Managing forwarded electronic messages
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving an original message having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified by a sender of the original message;
sending a mobile device communication based on the original message to a first destination indicator of a mobile device associated with the intended destination indicator, wherein the first destination indicator is different from the intended destination indicator;
receiving, from the mobile device, a reply message to the original message with the reply message having a first reply source indicator that is different from the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message, wherein the first reply source indicator is the same as the first destination indicator;
receiving, from the mobile device, an indication of whether to hide the first reply source indicator;
if the indication indicates to hide the first reply source indicator, sending a communication based on the reply message to the original source indicator, with the communication having a second reply source indicator that is the same as the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message; and
if the indication does not indicate to hide the first reply source indicator, sending a communication based on the reply message to the original source indicator, with the communication having the first reply source indicator that is different from the intended destination indicator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Communicating between electronic devices involves sending messages between the electronic devices. An original message having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified is sent. A reply to that original message is sent by the recipient of the original message. The reply message has a reply source indicator and a reply destination indicator. A communication based on the reply message is sent. The communication based on the reply message has a reply source indicator that is the same as the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message. In one example, a message is sent from computer operating an instant messaging program and forwarded to a mobile telephone. The reply sent from the mobile telephone is provided to the sender of the original message without revealing the telephone number of the mobile telephone to which the original instant message was forwarded.
954 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving an original message having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified by a sender of the original message; sending a mobile device communication based on the original message to a first destination indicator of a mobile device associated with the intended destination indicator, wherein the first destination indicator is different from the intended destination indicator; receiving, from the mobile device, a reply message to the original message with the reply message having a first reply source indicator that is different from the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message, wherein the first reply source indicator is the same as the first destination indicator; receiving, from the mobile device, an indication of whether to hide the first reply source indicator; if the indication indicates to hide the first reply source indicator, sending a communication based on the reply message to the original source indicator, with the communication having a second reply source indicator that is the same as the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message; and if the indication does not indicate to hide the first reply source indicator, sending a communication based on the reply message to the original source indicator, with the communication having the first reply source indicator that is different from the intended destination indicator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving an original message from a sending mobile telephone device associated with a sender having an original source indicator and an intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message; forwarding the original message to a first destination indicator telephone number of a mobile device associated with the intended destination indicator; receiving, from the mobile device, a reply message to the original message with the reply message having a first reply source indicator telephone number that is different from the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message; receiving, from the mobile device, an indication of whether to hide the first reply source indicator telephone number;
if the indication indicates to hide the first reply source indicator telephone number, sending, to the original source indicator, a communication based on the reply message with the communication having a second reply source indicator that is the same as the intended destination indicator identified by the sender of the original message; andif the indication does not indicate to hide the first reply source indicator, sending a communication based on the reply message to the original source indicator, with the communication having the first reply source indicator telephone number that is different from the intended destination indicator.
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16. A tangible, non-transitory computer storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, generate a graphical user interface for display on a display device, the graphical user interface comprising:
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a list of potential message recipients selected by a user as significant to the user wherein; a mobile device identifier is associated with at least one of the listed potential message recipients, and a user account identifier is associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients; and an instant message display for a reply message received in reply to an original message sent to a destination address of one of the listed potential message recipients, wherein the reply message is received from the intended recipient of the original message, and wherein; the instant message display includes a sender address of the recipient, wherein the sender address of the recipient is hidden if the recipient indicates to hide the sender address of the recipient when the sender address is different from the destination address specified in the original message and the sender address is not hidden if the recipient does not indicate to hide the sender address of the recipient when the sender address is different from the destination address specified in the original message, the reply message being sent from a mobile device associated with the intended recipient and the sender address of the reply message being replaced by a mobile device identifier corresponding to the destination address specified in the original message. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification