Prioritizing electronic messages based on the sender's address
View Patent ↗A method of sorting a received information message in which a source of delivery of the message is indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the message, for example, in an e-mail or voice message system. The method includes steps of receiving the message, looking-up the identifier in a database, assigning a code for the message per the result of the step of looking-up, and prioritizing or forwarding the message according to the code.
1. A method of prioritizing a received information message, a source of delivery of the received information message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the received information message, comprising:
receiving the received information message;
assigning a code for the received information message based on the unique identifier accompanying the received information message;
depositing the message into at least two of a plurality of virtual mailboxes; and
prioritizing the received information message in each of the plurality of virtual mailboxes according to the code.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received message is a voicemail message.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voicemail message.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information message is prioritized in each of the plurality of virtual mailboxes according to a criteria of a plurality of criteria.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising looking-up the unique identifier in a database in order to determine if the unique identifier corresponds to a specific code in the database that is to be assigned to the received information message.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received message is an e-mail message.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received message is a fax message.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one step of the method is performed by a recipient's client system selected from a group comprising at least one of the following: a computer, a message storage device, or a combination of a computer and a message storage device.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
referencing the unique identifier against a database to determine whether the unique identifier corresponds to a know identifier in said database;
assigning a data code to the received information message, the data code comprising at least one of the following: a desired code or a designated code.
12. A system for sorting a received information message, a source of delivery of the message being indicated by a unique identifier accompanying the received information message, the system comprising:
means for receiving the received information message;
means for assigning a data code to the unique identifier, said assignment based at least in part on whether the unique identifier corresponds to a known identifier; and
means for prioritizing the received information message according to the data code into at least two of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is prioritized within such virtual mailboxes based on the data code.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the received information message is a voicemail message.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voice mail message.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voice mail message.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the received information message is an e-mail message.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the received information message is a fax message.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is a recipient's client system selected from a group comprising at least one of the following: a computer, a message storage device, and a combination of a computer and a message storage device.
20. A computer readable-medium of instructions and data comprising:
means for receiving a received information message and a unique identifier;
means for referencing the unique identifier against a database in order to determine whether the unique identifier corresponds to a known identifier in the database;
means for assigning a data code to the received information message based at least in part on the unique identifier; and
means for depositing the received information message into a least two of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is prioritized within such virtual mailboxes based on the data code.