Prioritizing electronic messages based on the sender's address

Abstract

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; and    prioritizing the received information message according to the code.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing the received information message into at least one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the information message is further processed based upon the code.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising looking-up the unique identifier in a database in order to determine if a unique identifier corresponds to a specific code in the database that is to be assigned to the received information message.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received message is an e-mail message.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received message is a fax message.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received message is a voicemail message.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voicemail message.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voicemail message.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.  
     
     
         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 one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the data code.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the received information message is an e-mail message.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the received information message is a fax message.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the received information message is a voicemail message.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the unique identifier is a telephone number corresponding to the voice mail message.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the unique identifier is a priority alphanumeric code corresponding to the voice mail message.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the unique identifier is based at least in part on a PAC.  
     
     
         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 or 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 one of a plurality of virtual mailboxes wherein the received information message is sorted within such virtual mailbox(es) based on the data code.