Method of remote configuration of automatic response settings for a first email address using an email sent from a second email address

Abstract

A method of providing remote configuration of autoreply message settings includes providing for an autoreply message configuration rule to be defined in terms of one or more specified conditions and one or more specified actions configuring autoreply message settings for a first email address; receiving a first email message addressed to the first email address and sent from a second email address; examining the first email message for the one or more specified conditions; executing the one or more specified actions configuring autoreply message settings if the one or more specified conditions are met by the first email message; and generating an autoreply message in accordance with the autoreply message settings configured by executing the one or more specified actions in response to receiving a second email message addressed to the first email address if the one or more specified conditions are met by the first email message.

1 . A method of providing remote configuration of settings for automatic reply messages, the method comprising:
 providing for an automatic reply message configuration rule to be defined by a user in terms of one or more specified conditions and one or more specified actions configuring automatic reply message settings for a first email address allocated for the user;   providing for the user to generate an autoreply configuration email message including a set of configuration instructions using a second email address allocated for the user;   receiving the autoreply configuration email message addressed to the first email address sent from the second email address by the user;   examining the received autoreply configuration email message for the one or more specified conditions;   executing the one or more specified actions configuring automatic reply message settings for the first email address if the one or more specified conditions are met by the received autoreply configuration email message; and   generating an automatic reply message in response to receiving email messages addressed to the first email address in accordance with the configured automatic reply message settings;   wherein at least one of the one or more specified actions is determined according to the set of instructions included in the autoreply configuration email message and retrieved by the email server; and   wherein the one or more specified conditions are selected from being sent from one or more specified email addresses, containing one or more specified strings of text in a specified format, containing a particular digital signature, and combinations thereof, and wherein the one or more specified actions are selected from enabling the automatic reply message, disabling the automatic reply message, setting a time period during which the automatic reply message is to be generated, creating a block of text to be included in the automatic reply message, editing a block of text to be included in the automatic reply message, setting a list of email addresses to which the automatic reply is to be sent, and combinations thereof.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more specified actions is executed according to a set of instructions included in the first email message if the one or more specified conditions are met by the first email message. 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first email address is allocated by an email server, wherein the automatic reply message configuration rule is maintained by the email server, and wherein the email server provides for the automatic reply message configuration rule to be defined using a first email client application running on a first client platform that is communicatively coupled to the email server. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first email message is generated using a second email client application running on a second client platform that is communicatively decoupled from the email server. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second client platform is a device selected from personal computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), handheld computing devices, portable computing devices, palm top computers, mobile handsets, cellular phones, smart phones, game consoles, and combinations thereof.