# US 9,436,837 B2 · System, method and computer program product for messaging in an on-demand database service

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,436,837 B2
- Document ID: US9436837B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/802,338
- Filed: 2013-03-13
- Published: 2013-08-01
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2007-07-19
- Assignees: salesforce.com, inc.
- Applicants: salesforce.com, inc
- Inventors: Susan Carol Shanabrook; Richard Alan Stevens; Ron H. Kimble; Michael P. Cadden; Travis D. Corson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436837B2

## CPC

- G06N 5/025: Extracting rules from data
- G06F 21/606: {by securing the transmission between two devices or processes}
- H04L 51/212: using filtering or selective blocking
- H04L 51/48: Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
- G06N 5/022: Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
- G06N 5/04: Inference or reasoning models
- G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
- G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for messaging in an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for messaging in an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to more flexibly message in on-demand database environments. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature may lead to enhanced messaging features which may be used for providing more effective ways of messaging in the context of on-demand databases.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer instructions stored thereon that are capable of causing operations comprising:
receiving, from a user, a request for an email address managed by an on-demand database service;
associating a user alias with the user;
generating the email address for the user, wherein the email address includes an encrypted sequence of characters that identify the user alias and that identify an organization of the user, and wherein the email address includes a top level email domain representing a domain of a provider of the on-demand database service;
providing, to the user, an indication of the email address;
receiving, from the user, a first set of information specifying one or more security criteria to be applied, on behalf of the user, to messages sent to the email address; and
receiving, from the user, a second set of information specifying one or more rules to be used to process the messages sent to the email address in response to the messages meeting the one or more security criteria.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, limiting processing resources used to process the messages sent to the email address by applying a rate limit to a resource count tracked on behalf of processing the message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising installing the rule for processing the message from an application exchange platform.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the message is received at the on-demand database service.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the on-demand database service is a multi-tenant on-demand database service.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more security criteria to be applied to the to the messages sent to the email address include an anti-spam verification.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the rule is configured to only be invoked in response to validation of an address of a sender of a message sent to the email address.

### Claim 8

A method, comprising:
receiving, from a user, a request for an email address managed by an on-demand database service;
associating a user alias with the user;
generating the email address for the user, wherein the email address includes an encrypted sequence of characters that identify the user alias and that identify an organization of the user, and wherein the email address includes a top level email domain representing a domain of a provider of the on-demand database service;
providing, to the user, an indication of the email address;
receiving, from the user, a first set of information specifying one or more security criteria to be applied, on behalf of the user, to messages sent to the email address; and
receiving, from the user, a second set of information specifying one or more rules to be used to process the messages sent to the email address in response to the messages meeting the one or more security criteria.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the encrypted sequence of characters includes an encrypted user identifier, wherein the user identifier is different from the user alias.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein a particular rule of the one or more rules specifies that the particular rule is to be invoked for messages including one or more particular sender addresses.

### Claim 11

An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that includes one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
receiving, from a user, a request for an email address managed by an on-demand database service;
receiving, from a user, a request for an email address managed by an on-demand database service;
associating a user alias with the user;
generating the email address for the user, wherein the email address includes an encrypted sequence of characters that identify the user alias and that identify an organization of the user, and wherein the email address includes a top level email domain representing a domain of a provider of the on-demand database service;
providing, to the user, an indication of the email address;
receiving, from the user, a first set of information specifying one or more security criteria to be applied, on behalf of the user, to messages sent to the email address; and
receiving, from the user, a second set of information specifying one or more rules to be used to process the messages sent to the email address in response to the messages meeting the one or more security criteria.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the encrypted sequence of characters is a sequence of pseudorandomly generated characters.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the steps further comprise:
receiving, from the user, a request for a different domain; and
generating, for the user, a new email address that includes a different sequence of pseudorandomly generated characters.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the steps further comprise:
receiving, from an administrator of the on-demand database service, one or more additional security criteria to be applied, on behalf of the user, to messages sent to the email address; and
adding the one or more additional security criteria to the one or more security criteria received from the user.