Apparatus, system and method of delivering e-mail messages

• US 20040054731A1
• 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:
  US10/242,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054731A1
• 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 system, apparatus and method of delivering an e-mail message to a recipient are provided. Before a message is delivered to a recipient, a determination is made as to whether the recipient is within a particular range from a physical location to which the message was sent. The range may be a default range or one specified by the sender of the message. If the user is within the range, the e-mail message is delivered to the recipient; otherwise, it is not.

Claims

1. A method of delivering an e-mail message to a recipient at a physical location comprising the steps of:

determining whether the e-mail message has a range from the physical location within which a recipient needs to be in order to receive the message;

ascertaining, if there is a range, that the recipient is within the range; and

delivering, if the recipient is within the range, the e-mail message to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the range is a user-specified range.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the range is a default range.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of ascertaining includes the step of receiving geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient when the recipient requests the e-mail message.

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

6. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for delivering an e-mail message to a recipient at a physical location comprising:

code means for determining whether the e-mail message has a range from the physical location within which a recipient needs to be in order to receive the message;

code means for ascertaining, if there is a range, that the recipient is within the range; and

code means for delivering, if the recipient is within the range, the e-mail message to the recipient.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the range is a user-specified range.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the range is a default range.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the ascertaining code means includes code means for receiving geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient when the recipient requests the e-mail message.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

11. An apparatus for delivering an e-mail message to a recipient at a physical location comprising:

means for determining whether the e-mail message has a range from the physical location within which a recipient needs to be in order to receive the message;

means for ascertaining, if there is a range, that the recipient is within the range; and

means for delivering, if the recipient is within the range, the e-mail message to the recipient.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the range is a user-specified range.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the range is a default range.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the ascertaining means includes means for receiving geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient when the recipient requests the e-mail message.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

16. A system for delivering an e-mail message to a recipient at a physical location comprising:

at least one storage device for storing code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to determine whether the e-mail message has a range from the physical location within which a recipient needs to be in order to receive the message, to ascertain, if there is a range, that the recipient is within the range, and to deliver, if the recipient is within the range, the e-mail message to the recipient.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the range is a user-specified range.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the range is a default range.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the code data is further processed to receive geographical coordinates of the location of the recipient when the recipient requests the e-mail message.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the geographical coordinates are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

21. A method of delivering an e-mail message to a recipient comprising the steps of:

determining whether the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein; and

delivering, if the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein, the e-mail message at the specified time.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the delivery time includes a time span within which the recipient may retrieve the message.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the message is no longer retrievable.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein if the message does not include a delivery time specified therein, the message is delivered immediately.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the message includes a time span specified therein within which the recipient may retrieve the message.

26. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for delivering an e-mail message to a recipient comprising:

code means for determining whether the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein; and

code means for delivering, if the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein, the e-mail message at the specified time.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein the delivery time includes a time span within which the recipient may retrieve the message.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the message is no longer retrievable.

29. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein if the message does not include a delivery time specified therein, the message is delivered immediately.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the message includes a time span specified therein within which the recipient may retrieve the message.

31. An apparatus for delivering an e-mail message to a recipient comprising:

means for determining whether the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein; and

means for delivering, if the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein, the e-mail message at the specified time.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the delivery time includes a time span within which the recipient may retrieve the message.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the message is no longer retrievable.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein if the message does not include a delivery time specified therein, the message is delivered immediately.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the message includes a time span specified therein within which the recipient may retrieve the message.

36. A system for delivering an e-mail message to a recipient comprising:

at least one storage system for storing code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to determine whether the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein, and to deliver, if the e-mail message includes a delivery time specified therein, the e-mail message at the specified time.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the delivery time includes a time span within which the recipient may retrieve the message.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein if the time span has elapsed, the message is no longer retrievable.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein if the message does not include a delivery time specified therein, the message is delivered immediately.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the message includes a time span specified therein within which the recipient may retrieve the message.