Patent ID: 9660832
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method of distributing electronic messages, comprising: maintaining, by a server, at a first table stored on the server, first information relating to a message thread; maintaining, at a second table stored on the server, second information relating to a sender of an electronic message in the message thread, the second information in the second table comprising at least a first column that identifies a plurality of distribution lists, a second column that identifies a plurality of distribution list filters associated with the plurality of distribution lists, and a third column that identifies a filter state associated with the plurality of distribution list filters, the plurality of distribution list filters comprising at least a first distribution list filter and a second distribution list filter, the plurality of distribution list filters specifying one or more addresses of respective one or more members of a plurality of distribution lists to whom distribution of the electronic message is to be prevented, and each of the plurality of distribution list filters associated with a filter state, the filter state comprising a tag that identifies the filter state as being in an active state or not in the active state; identifying, based at least in part on the second information stored in the second table, that the first distribution list filter and the second distribution list filter are associated with a particular distribution list of the plurality of distribution lists, the first distribution list filter being different from the second distribution list filter; identifying, based at least in part on the second information stored in the second table, that the first distribution list filter is associated with the filter state that is in the active state and that the second distribution list filter is associated with the filter state that is not in the active state; determining that a first member of the plurality of distribution lists specified by the first distribution list filter is to be excluded from receiving the electronic message based at least in part on the first distribution list filter being associated with the filter state that is in the active state; determining that a second member of the plurality of distribution lists specified by the second distribution list filter is to be included in receiving the electronic message based at least in part on the second distribution list filter being associated with the filter state that is not in the active state; for the electronic message in the message thread addressed to at least one of the plurality of distribution lists, determining, based at least in part on the maintained first information of the first table stored on the server and relating to the message thread and the filter state stored in the second table stored on the server and relating to the sender, to prevent distribution of the electronic message to the first member; when it has been determined to prevent distribution of the electronic message to the first member, distributing the electronic message to the one or more members of the plurality of distribution lists excluding the first member to whom distribution is to be prevented, the distributed electronic message identifying at least one of the plurality of distribution lists as an intended recipient of the electronic message; determining, based at least in part on third information received from the sender of the electronic message, whether to enable viewing of the first member to whom distribution is to be prevented by a recipient of the electronic message; enabling viewing, by the recipient, of identification of the first member to whom distribution is to be prevented when the third information indicates a request by the sender to enable viewing; and disabling viewing, by the recipient, of the identification of the first member to whom distribution is to be prevented when the third information indicates a request by the sender to disable viewing.