Methods and systems for email attachment distribution and management

• US 20040186851A1
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accellion USA LLC
• Original Assignee: Accellion Incorporated
• Inventors: Arora, Neeraj, Jhingan, Nikhil, Lim, Chee Siang, Vasnani, Vinod U., Rao, E. Vijay, Mongia, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• 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 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides is a file delivery system for transmitting files to recipients using email, which may be used with existing email infrastructures. High volumes of large file attachments may be handled by routing attachments independent of an associated email. An attachment distribution system extracts the attachments of emails at mail servers and routes them through a hosting server thereby alleviating server loading on the mail server. The system may be configured for delivery optimization, recipient authentication and delivery confirmation. The system examines emails flowing through a distributed network of mail servers, and may invoke attachment extraction based on configurable rules like attachment size and sender validity, and move the attachments over the Internet or Intranet to a remote server that is capable of delivering the attachments to the email recipients.

Claims

1. An attachment distribution method comprising the steps of:

processing an email having a message portion and an attachment portion by a detacher to identify and thereby isolate at least one of the message portion and the attachment portion of the email from the other, the email having a source system and a destination system being associated thereto;

generating metadata in response to the email being processed, the metadata for packaging with the attachment portion of the email by the detacher to form an attachment packet, the metadata being descriptive of the email;

generating a locator code by the detacher for storing onto a database, the database being in operative association with the detacher;

generating a locator object from the locator code by the detacher and embedding the locator object into the message portion of the email to form a message packet;

delivering the attachment packet to a holding server by an uploader, the attachment packet having an attachment address, the attachment address identifying the holding server and being indicative of the location of the attachment packet within the holding server, the attachment address being stored onto the database and being associated with the locator code, the uploader being operatively associated with the detacher and the uploader being in data communication with the holding server; and

delivering the message packet to the destination system.

2. The attachment distribution method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the message packet by the destination system;

activating the locator object in the message packet;

locating the attachment packet in response to the locator object being activated; and

delivering the attachment packet from the holding server to the destination system in response to the attachment packet being located.

3. The attachment distribution method as in claim 1, the step of processing an email having a message portion and an attachment portion comprising the steps of:

verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule, the processing rule being pre-defined; and

detaching each of the attachment portion and the message portion of the email from the email upon verifying compliance of the email with the at least one processing rule.

4. The attachment distribution method as in claim 3, the step of verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule comprising the steps of:

obtaining the attachment size of the attachment portion of the email; and

verifying compliance of the attachment size with a reference attachment size, the attachment size being at least of the reference attachment size for compliance therewith.

5. The attachment distribution method as in claim 4, the step of verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule further comprising the steps of:

providing a reference source list, the reference source list containing at least one source system;

matching the source system associated with the email with the at least one source system contained in the reference source list; and

verifying compliance of the source system of the email with the reference source list, the source system of the email existing in the reference source list for compliance therewith.

6. The attachment distribution method as in claim 4, the step of verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule further comprising the

providing a reference destination list, the reference destination list containing at least one destination system;

matching the destination system associated with the email with the at least one destination system contained in the reference destination list; and

verifying compliance of the destination system of the email with the reference destination list, the destination system of the email existing in the reference destination list for compliance therewith.

7. The attachment distribution method as in claim 1, the step of generating metadata comprising the steps of:

extracting information from the email, the information being descriptive of at least one of the email, the source system and the destination system;

compiling the information to obtain the metadata; and

packaging the metadata with the attachment portion of the email to thereby form the attachment packet.

8. The attachment distribution method as in claim 1, the step of generating a locator code by the detacher comprising the step of:

generating the locator code by the detacher, the locator code being one of a uniform resource locator (URL), a uniform resource identifier (URI) and a uniform resource name (URN).

9. The attachment distribution method as in claim 1, the step of delivering the attachment packet to a holding server by an uploader comprising the steps of:

selecting a server from a server list containing a plurality of servers, the plurality of servers being arranged in sequence based on preference;

determining readiness of the selected server for receiving the attachment packet;

identifying the selected server as the holding server in response to the readiness of the selected server being determined;

loading the attachment packet onto the selected server by the uploader in response to the readiness of the preferred server being determined; and

storing the attachment address of the attachment packet onto the database and associating the attachment address with the corresponding locator code, the attachment address indicating the selected server as the holding server.

10. The attachment distribution method as in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

identifying presence of a preferred server being associated with the destination system;

determining readiness of the selected server for receiving the attachment packet in response to the preferred server being present;

identifying the preferred server as the holding server in response to the readiness of the preferred server being determined;

loading the attachment packet from the selected server onto the holding server by the selected server in response to the readiness of the

storing the attachment address of the attachment packet onto the database and associating the attachment address with the locator corresponding locator code, the attachment address indicating the preferred server as the holding server.

11. The attachment distribution method as in claim 2, the step of locating the attachment packet comprising the steps of:

determining the attachment address associated with the locator code corresponding with the locator object; and

identifying the holding server containing the attachment packet in response to the attachment address being determined, the holding address being indicated by the attachment address.

12. The attachment distribution method as in claim 2, the step of delivering the attachment packet from the holding server to the destination system comprising the steps of:

receiving an authorisation key provided by the destination system; and

delivering the attachment packet from the holding server to the destination system by the holding server in response to the authorisation key being received by the holding server.

13. An attachment distribution system comprising:

means for processing an email having a message portion and an attachment portion by a detacher to identify and thereby isolate at least one of the message portion and the attachment portion of the email from the other, the email having a source system and a destination system being associated thereto;

means for generating metadata in response to the email being processed, the metadata for packaging with the attachment portion of the email by the detacher to form an attachment packet, the metadata being descriptive of the email;

means for generating a locator code by the detacher for storing onto a database, the database being in operative association with the detacher;

means for generating a locator object from the locator code by the detacher and embedding the locator object into the message portion of the email to form a message packet;

means for delivering the attachment packet to a holding server by an uploader, the attachment packet having an attachment address, the attachment address identifying the holding server and being indicative of the location of the attachment packet within the holding server, the attachment address being stored onto the database and being associated with the locator code, the uploader being operatively associated with the detacher and the uploader being in data communication with the holding server; and

means for delivering the message packet to the destination system.

14. The attachment distribution system as in claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving the message packet by the destination system;

means for activating the locator object in the message packet;

means for locating the attachment packet in response to the locator object being activated; and

means for delivering the attachment packet from the holding server to the destination system in response to the attachment packet being located.

15. The attachment distribution system as in claim 13, the means for processing an email having a message portion and an attachment portion comprising:

means for verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule, the processing rule being pre-defined; and

means for detaching each of the attachment portion and the message portion of the email from the email upon verifying compliance of the email with the at least one processing rule.

16. The attachment distribution system as in claim 15, the means for verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule comprising:

means for obtaining the attachment size of the attachment portion of the email; and

means for verifying compliance of the attachment size with a reference attachment size, the attachment size being at least of the reference attachment size for compliance therewith.

17. The attachment distribution system as in claim 16, the means of verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule further comprising:

means for providing a reference source list, the reference source list containing at least one source system;

means for matching the source system associated with the email with the at least one source system contained in the reference source list; and

means for verifying compliance of the source system of the email with the reference source list, the source system of the email existing in the reference source list for compliance therewith.

18. The attachment distribution system as in claim 16, the means for verifying compliance of the email with at least one processing rule further comprising:

means for providing a reference destination list, the reference destination list containing at least one destination system;

means for matching the destination system associated with the email with the at least one destination system contained in the reference destination list; and

means for verifying compliance of the destination system of the email with the reference destination list, the destination system of the email existing in the reference destination list for compliance therewith.

19. The attachment distribution system as in claim 13, the means for generating metadata comprising:

means for extracting information from the email, the information being descriptive of at least one of the email, the source system and the destination system;

means for compiling the information to obtain the metadata; and

means for packaging the metadata with the attachment portion of the email to thereby form the attachment packet.

20. The attachment distribution system as in claim 13, the means for generating a locator code by the detacher comprising:

means for generating the locator code by the detacher, the locator code being one of a uniform resource locator (URL), a uniform resource identifier (URI) and a uniform resource name (URN).

21. The attachment distribution system as in claim 13, the means for delivering the attachment packet to a holding server by an uploader comprising:

means for selecting a server from a server list containing a plurality of servers, the plurality of servers being arranged in sequence based on preference;

determining readiness of the selected server for receiving the attachment packet;

means for identifying the selected server as the holding server in response to the readiness of the selected server being determined;

means for loading the attachment packet onto the selected server by the uploader in response to the readiness of the preferred server being determined; and

means for storing the attachment address of the attachment packet onto the database and associating the attachment address with the corresponding locator code, the attachment address indicating the selected server as the holding server.

22. The attachment distribution system as in claim 21 further comprising:

means for identifying presence of a preferred server being associated with the destination system;

means for determining readiness of the selected server for receiving the attachment packet in response to the preferred server being present;

means for identifying the preferred server as the holding server in response to the readiness of the preferred server being determined;

means for loading the attachment packet from the selected server onto the holding server by the selected server in response to the readiness of the preferred server being determined; and

means for storing the attachment address of the attachment packet onto the database and associating the attachment address with the locator corresponding locator code, the attachment address indicating the preferred server as the holding server.

23. The attachment distribution system as in claim 14, the means for locating the attachment packet comprising:

means for determining the attachment address associated with the locator code corresponding with the locator object; and

means for identifying the holding server containing the attachment packet in response to the attachment address being determined, the holding address being indicated by the attachment address.

24. The attachment distribution system as in claim 14, the means for delivering the attachment packet from the holding server to the destination system comprising:

means for receiving an authorization key provided by the destination system; and

means for delivering the attachment packet from the holding server to the destination system by the holding server in response to the authorization key being received by the holding server.