WO2011158033A1

WO2011158033A1 - Communications services apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: WO2011158033A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/051125
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeffrey Wilson
Original assignee: Intellprop Limited
Priority date: 2010-06-18
Filing date: 2011-06-16
Publication date: 2011-12-22
Also published as: GB2481242A; GB201010212D0

Abstract

Apparatus for selectively providing user-configurable service functions on behalf of email users is described. The apparatus comprises a database for storing information regarding the service function to be provided for the user, a configuration processor element operable to receive configuration information from user, e.g., in a configuration email sent to a predefined service configuration email address, and to modify the information in the database based on the configuration information. The apparatus further comprises a service processor element operable to access an email message addressed to the user, to determine whether the content of the accessed email message conforms to a predefined criterion, for example, whether the email conforms to a predefined syntax, and to selectively provide the service function in dependence on whether or not the content of the accessed email message conforms to the predefined criterion, wherein at least one aspect of the service function performed is dependent on the information stored in the database for the user.

Description

COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES APPARATUS AND METHOD

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to communications services apparatus and methods for providing service functions on behalf of email addressees.

A known service function in email systems is the automated reply function. This allows a status message, often called an 'out-of-office^* or "auto-reply" message, to be returned by an intended recipient's email system to the originator of an email sent to the intended recipient (the email addressee). This may be used, for example, when the communication attempt is unsuccessful, or when the intended recipient is unavailable, for example on holiday. When this service is provided, the content of the status message may be specified by the intended recipient of the failed communication, or may be automatically provided by his email system. Broadly similar schemes exist in voice telephony (e.g., "voice email") and text message systems (e.g., the GSM SMS system).

A limitation of existing status message techniques in communication networks is evident from the following example situation. Consider a coach of a sports team who needs to deal with perhaps twenty or thirty different people to confirm arrangements prior to every practice session or match. If the coach wants to avoid repeatedly explaining the necessary information in person, he has a number of options using known techniques. For example, the coach can newly record an appropriate outgoing voice mail announcement providing the relevant information. The coach can then reject the twenty or thirty calls from the people who need the information so the callers hear the announcement. Similarly, the coach could configure a reply text message with the relevant information in his mobile telephone handset and reject the calls with this preset text message. However, in these cases, the coach is disturbed by each enquiry, he may potentially reject calls that are unconnected with the sports event, and callers unrelated to the sports event will receive an irrelevant message if his phone is busy or unreachable. Sirni l riy, in an email environment, it would in principle be possible for the coach to set up an Out of office' type message that would provide the necessary information regarding practice session or match arrangements. Then any originator (sender) of an email to the coach would receive this information by return email. However, this usage of out of office messaging can be impractical because all email originators sending a message to the coach would receive the pre-configured reply message, not just those who were specifically interested in the information. Furthermore the coach's email inbox would become cluttered by all of the information requests.

There is therefore a need for methods and apparatus which allow for the selective provision of service functions, such as an auto-reply type service, on behalf of (intended) addressees / recipients of email, messages in communications networks.

SiJMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for providing a service function, for an email addressee, the apparatus comprising: a database for storing information regarding the service function to be provided for the email addressee; a configuration processor element operable to receive configuration information from the email addressee and to modify the information in the database based on the configuration information; and a service processor element operable to access an email message addressed to the email addressee, to determine whether the content of the accessed email message (e.g., the main text body or subject line) conforms to a predefined criterion, and to selectively provide a service function based on the information stored in the database in dependence on whether or not the content of the accessed email message conforms to the predefined criterion.

Thus embodiments of the invention provide a means for allowing a service function to be selectively carried out by an addressee's email system dependent upon a characteristic of an email message from an originator sent to the addressee and received at the addressee's email system. The predefined criterion may, for example, be a pre-specified syntax, e.g., a specific character or text string in the subject field or main body of the email message.

The configuration processor element may be operable to receive the configuration information in a configuration email message from the email addressee, e.g., an email message addressed to a predefined service configuration email address. Alternatively, the configuration processor element may be operable to receive the configuration information through an Internet interface. Thus the email addressee may be provided with easily used scheme(s) for configuring the service.

The configuration processor element may be operable to send a confirmation email message to the email addressee to confirm when information stored in the database has been modified based on configuration information received from the email addressee.

Provision of the service function may comprise sending a response message to a sender of the email message addressed to the email addressee. Thus a selectively activated auto-reply type service may be provided. The response message may, for example, include information content derived from the configuration information received from the email addressee. Thus the email addressee may pre-specify information, e.g., status information, that he wishes to make publicly available / disseminate to people sending an appropriate request message - i.e. a message conforming to the predefined criterion. The response message may also include information content that is automatically generated by the service processor element, for example time information, e.g., the time the most recent configuration information was received.

Provision of the service function may further comprise inhibiting delivery of a received email message conforming to the predefined format to the email addressee. Thus the service function may be provided on behalf of the email addressee without him being disturbed.

The provision of the service function may be further dependent on the identity of the originator of the received message. Thus white- and / or black-listing may be applied to restrict which message originators can trigger the service function.

The provision of the service function may further dependent upon at least one further criterion being met, e.g., based on the time of day or location of the addressee.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for providing a service function for an email addressee, the method comprising: receiving configuration information from the email addressee regarding the provision of the service function and modifying information stored in a database based on the configuration information; accessing an email message addressed to the email addressee; and determining whether the content of the accessed email message conforms to a predefined criterion, and if so, selectively providing a service function based on the information stored in the database in dependence on whether or not the content of the accessed email message conforms to the predefined criterion BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect reference is now made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows an example email system architecture having fixed terminal access;

Figure 2 schematically shows an example email system architecture having wireless terminal access;

Figure 3 schematically shows an example email system architecture having fixed terminal access in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 4 schematically shows an example email system, architecture having wireless terminal access in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 schematically shows in simplified form how email messages may be delivered between fixed (non-wireless) email clients. In this example an email message is sent between a first email client 1 within a first organisation (Organisation

1 in the figure) and a second email client 7 within a second organisation (Organisation

2 in the figure). The first and second organisations may, for example, be companies having their own email servers in the case of business email use, or may be another type of entity, such as an Internet service provider (ISP) in the case of personal email user. The term "organisation" is used here generally to refer to any entity responsible for an email server with which sender or recipient email addresses may be associated. In this regard the organisations may also be referred to as email hosts.

The first email client 1 is operable to communicate with a first email server 2 associated with Organisation 1 via the Internet 3. The second email client 7 is operable to communicate with a second email server 6 associated with Organisation 2 via the Internet 3. (In other examples the email clients may communicate with their respective email servers using different techniques, for example via an organisation's intranet.) The first and second email servers 2, 6 are operable to communicate with one another via the Internet 3. A DNS server 4 and a webmail server 5, neither of which is specifically associated with either of the first or second organisations, are also shown in Figure 1 connected to the Internet 3. These aspects of email services are conventional and well understood. Also shown in Figure 1 is a standard Internet browser 8 operable to communicate with the Internet using HTTP.

As is well known, an email client is a computer program that provides a user with access to email services. Thus the email client 1 of Figure 1 allows a user to: download and read an email message that has been received and stored on the associated email server 2, typically using either the well known POP or IMAP protocol;

compose and send an email message, containing a destination email address, via the email server using the well known SMTP protocol; and

store and manage local copies of messages that have been received and sent. When, the email client 1 sends an email message, the associated email server 2 determines the destination IP address to which the outgoing message is to be sent by looking up the domain part of the destination email address associated with the message (i.e. the part after the "@" symbol) in the DNS server 4. The email message is then forwarded towards the corresponding destination email server, in this case to the email server 6 of the second organisation via the Internet 3 using the SMTP protocol. When the message arrives at the email server 6 it is stored. The message may then be downloaded by an email client 7.

As an alternative to using the SMTP and POP/IMAP protocols for an email client to send and receive emails, the standard Internet browser 8 could be used as an email client to connect to an email service hosted by the webmail server 5 using HTTP. The well known, email domains such as Hotmail and Gmail work in this way. The webmail server 5 provides the functions of both, a web server for communicating with the browser 8, and an email server for sending, receiving and storing email messages.

Figure 2 schematically shows in simplified form how email messages may be delivered in a system supporting wireless email access. In this example the wireless email clients belong to an organisation 10 which corresponds with the first organisation of Figure 1. Fixed email clients 7 outside the organisation 10 communicate with the email server 2 in the manner described above with reference to Figure 1. As is conventional, communications between the email server 2 and wireless mobile users 24, 25 are via a redirector 20, a gateway and a mobile carrier 22, 23 for the respective wireless mobile users 24, 25 (namely carrier A for user 24 and carrier B for user 25). There are four options for the location of the gateway, and each of these is schematically represented in Figure 2 with a different reference numeral as follows:

Option 1 : The gateway 31 is within the organisation 10, behind its firewall 21 , and the organisation is responsible for maintaining links from the gateway 31 to each of the mobile carriers 22 and 23 that it uses. Option 2: The gateway 32 is outside the organisation's firewall 21 in a so- called demilitarised zone. Again the organisation 10 is responsible for maintaining links to each of the mobile carriers 22 and 23 that it uses. Option 3 : The gateway 33 is provided by a mobile carrier. In the case represented in Figure 2, only carrier A can be used by the organisation's wireless users 24 since this is the carrier with the gateway.

Option 4: The gateway 34 is provided by an independent email service provider which takes responsibility for managing links to all of the mobile carriers. Such a gateway is known as a Network Operating Centre (NOC). This is the scheme used, for example, by RIM (RTM) for the Blackberry ( RTM ) system of wireless email.

It will be appreciated that in the configurations shown in Figures 1 and 2, there will always be an email server associated with each user (email address). In other words, in order to retrieve or send an email message, a user communicates with a particular email server. This email server might be managed by a company in the case of a corporate email user, or might be managed by an Internet Service Provider in the case of a home email user, or might be managed by a dedicated email provider in the case of a webmail service. An email server can therefore be regarded as a concentration point through which all email messages are received for all of its associated users, whether fixed or wireless.

Embodiments of the present invention allow a sender of an email (email originator) located anywhere in the world to send an email message conforming to at least one predetermined criterion to an email addressee (intended recipient) associated with a particular email server (i.e. email addressed to this email addressee is received and accessible by this email server). The email server is operable to detect that the received email message meets the predetermined criterion, and to perform a particular service on behalf of the email addressee. In an embodiment, an example service that can be provided by the present invention provides a means for the email addressee to pre-configure a message to be selectively sent back to an email originator who sends an email message that meets the predetermined criterion. Thus an email originator aware of the predetermined criterion may elect to send a message addressed to the email addressee which meets the predefined criterion (criteria) so as to in effect make a request for the email message pre-configured by the email addressee to be sent back to him. In this regard, an email message from a message originator conforming to the predefined criterion (criteria) may sometimes be referred to as a request message.

Thus in accordance with embodiments of the invention, a service is provided whereby a subscriber of the service (referred to here as an email addressee) is able to specify / pre-configure any information that he desires to be made available to any email, originator who send him an appropriately configured request message. In one embodiment, email request messages meeting the predefined criterion which are addressed to the email addressee are not delivered to the email addressee's mailbox. In this way, the email originator can request to receive the email addressee's pre- configured message without disturbing the email addressee. For example, if the email, addressee is the coach of a sports team as discussed above, the coach can in effect publish any desired information by making it automatically available to anyone who wants to receive it. The information can be selectively retrieved by any interested party simply by him sending an email that meets the predetermined criterion to the coach's normal email address. Other email messages addressed to the coach that do not meet the predetermined criterion, i.e. messages from people who are not requesting the information, are delivered normally.

A convenient point in an email system architecture to access email messages addressed to an email addressee on whose behalf the service function is to be provided is, in some embodiments, at the email addressee's email server, or in a separate element associated with the email server. This is a convenient point at which to implement some embodiments of the invention because it provides a location where received messages for a particular email addressee can be accessed and examined to check whether a received messaged meets the relevant predefined criterion.

It will be appreciated that in some examples service functions which may be provided by embodiments of the invention will not need any user configuration (e.g., the service function need not be personalised).

Having described features of embodiments of the invention, in general terms, the present invention is now described in the context of the specific example service function identified above, wherein the service function comprises the automated retuming of information that the email addressee wishes to publish (the published information).

Figure 3 schematically represents an email system architecture in accordance with an embodiment of the invention in the context of fixed (non- wireless) email clients. Many aspects of Figure 3 are similar to and will be understood from the correspondingly numbered elements of Figure 1. Elements appearing in both Figures 1 and 3 with the same reference .numeral are conventional and not described in detail in the interest of brevity.

However the email system architecture of Figure 3 differs from the email system architecture of Figure 1 in the functional design of the email server associated with email client 1. Email client 1 in this example is taken to be associated with the email addressee, i.e. the person (email address) on behalf of which the additional service function (the selective auto-reply in this example) is provided. Thus whereas in the conventional email system architecture of Figure 1 the email client 1 is associated with a conventional email server 2, in the email system architecture of Figure 3, the email client 1 is associated with an email server 42 according to an embodiment of the invention. In addition, the email server 42 of Figure 3 is coupled to a database 9 for storing information regarding the provision of the service function on behalf of the email addressee associated with email client 1.

As schematically shown in Figure 3, the email server 42 comprises a number of functional units. In particular, the email server 42 comprises a service function element 44, a configuration processor element 43, and an email server element 45. The email server element 45 is responsible for handling all functional aspects of the email server 42 which are normally performed by a conventional email server, such as the email server 2 of Figure 1. Thus in this regard the email server element 45 provides the email server 42 with all the capability of a conventional email server and is able to handle conventional emails in the usual way, except as described further below. The service function element 44 is responsible for managing the provision of the service function in accordance with embodiments of the invention while the configuration processor element 43 is responsible for handling the configuring of the service function for an email addressee. The respective elements of the email server 42 are shown as separate functional units in Figure 3 for the sake of clarity. In practice all the functionality of the email server may be provided by a single apparatus, such as a suitably programmed general purpose computer. Furthermore, whereas the database 9 is shown separately from the email server 42 in Figure 3, the database in some embodiments may be comprised within the same equipment as the email server 42, e.g., embodied in a conventional disk storage system of a general purpose computer programmed to provide the functionality of the email server 42. The email server 42 and database 9 may be collectively considered an advanced email server 48, as schematically represented by the dashed line in Figure 3.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a user having an email address associated with the email server 42 and who wishes to publish information (i.e. make information available to others who send an appropriate request email message as described above) first configures the selective auto-reply service function provided by the advanced email server 48. For example, if the email addressee is a sports team coach who wishes to disseminate information about an upcoming match, he first configures the advanced email server 48 by providing the relevant information (e.g., time and date of the upcoming match) to the email server 42. This may be achieved in a number of ways.

For example, in some embodiments the email addressee may access an Internet interface served by the email server 42, e.g., by the configuration processor element 43, and specify the information content to be disseminated / published (which may also be referred to as configuration information) through this interface along with the email address with which the service is to be associated. As is conventional, access restrictions may be applied, e.g., through use of passwords, to prevent unauthorised use.

In another example, the configuration information may be provided by the email addressee to the advanced email server 48 b email. For example, a predefined email configuration address hosted by the email server 42 may be defined, such as "conf ig@emai l server42 . com". The email server element 45 of the advanced email server may be configured to in effect deliver messages to this address to the configuratioii processor element 43. The configuration processor element 43 may then take the content the email to be configuration information for the sending user.

In yet another example, the configuration information may be provided by the email addressee to the advanced email server 48 through a "self-addressed" email - i.e. an email sent by the email addressee which specifies the email addressee as recipient. Thus the advanced email server 48 may be configured to identify email messages having the same sender and destination email address and "catch" these for routing to the configuration processor element 43.

Still other techniques could be used to allow configuration information from the email addressee to be routed to the configuration processor element 43 of the advanced email server 48. For example, email messages from the email addressee having a predefined syntax or including a predefined "key word" may be identified by the advanced email server 48 as comprising configuration information on this basis.

Where the configuration information is provided in an email message, in some examples the email address of the sender of the configuration email might be used to match the configuration information to the relevant user. However, in some examples other techniques may be used. For example, the user on behalf of whom the configuration information is being supplied may be required to identify themselves in some other way, e.g., by providing his name or an allotted user ID (with accompanying password or PIN where additional security is desired) in conjunction with the configuration information. An aspect of the configuration email message, e.g., conformance with a prearranged syntax, could then be used to identify the message as conveying configuration information such as discussed above. This approach would thus allow, for example, a user to send updated configuration information from an email address other than the one with which the service function is to be associated. For example, when travelling a user could "remotely" update their configuration information without requiring access to the specific email server with which the email address associated with the provision of the service function is attached. Instead the user could use an alternative email account, e.g., associated with a mobile service provider, or a friend's email account. Regardless of how the configuration processor element 43 receives the configuration information from the email addressee subscriber on who's behalf the auto-reply service function is to be provided, the configuration processor element 43 acts to extract the relevant information to be published from the configuration information. For example, in a simple implementation the configuration information may conform to a predefined configuration format whereby the sole textual content of the configuration information is taken as the information to be published verbatim.. In another example, the configuration may use a predefined syntax to extract the relevant information from the configuration information.

The configuration processor element 43 is configured to update the database 9 to reflect the new configuration state. For example, the configuration processor element 43 may instruct modification of the database 9 so that an entry representing an "information to publish" entry associated with the user sending the configuration information is updated in accordance with the configuration information. The database update may be performed in accordance with known database management techniques.

Thus a configuration change requested by a user in configuration information routed to the configuration processor element 43 in any of the above described techniques results in a change to data stored in the attached database 9. A new record may be created in the database 9, e.g., if it is the user's first time using the system, or an existing data record may be modified. The configuration change in the database may in some examples be confirmed when complete, e.g., by sending an email message to the user requesting the configuration change.

The database 9 may also maintain more general information regarding the provision of the selective auto-reply service function. For example, whether or not the service is activated for a given user. Thus users may switch on and off the service function, e.g., by sending configuration information containing a predefined switch signal. For example, sending a message comprising blank configuration information may be interpreted as a request to disable the selective auto-reply service function, while sending any subsequent configuration information that is not blank may be interpreted as a request to enable the selective auto-reply service function. 4.

Thus in accordance with embodiments of the invention a user (email addressee) may configure aspects of a service function to be provided on his behalf by simply providing configuration information to an advanced email server responsible for providing the service. As noted above, the configuration information may be provided by email, or through an Internet interface, for example. Once the selective auto-reply function in accordance with this embodiment of the invention in configured by a user, the advanced email server is operable to provide the service function (i.e. the selective auto-reply function) on behalf the email addressee when an appropriately configured email message addressed to the addressee is received by email server. As noted above, any email addressed to an email addressee having an email address hosted by the email server will be routed through the email server 42 in accordance with the conventional handing of emails.

Having described a configuration procedure for the selective auto-reply service, an example of the provision of the service will now be described. In this example, and referring to Figure 3, it will be assumed a user of email client 1 (the email addressee) has configured a selective auto-reply message to be used with the service by providing configuration information to the configuration processor element 43 of the email server 42 with which his email address is associated. Furthermore, it will be assumed a user of email client 7 (the information request message originator) wishes to obtain information the email addressee has made available through the selective-auto-reply service.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, when an email originator sends an email message to an email addressee associated with the advanced email server 48, the email message is routed to the email server element 45 of the email server in accordance with standard email routing techniques. However, when an email is received, the email server element 45 is operable to make its content available for access by the service processor element 44 of the advanced email server 48. The service processor element is then operable to determine whether the accessed email message meets one or more predefined criterion (discussed in more detail further below). If the service processor element 44 of the email server 42 determines the received email message does not meet the one or more predefined criterion associated with the service function, the message is delivered normally to the email addressee by the email server element 45 of the advanced email server 48 in the conventional way. Thus so far as the elements of the email architecture outside the advanced email server 48 are concerned, "normal" email messages (i.e. messages sent to the email addressee that have nothing to do with the sender requesting published information) appear to be handled in wholly conventional fashion.

If, on the other hand, the service processor element 44 of the email server 42 determines the received email message does meet the one or more predefined criterion for the service function, the service processor element 44 queries the database 9 (using conventional database access techniques), to determine the function to be executed and any associated data. Thus in this example the function to be executed is the sending of a response message to the sender of the email conforming to the predefined criterion, and the associated data is the information content to be provided in the response email (which in this example is derived from previously received configuration information from the email addressee). The email server then executes the desired function, in the is case by sending the auto-reply message. The service processor element may configure the auto-reply message to present the address of the email addressee as the message sender. in some embodiments, the function may be enabled for only some email addressees, either by subscription, or by the addressee's choice, in which case the function is only executed for those addressees that have the function enabled.

Thus embodiments of the invention can help address a limitation of known "out of office" auto-reply schemes by allowing an email addressee's associated email server to respond on behalf of the email addressee to an enquiry email from an email originator that is addressed to the email addressee, and to send back published information to the email originator. Embodiments of the invention can allow the content of the published information to be configurable at least in part by the email addressee and / or automatically by his email server (e.g., the service processor e!ement of the email server may automatically add a time stamp to the auto-reply message corresponding to the time the configuration information was received.

While Figure 3 describes an. implementation of the invention primarily in the context of fixed access users, the invention is equally applicable for wireless access email users. This is both for a wireless user as an email addressee on whose behalf the service is provided and for a wireless user as an originator of an email request message (and subsequent recipient of published information). Since the location and function of an email server is substantially the same for both conventional fixed (e.g., as shown in Figure 1) and conventional wireless (e.g., as shown in Figure 2) email addressees, the same modification of the email server as described above with reference to Figure 3 could also be made for an email server provided in conjunction with a wireless email access scenario.

That is to say, the email server 2 of Figure 2 could be replaced with a modified email server such as the advanced email server 48 of Figure 3 to provide the same functionality for wireless email access as described above for fixed users. In essence, so far as the provision of service functions in accordance with some embodiments of the invention is concerned, it is largely irrelevant to the operation of the advanced email server whether email configuration information and information request messages arrive via the Internet 3 (as in Figure 3) or via a redirector in a corresponding wireless implementation. Indeed, in practice a single email server may host both fixed and wireless email access. Thus a conventional redirector operating in conventional manner, such as described in reference to Figure 2, may be coupled to the advanced email server 48 of Figure 3, and in particular to the email server element 45 of the advanced email server 48. The email server element 45 may be configured to communicate with the redirector in the same way as with a conventional email server so that the wireless access aspect of the architecture operates in wholly conventional manner. Thus a company or organisation that operates its own email server (as is usual) can readily implement an embodiment of the present invention to provide the personal publication service described above to any or all of its employees whether using fixed or wireless access. Figure 4 schematically represents an email system architecture in accordance with another embodiment of the invention for providing additional service functions in the context of wireless email clients. In particular, this example is based on a wireless email configuration based on the gateway Option 4 of Figure 2, i.e. the Network Operating Centre (NOC) 34 implementation, such as is used by RIM for its Blackberry (RTM) email service for corporate users. For the purposes of this example it will be assumed the service function is again a selective auto-reply function and is to be provided on behalf of (and configured by) an email addressee 24 having wireless email access. Many aspects of Figure 4 are similar to and will be understood from the correspondingly numbered elements of Figure 1 , 2 and 3.

The implementation of Figure 4 primarily differs from the implementation of Figure 3 in that Figure 4 is based on a modified redirector 52, whereas Figure 3 is based on a modified email server 42. Thus the email system architecture of Figure 4 differs from the email system architecture of Figure 2 in the functional design of the redirector associated with email server 2 of the organisation 10 with which the email addressee 24 is associated. Thus whereas the conventional wireless access architecture of Figure 2 includes a conventional redirector 20, the email system architecture of Figure 4 is associated with a redirector 52 modified according to an embodiment of the invention. In addition, the redirector 52 of Figure 4 is coupled to a database 59 for storing information regarding the provision of the service function on behalf of the email addressee 24.

As schematically shown in Figure 4, the redirector 52 comprises a number of functional units. In particular, the redirector 52 comprises a service function element 54, a configuration processor element 53, and a redirector element 55. The redirector element 55 is responsible for handling all functional aspects of the redirector 52 which are normally performed by a conventional redirector, such as the redirector 20 of Figure 2. Thus in this regard the redirector element 55 provides the redirector 52 with all the capability of a conventional redirector and is able to handle conventional emails In the usual way, except as described further below. The service function element 54 is responsible for managing the provision of the service function in accordance with embodiments of the invention while the configuration processor element 53 is responsible for handling the configuring of the service function for an email addressee.

The respective elements of the redirector 52 are shown as separate functional units in Figure 4 for the sake of clarity. In practice all the functionality of the redirector may be provided by a single apparatus, such as a suitable programmed general purpose computer. Furthermore, whereas the database 59 is shown separately from the redirector 52 in Figure 4, the database in some embodiments may be comprised within the same equipment as the redirector 52, e.g., embodied in a conventional disk storage system of a general purpose computer programmed to provide the functionality of the redirector 52. The redirector 52 and database 59 may be collectively considered an advanced redirector 58, as schematically represented by the dashed line in Figure 4.

It will be appreciated that in so far as the provision of additional service functions in accordance with embodiments of the invention is concerned, the configuration processor element 52, the service processor element 53 and the database 59 may operate in broadly the same manner as the corresponding elements in the advanced email server of Figure 3. In essence, the only difference is where in the system the modified email processing is applied. In Figure 3 it is applied in a modified email server, whereas in Figure 4 it is applied in a modified redirector.

In the configuration of Figure 4, the NOC 34 communicates with each subscribing organisation, e.g., organisation 10, via a proprietary protocol, and requires a middleware software package to be installed and run on the redirector 52 on the organisation^'s premises. In the case of Blackberry, this software package is known as Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES); other implementations from other manufacturers also exist. RIM's BES provides continuous connection between the email server 2 of an organisation 10 and the NOC 34, which in turns provides connection to the wireless users 24, 25.

The BES, or equivalent redirector software in the case of other implementations, is sold and provided by the independent organisation that operates the NOC 34, since the two work together and typically communicate with each other over a secure proprietary protocol. The redirector is thus another point in the message 49= delivery chain through which ail messages to an organisation's email users are delivered. Therefore, the email service provider that operates the NOC 34 can provide an implementation of the present invention that applies to all organisations that use its NOC, simply by upgrading the redirector middleware that it supplies for communication with its NOC. As an example, if RIM upgraded its BES software to support an embodiment of the present invention by in effect providing the redirector with the functionality of the service function element 54 and configuration processor element 53 (in addition to the existing functionality of the redirector element 55), then all corporate Blackberry users whose organisations 10 use BES and the Blackberry NOC 34 would be able to benefit from the present invention.

For example, if the present invention were implemented by RIM and made available to Blackberry users as described above, then every one of these Blackberry users would be able to very simply configure some published information or personal status as desired by sending an email containing the desired content, with attachments if required, to a suitable configuration address. Any other email user in the world, including but not limited to any other Blackberry user, can then have access to this published information simply by sending an email conforming to a predefined syntax, such as a question mark ("?") in the subject field of a blank message, to the normal email address of the desired recipient. The sender of the ? will then automatically receive back the published information from, this recipient immediately by email.

As noted above, the content of information to be published through the use of a selective auto-reply function may be configured in a variety of ways. E.g., and again as described above, in some embodiments the email addressee is able to pre -configure the literal text of his published information by sending to a defined address (for example his own email address or a special configuration email address) an email message with a predefined syntax and containing the desired personal status text. For example, the configuration syntax may be a single dot at the start of the message body followed by the desired personal status text. Use of other fields and/or syntaxes is of course possible. Similarly, the user may cancel the sending of published information by sending a message with predefined configuration syntax. For example, in one embodiment the text '.' followed by the text of the desired published information might be used to set up published information to be sent in response to a status enquiry, and the text '.' on its own sent as a configuration message might be used to cancel any configured published information. If no personal status is set, then a default status message may be sent in response to a status enquiry, for example "No status set". In some embodiments the addressee may configure the provision of the service function via the Internet interface www I/F instead of, or in addition to, through the use of configuration email messages.

If the user's own email address is used as the configuration address, then the email server may distinguish configuration messages from other enquiry messages by determining that the origination and destination email addresses are the same.

In some embodiments, part of the published information may be configured by the email addressee as described above, with the remainder provided by other means. In an embodiment, all or part of the published information content may be derived automatically as and when required. For example, the auto-reply message may simply contain an indication of how long has elapsed since the email addressee last checked their email. All or part of the published information may be derived from another application, for example an Out-of-Office status message set up for responding to unsuccessful text, voice or video communications. In an embodiment, the published information may be generated as desired, using any combination of user-entered or automatically sourced media. In an embodiment, rules may be defined to allow published information configuration to change dependent upon other factors such as for example time of day, or upon the originating address of the enquiring subscriber (e.g., a white list or blacklist indicating which originator subscribers receive published information and which do not, or a table indicating which originating user receives which published information). It would be possible, for example, for all enquiring users to receive a manually configured text portion of the personal status, while whitelisted subscribers also receive an added portion, e.g., information considered more private, such as the user's location. Many other permutations are possible.

Once configured, subsequent email enquiries conforming to the predefined criterion from any (allowed) user will result in a returned message containing text corresponding to the configured published information. The email addressee can change the configuration at any time in order that the returned published information can reflect his current personal status or other information if so desired, or to cancel the published information as required.

As discussed above, configuration messages addressed to the configuration email address may be routed in the normal way to the email server of the user. If the syntax of the message corresponds to the predefined syntax of a configuration message for a subscribed service, or the configuration message is sent to a predefined email address allowing it to be identified as a configuration message, then the email server may update configuration settings for that service and user (email addressee) stored in the database.

In some embodiments, the predefined criterion for the content of a message to trigger the automated sending of an automatic reply email message may relate to a specified syntax. For example, a single dot at the start of the enquiry message followed by no other characters may be used. Thus a party wishing to receive information to be published that has been configured by an email addressee may simply send a message to the normal email address of the addressee containing a single "dot" character to obtain the information. Other criteria or syntaxes are of course possible, for example particular subject line content or format may be pre- specified to trigger the auto-reply.

If the predefined email enquiry syntax is detected in a received message, then the message is treated as an email enquiry, and in some implementations is not delivered to the addressee. Instead, subject to any whitelisting or blacklisting of originators that may be in force, the apparatus (i.e. the advanced email server of Figure 3 or the advanced redirector of Figure 4) generates published information which is returned to the originator in a reply email. The published information is generated according to the configuration settings for this user as described above. The published information may, for example, provides a textual indication of the personal status of the email addressee. If the originator is blacklisted for published information, or not on an active whitelist for published information, then the email enquiry may be discarded and no published information returned and the email not forwarded to the email addressee. Alternatively, such an email may be forwarded onto the email addressee to alert him to someone's interest in his published information.

Thus the above-described examples allow an email originator to check the published information of a service user (the email addressee) by email without disturbing him or initiating a dialogue, and provide the service user with control over the enabling of this facility and its content. The scheme is easy for the service user to manage, because configuration changes can be effected with a single email message, or alternatively can be performed on the web. The scheme is also easy for the email originator to use, because the enquiry message is directed to the addressee's normal email address, and hence the facilities of the originator's email client, such as the address book, can be used in the normal way to create the enquiry message.

A further example of an embodiment of the invention may be illustrated in a situation where the coach of a sports team wishes to regularly disseminate information to members of his team, without either being disturbed by multiple incoming communications, having to make multiple outgoing communications, or giving out the same information multiple times. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the coach can set up the published information, which in this case could be text such as:

"Training on Saturday 21 st is at the West Ground and starts at 2pm."

Then, each and every interested party can send an email enquiry to the coach's normal email address, and receive back the configured message. This fulfils the need for disseminating the information to multiple parties without disturbing the coach.

Furthermore, the disseminated information could relate to anything desired, and need not necessarily be a reflection of any personal status. The invention when used in this way can provide an instant publishing capability for an addressee, who can configure any item of information desired for publication / dissemination, and hence allow any enquiring party to receive this information on demand by sending an email enquiry message to the addressee's normal email address.

Examples of a personal status service provided in accordance with some embodiments of the invention, which is just one example of an application of an embodiment of the present invention, may find application in the following: • for social networking, where contacts can keep in touch with a user's personal status by email when they are away from their computer

s for a team or group organiser, where personal status can be disseminated easily and non-intrusi vely to many people

° as a business tool similar to out-of-office, but which can be checked by anyone non-intrusively on demand rather than just when a communication attempt fails

δ the publication of an email enquiry address for a utility company., where status enquires can be made conveniently by customers using an email message when utility problems occur, without requiring live agents to answer voice calls.

Many other functions or services are possible in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, which is not limited to the provision of status messages on demand. For example, embodiments of the invention can be used to trigger many types of functions in the email system of the email addressee, and can allow the addressee, if desired, to have control over these functions.

In some embodiments, an additional criterion may be used to influence the action of a function performed by the email addressee's email system in response to receipt of an email message that meets a first criterion as described above. Examples of additional criteria that may be used include but are not limited to—

⁶ time of day

location of addressee (e.g., determined from a reported mobile handset location in the case of a wireless access user)

• current speed of addressee (e.g., determined from a reported moving handset in the case of a wireless access user)

• originator presence on an addressee-specific whitelist (or absence from an addressee-specific blacklist)

Such additional criteria could be used in the example personal status service described above to only include location information in published information sent back to whitelisted originators, while other originators receive published information without location information. Many other possibilities exist within the envisaged scope of the invention. In an embodiment of a function that returned an email message to an originator, as in the personal status enquiry example given above, it would be possible to include email host specific text, sponsored text or advertisement text in the returned email message.

In an embodiment, an originator could be provided with the opportunity to send messages conforming to a number of different predefined criteria to get different published information. That is to say, the email addressee could configure multiple published information messages each of which could be retrievable by a different originator email enquiry message. For example, a coach who managed a rugby and a hockey team, could set up separate published information for each, and these could be requested respectively by an enquiry email message having the content '.rugby' or ' .hockey^* within its content (e.g., in the subject line or main text portion) sent to the coach's email address.

It will be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to personal status enquiries, but provide a means more generally of selectively implementing a desired function (service function) to be carried out on behalf of an email addressee according to previously received configuration information.

An alternative example of a service function that could be implemented using an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by the following scenario. An originator sends a particular email message with predefined syntax (e.g., a single dot character) to an addressee. The originator is present on a white list that has been set up by the addressee. In this case, the function implemented by the system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is to send an email message to the email addressee giving the location of the originator, e.g., determined from a conventionally reported position of a mobile handset for a wireless user. Optionally this example could be further extended to also send the email addressee's location back to the originator, so that two email messages are generated in response to the single originator message. Many other functions are possible and envisaged as falling within the scope of the present invention.

In so far as the embodiments of the invention described above may be implemented, at least in part, using software controlled processing apparatus, it will be appreciated that a computer program providing such software control and a storage medium by which such a computer program is stored are envisaged as aspects of the invention.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. It will be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims as appropriate, and in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that embodiments of the invention provide a means for an addressee to publish any information that he desires, and hence that the invention provides a vehicle for instant publishing. That is to say, the service function provided in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be the provision of information in response to a received message from a third party in effect requesting the information, e.g., because the received message conforms to a predefined criterion. The published information can, for example, be set up by the addressee (who may also be referred to as the publisher) using the configuration message techniques described above, and anyone who sends a suitably formatted message (e.g., a single dot character in a preferred embodiment) to the addressee will then receive a message in return containing the published information.

It will also be appreciated that while the foregoing description has primarily focused on embodiments of the invention in the context of textual email messages, other embodiments of the invention may not be not limited to using just text but may encompasses other media that can readily be carried in an email. For example, in some embodiments it may be advantageous to support the publishing of information including pictures, audio, video or file attachments. Email is an established technology defined in the various relevant Internet RFC standards, that can support the inclusion text, video, images and audio. It would be possible for such media components to be configured either together or separately by a publisher (as noted above, the term publisher is used here to refer to an addressee using an embodiment of the invention to make information widely available). For example, a publisher could send an email configuration message to define his published information, and in this case the multimedia content or attachments of the configuration message could form all or part of the published information in broadly the same was as described above for a textual email configuration message. (As with the text examples described above, additional information could be automatically added by the user's email network.) Alternatively, the system could be set up so that individual media components of the desired multimedia published information could be configured separately. In this case, the components of the multimedia published information could be combined dynamically into an email message with one or more attachments whenever a suitably formatted message (e.g., a message conforming to at least one predefined criterion) is sent to the publisher (i.e. the email addressee). An advantage of this technique is that it gives the publisher the flexibility to update each component of his multimedia published information separately as desired. For example, a traveller could periodically update his current published information by configuring a new picture, sending new text using email, or by recording a new piece of audio. A picture or video clip could be configured by sending it to the configuration address as an email attachment. Users sending a suitably formatted message may then receive a composite email message comprising the latest components combined into a single email message with one or more attachments.

A significant feature of some embodiments of the present invention is that a suitably formatted message (i.e. conforming to a predefined criterion) sent from an originator to a publisher is preferably not delivered to the publisher. In this way, published information can be retrieved from a publisher without disturbing him. This might be particularly important for example in the case of a celebrity who was publishing information. At peak times it may be that many hundreds or thousands of requests could be addressed to the celebrity^'s email address in a short period of time, and it would be undesirable to attempt to deliver all of these messages to the celebrity's inbox. Other messages that are not suitably formatted are not intercepted and are delivered normally, e.g., as described above.

Thus as will be understood from the above description, embodiments of the invention may provide means for allowing a service function to be selectively carried out by an addressee's email system dependent upon a characteristic of an email messagc from an originator sent to the addressee and received at the addressee's email system.

The service function may, for example, comprise sending a response message to the originator of the received message. The response message may include information content specified by the addressee for use in conjunction with the service function, e.g., information content which the addressee wishes to disseminate, such as personal status information. This content may be referred to herein as published information. The information content may include information specified by the addressee in a configuration message previously sent to the email system. In some examples the information content may comprise a number of components (e.g., audio, text, video and/or picture components), and wherein different ones of the components are specified by the addressee in different configuration messages / configuration information submissions.

Such a scheme might be employed, for example, to provide for the returning on demand of published information comprising an indication of the personal status of an addressee, to an originator who sends to the addressee a query message conforming to a predefined criterion. Alternatively, or in addition, the response message may include information content automatically generated by the email addressee's email system.

The provision of the service function may further comprise inhibiting forwarding of the received message to the addressee. This allows senders of messages conforming to the predefined criterion to obtain a response message, e.g., relevant to the addressee's current status and / or containing information the addressee wishes to make available, without the addressee being disturbed by the receipt of query email messages, especially push email messages, and without the addressee's email inbox becoming cluttered with query messages.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention the query message may be considered to conform to the predefined criterion if the content of the message, for example the main body field or the subject field, meets a predetermined syntax, e.g., if it contains a predefined character or character string. Other fields or combinations of fields could be used as desired. Methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention may further comprise selectively providing the service function dependent upon, at least one further criterion being met, e.g., based on the time of day or location of the addressee.

Thus apparatus for selectively providing user-configurable service functions on behalf of email users has been described. The apparatus comprises a database for storing information regarding the service function to be provided for the user, a configuration processor element operable to receive configuration information from user, e.g., in a configuration email sent to a predefined service configuration email address, and to modify the information in the database based on the configuration information. The apparatus further comprises a service processor element operable to access an email message addressed to the user, to determine whether the content of the accessed email message conforms to a predefined criterion, for example, whether the email conforms to a predefined syntax, and to selectively provide the service function in dependence on whether or not the content of the accessed email message conforms to the predefined criterion, wherein at least one aspect of the service function performed is dependent on the information stored in the database for the user.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a service function for an email addressee, the apparatus comprising:

a database for storing information regarding the service function to be provided for the email addressee;

a configuration processor element operable to receive configuration information from the email addressee and to modify the information in the database based on the configuration information; and

a service processor element operable to access an email message addressed to the email addressee, to determine whether the content of the accessed email message conforms to a predefined criterion, and to selectively provide the service function in dependence on whether or not the content of the accessed email message conforms to the predefined criterion, and wherein the service function is dependent on the information stored in the database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration processor element is operable to receive the configuration information in a configuration email message from the email addressee.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the configuration email message comprises an email message addresses to a predefined service configuration email address.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an Internet interface wherein the configuration processor element is operable to receive the configuration information through the Internet interface.

5. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the configuration processor element is operable to send a confirmation email message to the email addressee to confirm when information stored in the database has been modified based on configuration information received from the email addressee.

6. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein providing the service function comprises sending a response message to a sender of the email message addressed to the email addressee.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the response message includes information content derived from the configuration information received from the email addressee.

8. The apparatus claim 6 or 7, wherein the response message includes information content automatically generated by the service processor element.

9. The apparatus of any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the response message includes information content specifying status information for the email addressee.

10. The apparatus of any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the response message includes information content which the email addressee wishes to disseminate.

1 1. The apparatus of any of claims 6 to 10, wherein providing the service function comprises inhibiting delivery of the accessed email message to the email addressee.

12. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the content of the message conforms to the predefined criterion if the content of the message corresponds to a predefined syntax.

13. The apparatus of any previous claim, wherein the provision of the service function is further dependent on the identity of the originator of the received message.

14. The apparatus of any previous claim, further comprising selectively providing the service function dependent upon at least one further criterion being met.

15. A method for providing a service function for an email addressee, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information from the email addressee regarding the provision of the service function and modifying information stored in a database based on the configuration information;

accessing an email message addressed to the email addressee; and

determining whether the content of the accessed email message conforms to a predefined criterion, and if so, selectively providing the service function in dependence on the information stored in the database, wherein the service function depends on the information stored in the database.