US 12,034,689 B2
Systems and methods for electronically distributing information
Douglas Menkedick, Guilford, IN (US); David Rapperport, Coconut Creek, FL (US); and Maheswar Putta, Mason, OH (US)
Assigned to QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INVESTMENTS INCORPORATED, Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INVESTMENTS INC., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Jun. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/213,165.
Application 18/213,165 is a continuation of application No. 17/479,754, filed on Sep. 20, 2021, granted, now 11,722,447.
Application 17/479,754 is a continuation of application No. 16/722,765, filed on Dec. 20, 2019, granted, now 11,128,590, issued on Sep. 21, 2021.
Application 16/722,765 is a continuation of application No. 16/227,786, filed on Dec. 20, 2018, granted, now 10,523,611, issued on Dec. 31, 2019.
Application 16/227,786 is a continuation of application No. 15/900,560, filed on Feb. 20, 2018, granted, now 10,164,926, issued on Dec. 25, 2018.
Application 15/900,560 is a continuation of application No. 13/835,936, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, granted, now 9,929,985, issued on Mar. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0336511 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 15/16 (2006.01); H04L 51/214 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 51/214 (2022.05) 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of routing electronic messages in a data network comprising a plurality of sender computer systems and a plurality of user devices, the method being performed by a routing computer system that comprises a database and participates in the data network, the method comprising:
storing in the database
(a) mapping data that associates each of a plurality of sender-user identifiers respectively with exactly one of a plurality of users and further associates each of the sender-user identifiers respectively with exactly one of a plurality of senders,
(b) device data that associates each of the user devices respectively with exactly one of the users, and
(c) a plurality of routing criteria, each of the routing criteria being associated respectively in the database with exactly one of the users;
receiving from one of the sender computer systems, via the data network, a message from one of the senders to one of the users, the message comprising text, a priority field indicating a priority of the message, a reference to additional information, and one of the sender-user identifiers, the one of the sender-user identifiers being associated with both the one of the senders and the one of the users, and the text, the reference, and the sender-user identifier each being distinct from each other;
responsive to receipt of the message and based on the one of the sender-user identifiers, retrieving one or more of the routing criteria associated with the one of the users and, applying one or more of the retrieved routing criteria, identifying for receipt of the message one or more of the user devices associated with the user, the applied one or more of the routing criteria comprising at least one criterion depending upon the priority field; and
transmitting via the data network information to cause the identified one or more of the user devices to present information comprised by the message.