Methods and systems for achiving and verification of electronic communications

• US 20020129108A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Financial Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Financial Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Sykes, George H. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

A method and system for archiving and/or verifying electronic communications. The method and system provide verification of an email sent by a sender to a recipient, comprising receiving a copy of an email as an addressee; indexing the email according to at least one of sender, recipient, date, or subject matter; and storing an exact copy of the email as received. The method and system also provide for secure electronic communication between a sender and at least one recipient, comprising receiving from the sender view a secure internet connection a message and the email address of at least one intended recipient of the message; sending an email message to the at least one intended recipient of the message that a message is waiting; transmitting the message to the at least one intended recipient via a secure internet connection established by the at least one intended recipient; and sending an email message to the sender that the at least one recipient has been sent the message. The method and system also provide for transmitting a facsimile for a sender to a recipient, the comprising: receiving an electronic facsimile message from the sender together with the facsimile number of the recipient; storing a copy of the electronic facsimile message; transmitting the facsimile message to the facsimile number of the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of sending a verifiable email message, the method comprising:

addressing the email to a third party, either as an addressee or a copy who will index the message according to at least one of sender, date, recipient, and subject, and stores an exact copy of the e-mail message.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the third party also sends an acknowledgement of the message to the sender.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the third party also sends an acknowledgement of the message to at least one addressee.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the third party makes a ready-only copy of the email available via the internet, indexed according to at least one of sender, date, recipient, and subject.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein upon request, the third party makes a printed copy of the stored e-mail message, and provides a written verification that it is an exact copy of the email message as received from the recipient.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising upon request, providing a printed copy of the stored e-mail message together with a written verification that the printed copy is an exact copy of the email message as received from the recipient.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sender'"'"'s credit or debit card is automatically debited for services.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sender is advised of charges via email and can settle the account via the internet.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sender is sent a statement of charges incurred.

32. The method of transmitting a verifiable facsimile according to claim 1 wherein the step of sending the facsimile together with the facsimile number of the at least one recipient, comprises dialing a telephone number of the third party, dialing a number identifying the sender to the third party, and dialing the facsimile number of the intended recipient.

6. A method of providing email verification of an email send by a sender to a recipient, the method comprising:

receiving a copy of an email as an addressee;

indexing the email according to at least one of sender, recipient, date, or subject matter; and

storing an exact copy of the email as received.

8. The method according to claim 6 further comprising sending an acknowledgement of receipt of the email to the sender.

9. The method according to claim 6 further comprising sending an acknowledgement of receipt of the email to the recipient.

11. The method according to claim 6 wherein the sender has a user profile specifying a period of time to store the email message, and wherein the email message is stored for at least the period of time specified in the user profile.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein the exact copy of the email message is stored for a predetermined period of time.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising alerting the sender that the email is about to be deleted prior to its deletion.

14. The method according to claim 6 wherein the sender is charged based upon the size of the email and the duration of storage.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the secure internet connection between the sender and the third party is an SSL connection.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the secure internet connection between the at least one intended recipient and the third party is SSL connection.

21. The method according to claim 18 wherein the email message to the at least one intended recipient includes instructions on how to establish a secure internet connection to receive the message.

22. The method according to claim 18 wherein the email message includes at least a URL to establish the secure internet connection.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the secure internet connection with the sender is an SSL connection.

25. The method according to claim 23 wherein the secure internet connection with the intended recipient is an SSL connection.

26. The method according to claim 23 wherein the email message to the at least one intended recipient includes instructions on how to establish a secure internet connection to receive the message.

27. The method according to claim 6 wherein the email message includes at least a URL to establish the secure internet connection.

30. The method according to claim 29 wherein the instructions to the recipient include a telephone number for the recipient to call to make a selection on the telephone key pad, and wherein the step of receiving the selection from the recipient the selection via telephone keypad.

7. The method of claim 7 further comprising making a read-only copy of the email available via the internet, indexed according to at least one of sender, recipient, date, and subject.

18. A method of secure electronic communication comprising:

transmitting to a third party via a secure internet connection a message and the email address at least one intended recipient of the message, who will send an email message to the intended recipient indicating that a message is waiting for the intended recipient via a secure internet connection, transmitting the message to the intended recipient who establishes a secure internet connection with the third party, and sends an email to the sender when the message has been transmitted to an intended recipient.

23. A method of facilitating secure electronic communication between a sender and at least one recipient, comprising:

receiving from the sender view a secure internet connection a message and the email address of at least one intended recipient of the message;

sending an email message to the at least one intended recipient of the message that a message is wailing;

transmitting the message to the at least one intended recipient via a secure internet connection established by the at least one intended recipient;

sending an email message to the sender that the at least one recipient has been sent the message.

28. A method of transmitting a message including at least two options to a recipient and receiving the recipient'"'"'s selection, the method comprising:

transmitting a message including at least two options to a third party that communicates the message to the recipient, receives the recipient'"'"'s selection, and transmits the recipient'"'"'s selection back to the sender.

29. A method of transmitting a sender'"'"'s message including at least two options to a recipient and communicating the recipient'"'"'s selection to the sender, comprising:

receiving from the sender via a secure the message, including at least two options, and the email address of the recipient from the sender; and

at least one recipient, comprising;

receiving from the sender view a secure internet connection a message and the email address of at least one intended recipient of the message;

sending an email message to the at least one intended recipient of the message that a message is waiting;

transmitting the message to the at least one intended recipient via a secure internet connection established by the at least one intended recipient, together with instructions to the recipient about how to make the selection;

receiving the selection from the intended recipient;

sending an email message to the sender that the at least one recipient has made a selection;

communicating the recipient'"'"'s selection to the sender via a secure internet connection established by the sender.

31. A method of transmitting a verifiable facsimile message to at least one intended recipient comprising sending the facsimile together with the facsimile number of the at least one intended recipient to a third party who will store an copy of the facsimile as received and transmit the facsimile to the intended recipient.

33. A method of transmitting a facsimile for a sender to a recipient, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic facsimile message from the sender together with the facsimile number of the recipient;

storing a copy of the electronic facsimile message;

transmitting the facsimile message to the facsimile number of the recipient.

34. The method according to claim 33 further comprising sending a confirmation message to the sender when the facsimile message has been sent.

35. The method according to claim 33 further comprising providing a printed copy of the facsimile message send by the sender and transmitted to the recipient.

36. The method according to claim 33 wherein the step of receiving an electronic facsimile message from the sender together with the facsimile number of the recipient, includes receiving from a standard facsimile machine, a number input on the facsimile machine, identifying the sender, receiving from the standard facsimile machine the facsimile number of the recipient, and receiving from the standard facsimile machine the electronic facsimile message.

37. A method of transmitting a facsimile for a sender to a recipient, the method comprising:

receiving from the sender, a code number from the sender'"'"'s facsimile machine, identifying the sender, the recipient'"'"'s facsimile number from the sender'"'"'s facsimile machine, and the electronic facsimile message;

storing an exact copy of the electronic facsimile message;

transmitting the electronic facsimile message to facsimile number of the recipient.

38. A method of transmitting a facsimile for a sender to a recipient, the method comprising receiving the recipient'"'"'s facsimile number from the sender'"'"'s facsimile machine, and the electronic facsimile message from the sender'"'"'s facsimile machine;

identifying the sender using caller identification of the telephone line used by the sender'"'"'s facsimile machine;

storing a copy of the electronic facsimile;

transmitting the electronic facsimile message to the fax number of the recipient.