Correction of address information
The invention provides a process for updating electronic information in a computer environment. A preferred embodiment of the invention automatically inspects a message that is to be delivered to a first address upon receiving the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address. In response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, a record for the second address in a database is updated. The record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database. The message is stored at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address. When the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address, the address book is updated according to a user preference.
1. A process for updating electronic information in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:
automatically inspecting a message that is to be delivered to a first address upon receiving the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address,
in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the second address in a database, and
storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address,
wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address; and said updating is according to a user preference.
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
transparently removing the second address from the address book.
5. The process of claim 3 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.
6. The process of claim 3 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
marking the second address; and
prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address; and
determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein said updating further comprises the step of:
determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second address comprises one of:
an address for electronic mails; an address for a web page; and a phone number.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses; and said updating comprises the step of:
adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.
11. An apparatus for updating address information in a computer environment, comprising:
a module for receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;
a module for automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains Information about a status of a second address;
a module for updating a record for the address in a database, in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address; and
a module for storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address,
wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address; and the record is updated according to a user preference.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for transparently removing the second address from the address book.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for marking the second address; and
a module for prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address; and
a module for determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second address comprises one of:
an address for electronic mails; an address for a web page; and a phone number.
20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses; and said module for updating comprises:
a module for adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.
21. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for updating address information in a computer environment, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;
automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address;
in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the address in a database; and
storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address,
wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.
22. The medium of claim 21 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.
23. The medium of claim 22 , wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address; and, said updating is according to a user preference.
24. The medium of claim 23 , wherein said updating further comprises the step of:
transparently removing the second address from the address book.
25. The medium of claim 23 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.
26. The medium of claim 23 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
marking the second address; and
prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.
27. The medium of claim 21 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address; and
determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold.
28. The medium of claim 27 , wherein said updating further comprises the step of:
determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.
29. The medium of claim 21 , wherein the second address comprises one of:
an address for electronic mails; an address for a web page; and a phone number.
30. The medium of claim 21 , wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses; and said updating comprises the step of:
adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.
31. A process for updating electronic information in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:
automatically inspecting a message that is to be delivered to a first address upon receiving the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address;
in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the second address in a database, where said updating includes
counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address;
determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold; and
determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.
32. The process of claim 31 , further comprising the steps of:
storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address.
33. The process of claim 32 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.
34. The process of claim 33 , wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address; and said updating is according to a user preference.
35. The process of claim 34 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
transparently removing the second address from the address book.
36. The process of claim 34 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.
37. The process of claim 34 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
marking the second address; and
prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.
38. The process of claim 32 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.
39. The process of claim 32 , wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses; and said updating comprises the step of:
adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.
40. The process of claim 31 , wherein the second address comprises one of:
an address for electronic mails; an address for a web page; and a phone number.
41. An apparatus for updating address information in a computer environment, comprising:
a module for receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;
a module for automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address;
a module for updating a record for the address in a database, in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, said module for updating further comprising:
a module for counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address,
a module for determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold, and
a module for determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.
42. The apparatus of claim 41 , further comprising:
a module for storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address.
43. The apparatus of claim 42 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.
44. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address; and the record is updated according to a user preference.
45. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for transparently removing the second address from the address book.
46. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.
47. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein said module for updating further comprises:
a module for marking the second address; and
a module for prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.
48. The apparatus of claim 42 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.
49. The apparatus of claim 42 , wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses; and said module for updating comprises:
a module for adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.
50. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the second address comprises one of:
an address for electronic mails; an address for a web page; and a phone number.
51. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for updating address information in a computer environment, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a message that is to be delivered to a first address;
automatically inspecting the message to determine whether the message contains information about a status of a second address; and
in response to a determination that the message contains information about the status of the second address, updating a record for the address in a database, wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
counting a number of messages that indicate the status of the second address,
determining whether or not the number of messages is above a threshold, and
determining an indicator indicating a likelihood of the second address being invalid.
52. The medium of claim 51 , wherein the method further comprises the step of:
storing the message at the first address for retrieval by a first user at the first address.
53. The medium of claim 52 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of the first user in the database.
54. The medium of claim 53 , wherein the status indicates a permanent error in delivering a message to the second address; and, said updating is according to a user preference.
55. The medium of claim 54 , wherein said updating further comprises the step of:
transparently removing the second address from the address book.
56. The medium of claim 54 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
replacing the second address in the address book with a comment which indicates that it is undeliverable to the second address.
57. The medium of claim 54 , wherein said updating further comprises the steps of:
marking the second address; and
prompting the first user to take one or more actions with the second address.
58. The medium of claim 52 , wherein the record is a portion of an address book of a second user in the database.
59. The medium of claim 52 , wherein the second address is associated with a person who has a plurality of addresses; and said updating comprises the step of:
adjusting priorities of the plurality of addresses for the person.
60. The medium of claim 51 , wherein the second address comprises one of:
an address for electronic mails; an address for a web page; and a phone number.