Limited-life electronic mail accounts

• US 20060167802A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Paul G., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

In one aspect, a method related to a limited-use electronic mail account. In addition to the foregoing, other method and system and program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.

Claims

1. A method of privacy preservation, the method comprising:

creating a limited-use electronic mail account;

detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account; and

disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

detecting that the limited-use electronic mail account allows a pre-specified number of accesses before the disabling further use of the limited-use electronic mail account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-specified number of accesses is one.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

updating an item of data to reflect a total number of accesses by the limited-use electronic mail account user to the limited-use electronic mail account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the disabling comprises:

disabling the further use after a value of the item of data updated to reflect the total number of accesses by the limited-use electronic mail account user to the limited-use electronic mail account equals the pre-specified number of accesses.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed a limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

sending a receipt to a sender of an item of electronic mail to the limited-use electronic mail account signifying that the limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the sender'"'"'s item of electronic mail in the limited-use electronic mail account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling comprises:

overwriting the limited-use electronic mail account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling comprises:

encrypting the limited-use electronic mail account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling comprises:

preventing the limited-use electronic mail account from accepting further items of electronic mail.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling comprises:

sending a receipt to a sender of an item of electronic mail to the limited-use electronic mail account signifying that the limited-use electronic mail account is no longer operational.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating a limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

interaction between a smart card and a computer for the creating the limited-use electronic mail account.

12. A system of privacy preservation, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operably coupled to the processor;

circuitry operably coupled to the processor and to the memory for creating a limited-use electronic mail account;

circuitry operably coupled to the processor and to the memory for detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account; and

circuitry operably coupled to the processor and to the memory for disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account.

13. The system of privacy preservation of claim 12, wherein the circuitry operably coupled to the processor and to the memory for detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

circuitry operably coupled to the processor and to the memory for detecting that the limited-use electronic mail account allows a pre-specified number of accesses before disabling the further use of the limited-use electronic mail account.

14. The system of privacy preservation of claim 13, wherein the pre-specified number of accesses is one.

15. The system of privacy preservation of claim 13, wherein the circuitry operably coupled to the processor and to the memory for detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

circuitry for updating an item of data reflecting a total number of accesses by the limited-use electronic mail account user to the limited-use electronic mail account.

16. The system of privacy preservation of claim 15, wherein the circuitry operably coupled to the processor and to the memory for disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

circuitry for disabling the further use after a value of the item of data updated to reflect the total number of accesses by the limited-use electronic mail account user to the limited-use electronic mail account equals the pre-specified number of accesses.

17. A system comprising:

means for creating a limited-use electronic mail account;

means for detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account; and

means for disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

means for detecting that the limited-use electronic mail account has a pre-specified number of accesses before the limited-use electronic mail account is to be disabled.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the pre-specified number of accesses is one.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for the detecting that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

means for updating an item of data reflecting a total number of accesses by the limited-use electronic mail account user to the limited-use electronic mail account.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

means for disabling the further use after a value of the item of data updated to reflect the total number of accesses by the limited-use electronic mail account user to the limited-use electronic mail account equals the pre-specified number of accesses.

22. A program product, comprising:

one or more instructions configurable to create a limited-use electronic mail account;

one or more instructions configurable to detect that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account;

one or more instructions configurable to disable a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account; and

a signal bearing medium bearing the one or more instructions configurable to create a limited-use electronic mail account, one or more instructions configurable to detect that a limited-use electronic mail account user has accessed the limited-use electronic mail account, and one or more instructions configurable to disable a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises:

a recordable medium.

24. The program product of claim 22, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises:

a transmission medium.

25. A method comprising:

creating a limited-use electronic mail account;

defining a time window associated with the limited-use electronic mail account; and

disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account in response to an event associated with the time window.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the defining a time window associated with the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

defining a recurring time window.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the defining a time window associated with the limited-use electronic mail account comprises:

defining a non-recurring time window.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account in response to an event associated with the time window comprises:

disabling the further use during times other than a defined recurring time window.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the disabling a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account in response to an event associated with the time window comprises:

disabling the further use upon the expiration of a defined non-recurring time window.

30. A program product, comprising:

one or more instructions configurable to create a limited-use electronic mail account;

one or more instructions configurable to define a time window associated with the limited-use electronic mail account;

one or more instructions configurable to disable a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account in response to an event associated with the time window; and

a signal bearing medium bearing the one or more instructions configurable to create a limited-use electronic mail account, one or more instructions configurable to configurable to define a time window associated with the limited-use electronic mail account, and one or more instructions configurable to disable a further use of the limited-use electronic mail account in response to an event associated with the time window.