the instruction includes information to generate a phone call or to send a text-based message to an address of the user.