Enhanced services electronic mail

• US 20040044734A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bridgetree, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bridgetree, Inc.
• Inventors: Beck, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/228,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044734A1
• 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: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation

Abstract

A database includes one or more physical location identifiers such as postal addresses, delivery or street addresses, or geographic coordinates. A correlator correlates electronic addresses with physical location identifiers. The correlated electronic addresses can incorporate part or all of the corresponding physical location identifier. The correlated electronic addresses can further incorporate a reference to an individual, such as a name or title, or a reference to a group of individuals, such as by name. Correlated electronic addresses allow reception of electronic communication. Services offered with electronic delivery of correspondence to correlated electronic addresses include return receipt, insured delivery, certified delivery, forwarding, non-delivery notification, and non-electronic delivery. Costs associated with operation of the electronic mail may be covered by administration of postage or when the recipient elects electronic delivery of correspondence traditionally delivered by paper mail.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one input that receives geographically-based address data;

a memory connected to said at least one input, said memory having said geographically-based address data;

an email address correlator operably coupled to said memory for correlating each of one or more geographically-based addresses with at least one unique email address, said geographically-based addresses being determined from said geographically-based address data; and

a second memory operably coupled to said email address correlator, said second memory storing said correlations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said geographically-based addresses are selected from the group comprising a street address, a postal address, and a latitude and longitude pair.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said at least one unique email address incorporates at least part of the corresponding one of said geographically-based addresses.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least some of said geographically-based addresses represent building addresses.

5. The system of claim 4,

wherein said geographically-based address data includes one or more individual identifiers each identifying a person, one or more of said geographically-based addresses each being associated with at least one of said individual identifiers;

and

wherein said at least one unique email address incorporates at least part of the name of one individual associated with the corresponding one of said geographically-based addresses.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the relationship between said person and said corresponding one of said geographically-based addresses to which said person is associated is selected from the group comprising:

residing at, under employment at, receiving mail at, and doing business at.

7. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

an email transmitter coupled to said memory and coupled to a user interface for allowing a user to electronically send a message to one or more people at corresponding ones of said unique email addresses.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said email transmitter is coupled to a user email system, said email transmitter receiving from said user email system said message for delivery to one or more people at corresponding ones of said unique email addresses.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

an email returner for returning said message when said message is undeliverable.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a return receipt sender coupled to said user interface for sending a return receipt, said return receipt indicating that said message has been accessed by a recipient, said return receipt indicating at least the identity of the sender of said message and the identity of the recipient, a user being able to view said return receipt on said user interface.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one change of address input coupled to said memory for receiving change of address data, said change of address data indicating at least one of;

the creation of a new relationship between a person and one of said geographically-based addresses, the termination of a relationship between a person and one of said geographically-based addresses, and the alteration of a relationship between a person and one of said geographically-based addresses; and

an email address changer coupled to said memory for correlating one of said geographically-based addresses with a new email address responsive to receiving change of address data indicating a person not previously associated with said one of said geographically-based addresses is now associated with said one of said geographically-based addresses, said email address changer flagging an existing unique email address when said change of address form indicates the corresponding person is no longer associated with the corresponding geographically-based address and associating with said flagged unique email address a forwarding address, when available, said forwarding address being a new address at which the corresponding person is to receive messages.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

an email forwarder coupled to said email transmitter for forwarding said message to a forwarding address when said message is undeliverable, said email forwarder being able to forward messages by at least one of emailing, faxing, and mailing by postal mail.

13. The system as in claim 8 wherein said email transmitter is controlled by a single entity, and wherein recipients do not accept email directed to their corresponding unique email address unless sent by said email transmitter.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein the single entity is the United States Postal Service.

15. The system as in claim 8 wherein said unique email address is only accessible on at least one server controlled by a single entity.

16. The system as in claim 15 wherein the single entity is the United States Postal Service.

17. A system comprising:

a memory having a data input and an address output, said data input for receiving geographically-based address data, said address output for outputting geographically-based addresses, said geographically-based addresses being determined from said geographically-based address data; and

a email address correlator having a correlator data input and a correlated email address output, said correlator data input being connected to said data input of said memory, said correlated email address output for providing at least one unique email address correlated one of said geographically-based addresses.

18. A method comprising:

accessing a plurality of geographically-based addresses; and

correlating at least one email address with each of at least some of the plurality of geographically-based addresses.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of geographically-based addresses includes a plurality of street addresses.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of geographically-based addresses includes a plurality of postal addresses.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of geographically-based addresses includes a plurality of latitude and longitude coordinates.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of geographically-based addresses includes at least some geographically-based addresses that are encoded.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the encoding comprises encryption.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein accessing a plurality of geographically-based addresses includes accessing a plurality of geographically-based addresses wherein at least some of the geographically-based addresses are for buildings, wherein at least some of the buildings are occupied by people.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein correlating at least one email address with each of at least some of the plurality of geographically-based addresses includes correlating a building street address with a unique email address.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein correlating a building with a unique email address includes correlating a building street address with a unique email address without regard for the people that may occupy the building.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein at least some of the buildings are occupied by people for at least one of residential and business purposes.

28. The method of claim 25 and further comprising:

receiving information from a source intended for delivery to an occupant at a specific one of the geographically-based addresses;

using the email address that correlates to the specific one of the geographically-based addresses to email the information to the occupant.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein using the email address that correlates to the specific one of the geographically-based addresses to email the information to the occupant includes at least one of the following:

automatically returning the email to the source when the email address is no longer valid,

automatically sending a return receipt to the source when the delivery of the email is complete, and

automatically forwarding the email to a forwarding address when the email address is no longer valid.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein correlating a building street address with a unique email address includes correlating a building street address with a unique email address that includes identifying information specific to a particular occupant of the building.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein correlating a building with a unique email address that includes identifying information specific to a particular occupant of the building includes correlating a building with a plurality of unique email addresses, wherein each unique email address includes identifying information for both the building and each of a plurality of occupants of the building.

32. The method of claim 18 wherein correlating at least one email address with each of at least some of the plurality of geographically-based addresses includes including at least a portion of the geographically-based address in the correlated email address.

33. A method comprising:

establishing a network domain having a corresponding domain name; and

establishing a plurality of email addresses that include both the domain name and geographically-based address information, wherein each of the email addresses includes a physical address that identifies at least a specific building.

34. A method as in claim 33,

wherein each of said email addresses includes an indication of a person associated with said specific building.