Routing a message based upon user-selected topic in a message editor

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for routing a message. Specifically, the method for example may comprise: receiving a message lacking a recipient address; searching for at least one recipient address based on a topic associated with the message; and sending the message to the at least one recipient address. The technology according to the example embodiments of the present invention provides a novel technology for routing a message to a recipient based on a topic associated with the message.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method within a client computer including a message editor, comprising:
 receiving, in the message editor, a message lacking a recipient address;   providing, to the message editor, a plurality of candidate topics identified by an analysis of contents of the message;   receiving, as a topic associated with the message, a selection of one of the plurality of candidate topics;   searching for a recipient address based on the topic; and   sending, using the message editor, the message to the recipient address, wherein   the recipient address is not previously known by a user of the message editor.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein
 the topic is extracted from a topic field included in the message.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein
 the contents of the message subject to the analysis includes at least one of a body portion, a subject field, a recipient field, or a carbon copy field of the message.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein
 the message is an electronic mail,   a user profile of a registered user in an internal domain is analyzed to determine an association degree of the user with the topic, and   the email address associated with the registered user is selected as the recipient address based upon a determination that the association degree is higher than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein
 keywords in a network forum are analyzed to determine an association degree of the network forum with the topic, and   an address of a network domain to which the network forum belongs or a uniform resource locator of the network forum is selected as the recipient address based upon a determination that the association degree is higher than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein
 a reply to the message is received from the at least one recipient address; and   at least one of the message or the reply is filtered based on an evaluation of the message made by a recipient corresponding to the recipient address.   
     
     
         27 . A client computer hardware system including a message editor, comprising:
 a hardware processor programmed to initiate the following executable operations:
 receiving, in the message editor, a message lacking a recipient address; 
 providing, to the message editor, a plurality of candidate topics identified by an analysis of contents of the message; 
 receiving, as a topic associated with the message, a selection of one of the plurality of candidate topics; 
 searching for a recipient address based on the topic; and 
 sending, using the message editor, the message to the recipient address, wherein the recipient address is not previously known by a user of the message editor. 
   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein
 the topic is extracted from a topic field included in the message.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein
 the contents of the message subject to the analysis includes at least one of a body portion, a subject field, a recipient field, or a carbon copy field of the message.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein
 the message is an electronic mail,   a user profile of a registered user in an internal domain is analyzed to determine an association degree of the user with the topic, and   the email address associated with the registered user is selected as the recipient address based upon a determination that the association degree is higher than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein
 keywords in a network forum are analyzed to determine an association degree of the network forum with the topic, and   an address of a network domain to which the network forum belongs or a uniform resource locator of the network forum is selected as the recipient address based upon a determination that the association degree is higher than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein
 a reply to the message is received from the at least one recipient address; and   at least one of the message or the reply is filtered based on an evaluation of the message made by a recipient corresponding to the recipient address.   
     
     
         33 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon,   the program code executable by a client computer hardware system including a message editor to perform:
 receiving, in the message editor, a message lacking a recipient address; 
 providing, to the message editor, a plurality of candidate topics identified by an analysis of contents of the message; 
 receiving, as a topic associated with the message, a selection of one of the plurality of candidate topics; 
 searching for a recipient address based on the topic; and 
 sending, using the message editor, the message to the recipient address, wherein 
   the recipient address is not previously known by a user of the message editor.   
     
     
         34 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein
 the topic is extracted from a topic field included in the message.   
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein
 the contents of the message subject to the analysis includes at least one of a body portion, a subject field, a recipient field, or a carbon copy field of the message.   
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein
 the message is an electronic mail,   a user profile of a registered user in an internal domain is analyzed to determine an association degree of the user with the topic, and   the email address associated with the registered user is selected as the recipient address based upon a determination that the association degree is higher than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein
 keywords in a network forum are analyzed to determine an association degree of the network forum with the topic, and   an address of a network domain to which the network forum belongs or a uniform resource locator of the network forum is selected as the recipient address based upon a determination that the association degree is higher than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein
 a reply to the message is received from the at least one recipient address; and   at least one of the message or the reply is filtered based on an evaluation of the message made by a recipient corresponding to the recipient address.