Systems and methods for automatically forwarding electronic mail when the recipient is otherwise unknown
First Claim
1. A method of automatically resending an electronic message originally sent to a receiving user at a first address that is now invalid to a second address for the receiving user, wherein the second address has been registered with a forwarding address server, the method comprising the steps of:
- sending an electronic message from a first electronic mail domain to the first address at a second electronic mail domain;
determining in the second domain that the first address is no longer valid;
automatically sending a query from the second domain to the forwarding address server to determine a new address associated with the first address, and wherein the forwarding address server stores the first address in association with the second address;
returning the second address to the second domain; and
thereafter automatically sending the electronic message to the second address.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for automatically determining if the recipient of electronic mail that is unknown at the receiving server has left a “forwarding address” with a forwarding address server, thereby allowing either the receiving server, the sending server, or the sending user (computer system), or any other party to the communication, to automatically send the electronic mail content to the correct new address. In addition to this automatic “forwarding”, the sending user is notified as to the new electronic mail address so as to allow the sending user to update manually, or automatically, the user'"'"'s individual database of electronic mail addresses.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of automatically resending an electronic message originally sent to a receiving user at a first address that is now invalid to a second address for the receiving user, wherein the second address has been registered with a forwarding address server, the method comprising the steps of:
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sending an electronic message from a first electronic mail domain to the first address at a second electronic mail domain;
determining in the second domain that the first address is no longer valid;
automatically sending a query from the second domain to the forwarding address server to determine a new address associated with the first address, and wherein the forwarding address server stores the first address in association with the second address;
returning the second address to the second domain; and
thereafterautomatically sending the electronic message to the second address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of automatically resending an electronic message originally sent to a user at a first address that is now invalid to a second address for the user, wherein the second address has been registered with a forwarding address server, the method comprising the steps of:
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sending an electronic message from a first electronic mail domain to the first address at a second electronic mail domain;
returning a message to the first domain indicating that the first address is no longer valid;
automatically sending a query from the first domain to the forwarding address server to determine a new address associated with the first address, and wherein the forwarding address server stores the first address in association with the second address;
returning the second address to the first domain; and
thereafterautomatically sending the electronic message to the second address. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of automatically resending an electronic message originally sent to a receiving user at a destination address that is now invalid to a new address for the receiving user, wherein the new address has been registered with an address server, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) creating an electronic message on a computer system, the electronic message having a first destination address;
b) sending the electronic message to a first server;
c) sending the electronic message from the first server to a second server associated with the destination address;
d) determining in the second server that the destination address is not valid; and
thereaftere) automatically sending a query to the address server to determine a new address associated with the destination address, wherein the address server stores the destination address in association with the new address;
f) returning the new address; and
thereafterg) automatically sending the electronic message to the new address. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An address server having an address database for storing old e-mail addresses in association with new e-mail addresses for registered users, wherein when the address server receives a query from an e-mail server requesting a new e-mail address associated with an old e-mail address for a first user, if the first user is registered with the address server, the server searches the database for the old address and returns the new address for the first user to the e-mail server.
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21. An e-mail server for receiving and sending electronic messages, wherein the e-mail server is configured to automatically send a request to an address server, which stores old e-mail addresses in association with new e-mail addresses for registered users, when the e-mail server receives a first electronic message from a first computer for a destination address that is no longer valid, and wherein the request requests a new address associated with the destination address.
Specification