Apparatus, system and method of receiving e-mail messages sent to physical locations

• US 20040054730A1
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Herman, Smith, Newton James Jr., Rojas, Hypatia, Carter, William Stephen
• Application Number:
  US10/242,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054730A1
• 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 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for receiving e-mail messages sent to physical locations are provided. To receive an e-mail message sent to a physical location, a recipient must be within a range from the physical location. The range may be a default range or may be specifically identified by a sender in the message. Furthermore, although the recipient may be within the range identified in the message, the recipient may still not receive the message if a time-span within which the content of the message is current has elapsed.

Claims

1. A method of receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting, by the recipient, the e-mail message; and

receiving the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.

8. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the computer program product comprising:

code means for requesting, by the recipient, the e-mail message; and

code means for receiving the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.

15. An apparatus for receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the method comprising:

means for requesting, by the recipient, the e-mail message; and

means for receiving the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.

22. A system for receiving an e-mail message by a recipient, the message having a physical location as an address, the method comprising:

at least one storage system for storing code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to request, by the recipient, the e-mail message, and to receive the message by the recipient, if the recipient is within a range from the physical location.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the range is specified in the e-mail message.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the requesting step includes the step of transmitting geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the message includes a time span within which it is current.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the recipient does not receive the message.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the message includes a maximum number of recipients that may receive the message.