User interface and anti-phishing functions for an anti-spam micropayments system
First Claim
1. In a recipient computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a selection device, a method of segregating paid emails and white list email from other email on said display, said method comprising:
- A) displaying a navigation pane and a content pane in a browser or email client application window;
B) retrieving and displaying in said navigation pane a set of navigation icons including a paid email icon representing an inbox in which paid and white list emails will be displayed and an inbox icon representing an inbox in which will be displayed all other emails which are not paid or white list emails;
C) receiving a selection signal when an icon in said navigation pane is selected with said selection device;
D) when said selection signal indicates said paid email icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by populating said content pane with selected Exsis emails which include in a header of each said email data indicating a micropayment was made to send said email or which indicates the sender of said email is on a white list of the recipient;
E) when said selection signal indicates said inbox icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by displaying a content pane in which are displayed emails which are not paid and are not from a sender which is on a white list of the recipient.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A protocol for protected email transmission using micropayments and a segregated inbox in which protected emails are displayed. The protocol also involves authentication of the sender to defeat phishers and an opt out protocol which can be used to block protected emails from sources from which the user no longer wishes to receive emails even if the source has made a micropayment. Branded email is also taught wherein a sender of protected emails can pay extra to have a miniature version of its brand logo or trademark displayed with its email in the segregated inbox. A white list is maintained on the protected email server (along with the opt out black list) so that recipients can designate specific senders who may send email to that recipient without paying a micropayment and still have the protected email displayed in the segregated inbox.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a recipient computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a selection device, a method of segregating paid emails and white list email from other email on said display, said method comprising:
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A) displaying a navigation pane and a content pane in a browser or email client application window;
B) retrieving and displaying in said navigation pane a set of navigation icons including a paid email icon representing an inbox in which paid and white list emails will be displayed and an inbox icon representing an inbox in which will be displayed all other emails which are not paid or white list emails;
C) receiving a selection signal when an icon in said navigation pane is selected with said selection device;
D) when said selection signal indicates said paid email icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by populating said content pane with selected Exsis emails which include in a header of each said email data indicating a micropayment was made to send said email or which indicates the sender of said email is on a white list of the recipient;
E) when said selection signal indicates said inbox icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by displaying a content pane in which are displayed emails which are not paid and are not from a sender which is on a white list of the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a recipient computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a selection device, a method of segregating paid emails and white list email from other email on said display, said method comprising:
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A) displaying a navigation pane and a split content pane in a browser or email client application window, said split content pane having a first pane and a second pane, and displaying a friends tab and a logo mail tab associated with said content pane;
B) retrieving and displaying in said navigation pane a set of navigation icons including an Exsis email icon representing an inbox in which paid and white list emails will be displayed and an inbox icon representing an inbox in which will be displayed all other emails which are not paid or white list emails;
C) receiving a selection signal when an icon in said navigation pane is selected with said selection device;
D) when said selection signal indicates said Exsis email icon has been selected and another selection signal indicating said logo mail tab has been selected, responding to said selection signals by populating said first pane of said content pane with paid Exsis emails from today and populating said second pane with paid Excis emails from yesterday, said paid Exsis emails including in a header of each said email data indicating a micropayment was made to send said email;
E) when said selection signal indicates said Exsis email icon has been selected and another selection signal indicating said friends tab has been selected, responding to said selection signals by populating said first pane of said content pane with white list Exsis emails from today and populating said second pane with white list Excis emails from yesterday, said white list Exsis emails including in a header of each said email data indicating the sender is on a white list of said recipient; and
F) when said selection signal indicates said inbox icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by displaying a content pane in which are displayed emails which are not paid and are not from a sender which is on a white list of the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. In a recipient computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a selection device, a method of segregating paid emails and white list email from other email on said display, said method comprising:
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A) displaying a navigation pane and a content pane in a browser or email client application window;
B) retrieving and displaying in said navigation pane a set of navigation icons including a paid email icon representing a segregated inbox in which paid and white list emails will be displayed and an inbox icon representing an inbox in which will be displayed all other emails which are not paid or white list emails;
C) receiving a selection signal when an icon in said navigation pane is selected with said selection device;
D) when said selection signal indicates said paid email icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by populating said content pane with selected Exsis emails which include in a header of each said email data indicating a micropayment was made to send said email or which indicates the sender of said email is on a white list of the recipient;
E) when said selection signal indicates said inbox icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by displaying a content pane in which are displayed emails which are not paid and are not from a sender which is on a white list of the recipient;
F) displaying a user interface mechanism which provides an ability for a user of said recipient computer system to select a particular Exsis email in said segregated inbox and provide an option to give a command to authenticate said Exsis email;
G) responding to selection of an Exsis email and giving of a command to authenticate said Exsis email by preparing and sending an authentication request message to a protected email server which includes at least an encrypted micropayment account number and a transaction number, both said transaction number and said encrypted micropayment account number being extracted from said selected Exsis email header;
H) receiving a message back from said protected email server which includes either the identity of the sender of the selected Exsis email or an indication that it is or is not from who it purports to be from, as the case may be. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. In a recipient computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a selection device, a method of segregating paid emails and white list email from other email on said display, said method comprising:
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A) displaying a navigation pane and a content pane in a browser or email client application window;
B) retrieving and displaying in said navigation pane a set of navigation icons including a paid email icon representing a segregated inbox in which paid and white list emails will be displayed and an inbox icon representing an inbox in which will be displayed all other emails which are not paid or white list emails;
C) receiving a selection signal when an icon in said navigation pane is selected with said selection device;
D) when said selection signal indicates said paid email icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by populating said content pane with selected Exsis emails which include in a header of each said email data indicating a micropayment was made to send said email or which indicates the sender of said email is on a white list of the recipient;
E) when said selection signal indicates said inbox icon has been selected, responding to said selection signal by displaying a content pane in which are displayed emails which are not paid and are not from a sender which is on a white list of the recipient;
F) displaying a user interface mechanism which provides an ability for a user of said recipient computer system to select a particular Exsis email in said segregated inbox and provide an option to give a command to opt out of receiving any more Exsis emails from the source of said selected Exsis email;
G) responding to selection of an Exsis email and giving of a command to opt out by preparing and sending an opt out request message to a protected email server which includes at least an encrypted micropayment account number and a transaction number, both said transaction number and said encrypted micropayment account number being extracted from said selected Exsis email header. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification