Electronic message forwarding

Abstract

The invention provides a method of transmitting electronic messages in a computer environment. The preferred embodiment receives an electronic message addressed to a telephone number and determines an instant message identifier associated with the telephone number. In response to the determination that an instant message identifier associates with the telephone number, it is further determined whether an instant message receiver is available to receive messages addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that an instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is forwarded as an instant message addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determinaton that an instant message receiver is available to receive instant message addressed to the instant message identifier, electronic message is sent to a mobile device at the telephone number in response to a determination that no instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier.

1 . A method of transmitting electronic messages in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:
 receiving an electronic message addressed to a telephone number;   determining an instant message identifier associated with the telephone number;   determining whether an instant message receiver is available to receive messages addressed to the instant message identifier;   forwarding the electronic message as an instant message addressed to the instant message identifier in response to a determination that an instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier; and   sending the electronic message to a mobile device at the telephone number in response to a determination that no instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic message comprises any of:
 a text message, an SMS text message, an MMS message, a video message, and an audio message.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instant message is received at an electronic device configured to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the electronic device comprises any of: a computer, a personal data assistant (PDA), and a telephone receiver. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the instant message identifier comprises searching for the instant message identifier associated with the telephone number in a database. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 determining whether or not to forward the electronic message as an email message addressed to an email address according to a user preference stored in a database.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 determining whether or not to forward the electronic message as an instant message addressed to the instant message identifier according to a user preference stored in a database.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the determining whether or not to forward is further based on source information of the electronic message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the source information comprises any of:
 a source address of the electronic message, a user name of a sender of the electronic message, a telephone number of a sender of the electronic message, and an instant message identifier of a sender of the electronic message.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instant message is generated from the electronic message based on one or more predetermined rules. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more predetermined rules select one or more portions of the electronic message as the instant message. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more predetermined rules selectively delete one or more portions of the electronic message to generate the instant message. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of forwarding the electronic message to a storage medium. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of storing the electronic message in the storage medium. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 determining whether or not to forward the electronic message to the storage medium according to the user preference stored in the database.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 forwarding the electronic message to the storage medium when the forwarding to the mail address and the instant message identifier fails   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the determining whether or not to forward is further based on source information of the electronic message. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the user preference stored in the database includes date and time preference of the instant message receiver. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further includes the step of logging the forwarding the electronic message. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further includes blocking the forwarding of the electronic messages based on a list of telephone numbers.