Method and system for tracking receipt of electronic message

• US 20040088360A1
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MyLifecom Incorporated (MyLife.com)
• Original Assignee: MyLifecom Incorporated (MyLife.com)
• Inventors: Caughey, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls

Abstract

A system and a method for managing electronic contact database are disclosed. A method according to an embodiment comprises the steps of providing a recipient electronic address; providing an electronic mail message; encoding a network address including an indication of a file name and a network file server within the provided electronic mail message, the encoded network address indicative of a unique recipient and indicative of the network file server and a file name from which to retrieve data from the network file server; and, transmitting the electronic mail message to the provided recipient electronic address. A mail server supports the methods for managing electronic contact database.

Claims

1. A method for managing an electronic contact database of a mail server comprising the steps of:

providing a recipient electronic address;

providing an electronic mail message;

encoding a network address including an indication of a file name and a network file server within the provided electronic mail message, the encoded network address indicative of a unique recipient and indicative of the network file server and a file name from which to retrieve data from the network file server; and

,

transmitting the electronic mail message to the provided recipient electronic address.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the encoded network address includes data relating to a unique sender of the electronic mail message

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the electronic mail message to the provided recipient electronic address comprises the steps of:

receiving the electronic mail message on a computer host system associated with the provided recipient electronic address;

providing a file corresponding to the filename; and

,

upon accessing the electronic mail message on a host computer system, automatically requesting downloading a file corresponding to the indication of the file name from the network file server indicating to the server that the electronic mail message was accessed on the host computer system.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the file name from which to retrieve data from the network file server is other than of a valid file on the network file server.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

associating a time value to the provided electronic mail message, the time value indicative of a time the electronic mail message is provided; and

storing the time value for allowing another provided electronic mail message .

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network address is unique for each electronic mail message so generated by a same server.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network address is a URL.

8. A method for tracking receipt of electronic messages by a server comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic mail message;

providing data indicative of a server address, the server address for tracking of the electronic mail message;

generating an encoded mail message from the provided electronic mail message and comprising a file name, the filename including encoded data therein; and

,

transmitting the encoded mail message to a destination electronic address.

9. A method for tracking receipt of electronic messages by a server comprising the steps of:

receiving from a host computer system a request for downloading data from within a file, the file indicated by a file name;

decoding the file name to determine therefrom recipient data;

storing in association with the recipient data an indication that an electronic mail message transmitted thereto has been accessed; and

,

sending a data file in accordance with the request to the host computer system.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the data file is other than the requested data file.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the data file is an image file.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of storing an indication that an electronic mail message transmitted thereto has been accessed comprises the step of storing the indication in association with a record relating to the recipient within the electronic contact database.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of decoding the file name to determine therefrom recipient data includes the step of:

comparing the determined recipient data with data associated with electronic addresses stored within the electronic contact database; and

,

determining an electronic address of a sender of the accessed electronic mail message.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of storing an indication that an electronic mail message transmitted thereto has been accessed comprises the step of transmitting the indication to the sender address.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein the network address is a URL.

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising the step of storing the encoded file name within a memory for retrieving the encoded file name when the mail server receives a request from an electronic address associated with the encoded file name for downloading the image.

17. A method according to claim 16, comprising the step of deleting the encoded file name from the memory when the mail server receives a request for downloading the image from an electronic address associated with the encoded file name to which the electronic mail message was sent.

18. A mail server for tracking receipt of electronic messages comprising:

a memory storage for storing a plurality of electronic addresses stored within the electronic contact database and for storing instruction data for performing the steps of;

providing a recipient electronic address;

providing the electronic mail message;

encoding a network address including the indication of a file name and the network file server within the provided electronic mail message, the encoded network address indicative of a unique recipient and a unique sender of the electronic message and indicative of the network file server and a file name from which to retrieve data from the network file server; and

,

transmitting the electronic mail message to the provided recipient electronic address; and

,

an output port in communication with the memory storage, the output port for transmitting the electronic mail message to a plurality of electronic addresses stored within the electronic contact database.

19. A mail server according to claim 18, comprising a clock for providing a time value indicative of a time the electronic mail message was sent.

20. A mail server for tracking receipt of electronic messages comprising:

an input port for receiving a request from a host computer system, the request for downloading a data file corresponding to a file name;

a memory storage for storing instruction data for performing the steps of;

receiving from a host computer system the request for downloading data from within a file, the file indicated by the file name;

decoding the file name to determine therefrom recipient data;

storing in association with the recipient data an indication that an electronic mail message transmitted thereto has been accessed; and

,

sending a data file in accordance with the request to the host computer system.