Electronic mail filtering system
First Claim
1. A method for filtering electronic mail in a system comprising an electronic mail service provider, the method comprising the steps of:
- specifying a requirement for a check, having a predetermined value, to be attached to an electronic mail transmitted by a sender to a recipient; and
if the electronic mail comprises the check, accepting the electronic mail in response to the attached check.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system that filters e-mail is comprised of a clearinghouse that processes a check attached to the e-mail. The check is made out to the intended recipient with an expiration date and a transaction identification. The clearinghouse verifies the signature of the sender, the validity date of the check, tracks the transaction identification to verify it is unique, verifies the sufficiency of the sender'"'"'s account, and institutes a hold on the account equal to the amount of the check. The clearinghouse generates a status of the check that is sent with the e-mail and check to the recipient'"'"'s Internet service provider. The Internet service provider, based on the status, either sends the check to the intended recipient or back to the sender.
36 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A method for filtering electronic mail in a system comprising an electronic mail service provider, the method comprising the steps of:
-
specifying a requirement for a check, having a predetermined value, to be attached to an electronic mail transmitted by a sender to a recipient; and
if the electronic mail comprises the check, accepting the electronic mail in response to the attached check. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for filtering a communication in a communications system, the method comprising the steps of:
-
specifying a requirement for a predetermined value to be attached to the communication transmitted by a sender to a recipient; and
if the communication comprises the predetermined value, the recipient evaluating the communication in response to the attached predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for filtering an electronic mail in a system comprising an electronic mail service provider and a clearinghouse, the method comprising the steps of:
-
the electronic mail service provider receiving the electronic mail addressed to a recipient from a sender;
the electronic mail service provider verifying that the electronic mail comprises a check having a value;
the electronic mail service provider requesting the clearinghouse to place a hold on a sender account associated with the check;
the clearinghouse verifying that the check comprises a signature that corresponds to the sender;
the clearinghouse verifying that the sender account has sufficient value equal to or greater than the value of the check;
if the sender account has sufficient value, the clearinghouse instituting the hold on the sender account substantially equal to the value of the check;
the electronic mail service provider receiving a status of the hold; and
the electronic mail service provider processing the electronic mail in response to the status of the hold. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19)
-
-
17. A method for filtering an electronic mail in a system comprising an electronic mail service provider, a client electronic mail, and a clearinghouse, the method comprising the steps of:
-
the electronic mail service provider receiving the electronic mail addressed to a recipient from a sender;
verifying that the electronic mail comprises a check having a predetermined value, a transaction identification, and an expiration date;
verifying that the expiration date is adequate to process the check;
verifying that the recipient can countersign the check;
requesting the clearinghouse to place a hold on a sender account associated with the check;
verifying that the check comprises a signature that corresponds to the sender;
the clearinghouse verifying that the expiration date has not expired;
verifying that the transaction identification is unique;
verifying that the sender account has sufficient value equal to or greater than the value of the check;
if the sender account has sufficient value, the clearinghouse instituting the hold on the sender account substantially equal to the value of the check;
the electronic mail service provider receiving a status of the hold;
if the hold has not been instituted, the electronic mail service provider sending the electronic mail to the sender;
if the hold has been instituted, the electronic mail service provider forwarding the electronic mail to the client electronic mail;
the client electronic mail countersigning the check with a countersignature;
the client electronic mail transmitting the check to the clearinghouse along with a new hold status request;
verifying that the hold is active;
verifying the countersignature;
if the new hold status request indicates a value transfer, transferring value from the sender account to a recipient account; and
if the new hold status request indicates a release of the hold, releasing the hold on the sender account.
-
-
20. A method for an electronic mail service provider to filter electronic mail in a system comprising an electronic mail client and at least one clearinghouse, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving an electronic mail addressed to an intended recipient;
verifying that the electronic mail comprises a check having a predetermined value and an expiration date, the check being drawn on a sender'"'"'s account;
verifying that the predetermined value is sufficient for the intended recipient;
verifying that the intended recipient can validly countersign the check;
identifying a clearinghouse of the at least one clearinghouse that can handle the check; and
requesting the clearinghouse to initiate a hold on the sender'"'"'s account for an amount substantially equal to the predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
-
22. A method for a clearinghouse to process an electronic mail check, the check comprising a predetermined value, a sender'"'"'s signature, an expiration date, an intended recipient, and a transaction identification, the check being drawn on a sender'"'"'s account, the method comprising the steps of:
-
verifying validity of the sender'"'"'s signature;
verifying that the expiration date has not expired;
verifying that the transaction identification is unique to that particular check;
verifying that the sender'"'"'s account has sufficient value to match the check'"'"'s predetermined value; and
instituting a hold on the sender'"'"'s account for an amount substantially equal to the predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
26. A method for an electronic mail client to filter received electronic mail from a sender, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving an electronic mail from the sender through an electronic mail service provider, the electronic mail comprising a check having a predetermined value, a sender'"'"'s signature, and a transaction identification;
detaching the check from the electronic mail;
countersigning the check with a countersignature; and
transmitting the check with the countersignature to a clearinghouse for processing.
-
-
27. A system for filtering electronic mail comprising:
-
a clearinghouse that processes a check that is coupled to an electronic mail that was sent by a sender to an intended recipient, the clearinghouse generating a check status in response to the processing; and
an electronic mail service provider, coupled to the clearinghouse, that transmits the electronic mail to either the intended recipient or back to the sender in response to the check status.
-
-
31. A system for processing a check attached to an electronic mail in order to generate interest in reading the electronic mail, the electronic mail transmitted by a sender to an intended recipient, the check having a predetermined value and being drawn on a sender'"'"'s account and comprising an expiration date and a transaction identification, the system comprising:
-
means for verifying validity of the sender'"'"'s signature;
means for verifying that the expiration date has not expired;
means for verifying that the transaction identification is unique to that particular check;
means for verifying that the sender'"'"'s account has sufficient value to match the check'"'"'s predetermined value; and
means for instituting a hold on the sender'"'"'s account for an amount substantially equal to the predetermined value.
-
Specification