IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,782,144
Granted Patent B2
US 8,782,144 · App. 12/511,681 · Granted Jul 15, 2014

Controlling the distribution of messages

Inventors: Shmuel Shaffer (Palo Alto, CA); Amit Barave (Sunnyvale, CA); Mukul Jain (San Jose, CA); Alan Darryl Gatzke (Bainbridge Island, WA)
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,782,144
App. No.
12/511,681
Granted
Jul 15, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an example embodiment, described herein is an apparatus that comprises a user interface, a communication interface, and logic coupled to the user interface and communication interface. The logic is configured to receiving a request via the user interface to forward a message to a recipient to determine whether distribution of the message is restricted to a group. The logic is further configured to determine whether the recipient is a member of the group responsive to determining distribution of the message restricted to a group. The logic is configured to send the message to the recipient via the communication interface responsive to determining the recipient is a member of the group.

Claims (38)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transient memory;

a user interface operatively coupled with the processor;

a communication interface operatively coupled with the processor; and

logic operatively coupled with the user interface and communication interface;

wherein the logic is configured to receive from a recipient of an original message via the user interface a first request to send the original message to a first set of one or more recipients and wherein the logic is configured to limit forwarding of the original message from the recipient of the original message to a first group of recipients identified in group membership data of a distribution list stored in the memory;

wherein the logic is configured to receive from a recipient of a forwarded edited version of the original message via the user interface a second request to send the forwarded edited version of the original message to a second set of one or more recipients and wherein the logic is configured to limit forwarding of the forwarded edited version of the original message from the recipient of the forwarded edited version of the original message to a second group of recipients identified in the group membership data of the distribution list stored in the memory;

wherein the logic is configured to obtain the group membership data via the communication interface;

wherein the logic is configured to associate with the original message data indicating the original message is a private message and data representative of the first group of recipients;

wherein the logic is configured to associate with the forwarded edited version of the original message data indicating the forwarded edited version of the original message is a private message and data representative of the second group of recipients;

wherein the logic is configured to selectively send the original message to the first set of one or more recipients via the communication interface in accordance with the first set of one or more recipients being a member of the first group of recipients identified in group membership data; and

wherein the logic is configured to selectively send the forwarded edited version of the original message to the second set of one or more recipients via the communication interface in accordance with the second set of one or more recipients being a member of the second group of recipients identified in group membership data.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the logic is configured to insert data representative of the first group of recipients into the original message.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 , wherein:

the original message comprises a header; and

wherein the data representative of the first group of recipients is inserted into the header of the original message.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the logic is configured to send data representative of the first group of recipients with data identifying the original message to an external device via the communication interface.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the logic is configured to insert data representative of the second group of recipients into the forwarded edited version of the original message.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 , wherein:

the forwarded version of the original message comprises a header; and

wherein the data representative of the second group of recipients is inserted into the header of the forwarded version of the original message.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the logic is configured to send data representative of the second group of recipients with data identifying the forwarded version of the original message to an external device via the communication interface.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transient memory;

a user interface operatively coupled with the processor;

a communication interface operatively coupled with the processor; and

logic operatively coupled with the user interface and communication interface;

wherein the logic is configured to obtain group membership data identifying a first group of recipients via the communication interface;

wherein the logic is configured to receive from a recipient of an original message via the user interface a first request to send the original message to a first set of one or more recipients and wherein the logic is configured to limit forwarding of the original message from the recipient of the original message to the first group of recipients identified in the group membership data of a distribution list stored in the memory;

wherein the logic obtains updated group membership data identifying an updated first group of recipients via the communication interface;

wherein the logic is configured to receive from a recipient of a forwarded original message via the user interface a second request to send the forwarded original message to a second set of one or more recipients and wherein the logic is configured to limit forwarding of the original message from the recipient of the forwarded original message to the updated first group of recipients identified in the updated group membership data of the distribution list stored in the memory;

wherein the logic is configured to associate with the original message data indicating the original message is a private message and data representative of the first group of recipients;

wherein the logic is configured to associate with the forwarded original message data indicating the forwarded original message is a private message and data representative of the updated first group of recipients;

wherein the logic is configured to selectively send the original message to the first set of one or more recipients via the communication interface in accordance with the first group of recipients identified in group membership data;

wherein the logic is configured to selectively send the forwarded original message to the second set of one or more recipients via the communication interface in accordance with the updated first group of recipients identified in updated group membership data; and

wherein the logic is configured to selectively send a forwarded edited version of the original message to a second set of one or more recipients different than the first set of one or more recipients via the communication interface in accordance with the second set of one or more recipients being a member of a second group of recipients identified in the group membership data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2009
From: SHAFFER, SHMUEL; BARAVE, AMIT; JAIN, MUKUL; GATZKE, ALAN DARRYL
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 023025/0765 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110029615A1 · Feb 3, 2011