Enterprise electronic mail filtering and notification system
First Claim
1. An enterprise electronic mail filtering and notification system, comprising:
- (a) a web server connected to a computer network;
(b) a database connected to the web server;
(c) web page publishing means for publishing web pages and forms on the web server, the web pages and forms including;
(i) means for registering at least one user'"'"'s e-mail address and e-mail account access data in the database;
(ii) means for permitting the user to select criteria for filtering e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server, the criteria selected by the user being stored in the database; and
(iii) means for permitting the user to select a notification message and notification medium upon receipt of priority e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server;
(d) e-mail detection means for periodically polling the at least one user'"'"'s e-mail server for receipt of e-mail in an e-mail mailbox maintained for the user on the e-mail server;
(e) filtering means for scanning e-mail received in the user'"'"'s e-mail mailbox using the user-selected criteria stored in the database and sorting the received e-mail for immediate notification of receipt, for storage, and for blocking; and
(f) notification means for notifying the at least one user of e-mail filtered and sorted for immediate notification of receipt.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The enterprise electronic mail filtering and notification system is a distributed World Wide Web (Internet) based data processing and transmission system whose purpose is to provide a web and network based method of locating high priority electronic mail messages and alerting the intended recipients of those messages of the existence of the messages. The system includes a web server where a user may register his e-mail address and select criteria for screening e-mails from a mailbox on the user'"'"'s e-mail server. When important e-mail messages are located, the user will be notified by the most convenient means as determined by the user. This system has the capability to share its user adjustable, flexible and scalable filtering and notification functions with a plurality of networked users and can be offered as a service to off network prospects that have access to the World Wide Web (Internet).
135 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An enterprise electronic mail filtering and notification system, comprising:
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(a) a web server connected to a computer network;
(b) a database connected to the web server;
(c) web page publishing means for publishing web pages and forms on the web server, the web pages and forms including;
(i) means for registering at least one user'"'"'s e-mail address and e-mail account access data in the database;
(ii) means for permitting the user to select criteria for filtering e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server, the criteria selected by the user being stored in the database; and
(iii) means for permitting the user to select a notification message and notification medium upon receipt of priority e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server;
(d) e-mail detection means for periodically polling the at least one user'"'"'s e-mail server for receipt of e-mail in an e-mail mailbox maintained for the user on the e-mail server;
(e) filtering means for scanning e-mail received in the user'"'"'s e-mail mailbox using the user-selected criteria stored in the database and sorting the received e-mail for immediate notification of receipt, for storage, and for blocking; and
(f) notification means for notifying the at least one user of e-mail filtered and sorted for immediate notification of receipt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for filtering electronic mail and notifying a user of receipt of electronic mail, comprising the steps of:
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(a) establishing a web site in a computer network;
(b) establishing a database connected to the web site;
(c) publishing a plurality of web pages and forms on the web site, including web pages and forms for registering at least one user'"'"'s e-mail address and e-mail account access data in the database, for permitting the user to select criteria for filtering e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server, the criteria selected by the user being stored in the database, and for permitting the user to select a notification message and notification medium upon receipt of priority e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server;
(d) periodically polling the at least one user'"'"'s e-mail server for receipt of e-mail in an e-mail mailbox maintained for the user on the e-mail server;
(e) scanning e-mail received in the user'"'"'s e-mail mailbox using the user-selected criteria stored in the database;
(f) sorting the received e-mail for immediate notification of receipt, for storage, and for blocking; and
(g) notifying the at least one user of e-mail filtered and sorted for immediate notification of receipt. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer software product that includes a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a set of instructions for enterprise electronic mail filtering and notification, comprising:
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(a) a first sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to establish a web server in a computer network;
(b) a second sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to a first sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to establish a database connected to the web server;
(c) a third sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to publish a plurality of web pages and forms on the web site, including web pages and forms for registering at least one user'"'"'s e-mail address and e-mail account access data in the database, for permitting the user to select criteria for filtering e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server, the criteria selected by the user being stored in the database, and for permitting the user to select a notification message and notification medium upon receipt of priority e-mail received by the user'"'"'s e-mail server;
(d) a fourth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to periodically poll the at least one user'"'"'s e-mail server for receipt of e-mail in an e-mail mailbox maintained for the user on the e-mail server;
(e) a fifth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to scan e-mail received in the user'"'"'s e-mail mailbox using the user-selected criteria stored in the database;
(f) a sixth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to sort the received e-mail for immediate notification of receipt, for storage, and for blocking; and
(g) a seventh sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes said processor to notify the at least one user of e-mail filtered and sorted for immediate notification of receipt. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification