Methods and systems for email integrated file delivery

• US 20040186894A1
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• 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 9,503,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• 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 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a file delivery system for transmitting files to recipients using email, which may be used with existing email infrastructure. Email clients may “attach” files to an email by an attachment process. The attachment process, however, associates a placeholder with the email instead of the actual file. The placeholder is replaced with a URL link to the file and the email is sent. The system moves the attachments over the network to a remote server that is capable of delivering the attachments to the email recipients. File attachments are routed to recipients independent of the associated email.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a data file as an email attachment in a computer system having an email server, a hosting server and a client computer in data communication with the email server and the hosting server, the method comprising the steps of:

composing an email having a message portion using an email client application running on the client computer, the email having a source system and a destination system being associated thereto;

initiating an attachment routine for attaching a data file to the email;

generating a placeholder for associating the data file selected by a user to the email for including into the message portion of the email in response to the attachment routine being activated and identifying the data file for attaching to the email;

retrieving the data file indicated by the placeholder;

delivering the data file to the hosting server; and

delivering the email to the email server upon the data file being transferred to the hosting server.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of generating the placeholder comprises the step of generating the placeholder when the size of the data file selected by the user is larger than a preset size.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating metadata for forming a meta-file, the metadata being descriptive of the email and the data file; and

delivering the meta-file to the hosting server upon the data file being delivered to the hosting server, thereby indicating the end of the data file delivery.

4. The method as in claim 3, further comprising the step of:

obtaining a unique identifier for including into the meta-file, the unique identifier being associated with the data file for tracking purposes.

5. The method as in claim 3, wherein the step of generating the metadata comprises the steps of:

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

compiling the information to obtain the metadata for forming the meta-file.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of delivering the data file to the hosting server comprises the steps of:

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

determining readiness of the selected hosting server for receiving the data file;

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

loading the data file onto the holding server in response to the readiness of the holding server; and

storing the data file address of the data file onto a database, the data file address indicating the selected server as the holding server.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the step of delivering the email to the email server comprises the steps of:

generating a locator code corresponding to the data file address, the locator code being one of a uniform resource locator (URL), a uniform resource identifier (URI) and a uniform resource name (URN);

generating a locator object from the locator code;

replacing the placeholder in the message portion of the email with the locator object; and

delivering the email to the email server.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the email by the destination system;

activating the locator object in the message portion of the email;

locating the data file in response to the locator object being activated; and

delivering the data file from the hosting server to the destination system in response to the data file being located.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the step of locating the data file comprises the steps of:

determining the data file address associated with the locator code corresponding with the locator object; and

identifying the hosting server containing the data file in response to the data file address being determined, the hosting address being indicated by the data file address.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein the step of delivering the data file from the hosting server comprises the step of:

receiving an authorization key provided by the destination system; and

delivering the data file from the hosting server to the destination system by the hosting server in response to the authorization key being received by the hosting server.

11. An email distribution system for delivering a data file as an email attachment, the system comprising:

means for composing an email having a message portion using an email client application running on a client computer, the email having a source system and a destination system being associated thereto;

means for initiating an attachment routine for attaching a data file to the email;

means for generating a placeholder for associating the data file selected by a user to the email for including into the message portion of the email in response to the attachment routine being activated and identifying the data file for attaching to the email;

means for retrieving the data file indicated by the placeholder;

means for delivering the data file to a hosting server; and

means for delivering the email to a email server upon the data file being transferred to the hosting server.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the means for generating the placeholder comprises the means for generating the placeholder when the size of the data file selected by the user is larger than a preset size.

13. The system as in claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating metadata for forming a metafile, the metadata being descriptive of the email and the data file; and

means for delivering the meta-file to the hosting server upon the data file being delivered to the hosting server, thereby indicating the end of the data file delivery.

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

means for obtaining a unique identifier for including into the meta-file, the unique identifier being associated with the data file for tracking purposes.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein the means for generating the metadata comprises:

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

means for compiling the information to obtain the metadata for forming the meta-file.

16. The system as in claim 11, wherein the means for delivering the data file to the hosting server comprises:

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

means for determining readiness of the selected hosting server for receiving the data file;

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

means for loading the data file onto the holding server in response to the readiness of the holding server; and

means for storing the data file address of the data file onto a database, the data file address indicating the selected server as the holding server.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the means for delivering the email to the email server comprises:

means for generating a locator code corresponding to the data file address, the locator code being one of a uniform resource locator (URL), a uniform resource identifier (URI) and a uniform resource name (URN);

means for generating a locator object from the locator code;

means for replacing the placeholder in the message portion of the email with the locator object; and

means for delivering the email to the email server.

18. The system as in claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving the email by the destination system;

means for activating the locator object in the message portion of the email;

means for locating the data file in response to the locator object being activated; and

means for delivering the data file from the hosting server to the destination system in response to the data file being located.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the means for locating the data file comprises:

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

means for identifying the hosting server containing the data file in response to the data file address being determined, the hosting address being indicated by the data file address.

20. The system as in claim 18, wherein the means for delivering the data file from the hosting server comprises:

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

means for delivering the data file from the hosting server to the destination system by the hosting server in response to the authorization key being received by the hosting server.