Automated reply messages among end user communication devices

A computer program product, comprising a computer usable tangible medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for processing an electronic communication received by a first end-user communication device, the method comprising:

• receiving the electronic character-based communication by the first end-user communication device where the electronic character-based communication comprises a digital message sent from a second end-user device, the electronic character-based communication including an origination address of the second end-user device;
• a message processing program residing on the first end-user device having an auto-reply generation method that is active to automatically transmit a predetermined reply message to another device upon receipt of a message from the another device;
• storing in memory of the first end-user communication device a list of origination addresses to which the predetermined reply message has previously been transmitted;
• upon receipt of the digital message from the second end-user device, determining if the origination address of the second end-user device is in the list of origination addresses;
• upon a determination that the origination address of the second end-user device is in the list of origination addresses, inhibiting the auto-reply generation method from transmitting the predetermined reply message to the origination address of the second end-user device;
• upon a determination that the origination address of the second end-user device is not in the list of origination addresses, adding the origination address of the second end-user device to the list and permitting the auto-reply generation method to transmit the predetermined reply message to the origination address of the second end-user device.

A first end-user wireless communication device that processes a received electronic communication, the device comprising:

• a microprocessor controlled apparatus receives the electronic character-based communication by the first end-user communication device where the electronic character-based communication comprises a digital message sent from a second end-user device, the electronic character-based communication including an origination address of the second end-user device;
• a message processing program implemented by the microprocessor controlled apparatus having an auto-reply generation method that is active to automatically transmit a predetermined reply message to another device upon receipt of a message from the another device;
• memory of the first end-user communication device storing a list of origination addresses to which the predetermined reply message has previously been transmitted;
• upon receipt of the digital message from the second end-user device, the microprocessor controlled apparatus determining if the origination address of the second end-user device is in the list of origination addresses;
• upon a determination that the origination address of the second end-user device is in the list of origination addresses, the microprocessor controlled apparatus inhibiting the auto-reply generation method from transmitting the predetermined reply message to the origination address of the second end-user device;
• upon a determination that the origination address of the second end-user device is not in the list of origination addresses, the microprocessor controlled apparatus adding the origination address of the second end-user device to the list and permitting the auto-reply generation method to transmit the predetermined reply message to the origination address of the second end-user device.