Electronic message response and remediation system and method

• US 20060168065A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Martin
• Original Assignee: John Martin
• Inventors: Martin, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

Provided is a method, system and software for responding to an incoming electronic message, including determining whether the incoming electronic message is relevant or irrelevant to a user, and if the incoming electronic message is irrelevant to the user, parsing the incoming electronic message for message origination information and replying to the message using the message origination information.

Claims

1. A method for responding to an incoming electronic message, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the incoming electronic message is relevant or irrelevant to a user; and

if the incoming electronic message is irrelevant to the user, parsing the incoming electronic message for message origination information and replying to the message using the message origination information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the incoming electronic message is relevant or irrelevant to the user is performed using a user profile containing information regarding relevant and irrelevant messages.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message origination information parsed includes one or more items selected from the group comprising:

a sending email address, a sending email domain, a unique message identifier, a reply email address, a reply email domain, a response domain, a response email, a response URL, an opt out URL, an opt out email, and an anonymous FTP login for message image, physical address and telephone numbers.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining and parsing steps are performed as the incoming electronic messages are received.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining and parsing steps are performed at a time other than when the incoming electronic message is received.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending one or more electronic messages to a relevant third party entity in accordance with a user configuration, the one or more electronic messages relating to the incoming electronic message.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the relevant third party entity is a government entity.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying, tracking variants, and removing any software that records a user'"'"'s keystrokes, displays banners or other computer advertising, or reports the user'"'"'s behavior to a third party.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising identifying the network address the software was received from and any network address the user information is being sent to.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying, tracking and removing software that enables a user'"'"'s computer to be controlled remotely.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring and capturing sender suggested content for the user to review at a time convenient to the user.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring the time it takes for an electronic packet to be sent to and subsequently received by the sender of the incoming electronic message.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising tracing the route to a sender of the incoming electronic message.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising contacting a sending web server using the message origination information.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

if the sending web server is unable to respond, continuing to attempt contacting the sending web server after a time interval defined by the user.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

writing a message to a sending email domain'"'"'s web server log requesting that no further messages be sent to the user; and

tracking a sender'"'"'s compliance with the request.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sharing information regarding irrelevant messages with other users by the user.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the sharing is performed using a peer-to-peer file system and grid architecture.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sharing by the user information regarding the irrelevant messages with one or more super nodes on a network.

20. A marketing subscription system, comprising:

a marketing subscriber having special interest marketing messages;

a user node including a user-selected set of special interest messages a user would like to anonymously receive;

a requested message subscription super node in communication with the user node and the marketing subscriber, the super node receiving the user-selected set of special interest messages the user would like to anonymously receive, the super node then accepting special interest marketing messages matching the user-selected set from the marketing subscriber and anonymously passing the matching messages anonymously to the user node.

21. A marketing subscription system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a payment gateway, in communication with the marketing subscriber and the message subscription super node, the payment gateway configured to block the acceptance of the matching messages by the message subscription super node if the marketing subscriber has not paid a subscription fee,

the payment gateway further configured to allow the acceptance of the matching messages by the message subscription super node if the marketing subscriber has paid the subscription fee.

22. A message response system comprising

an electronic message receiver node comprising a processor operably connected to a computer memory and a network communication device, the processor and memory configured to operate the network communication device and to receive at least one message over the network communication device;

the network communication device further in communication with a network;

the electronic message receiver node being associated with a user;

the processor and memory further configured to perform the steps of;

determining whether the at least one message is relevant or irrelevant to the user; and

if the message is irrelevant, parsing the at least one message for message origination information and replying to the message using the message origination information.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory perform the step of determining whether the at least one message is relevant or irrelevant to the user using a user profile containing information regarding relevant and irrelevant messages.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the message origination information parsed includes one or more items selected from the group comprising:

a sending email address, a sending email domain, a unique message identifier, a reply email address, a reply email domain, a response domain, a response email, a response URL, an opt out URL, an opt out email, and an anonymous FTP login for message image, physical address and telephone numbers.

25. The system according to claim 22, wherein the determining and parsing steps are performed in real time.

26. The system according to claim 22, wherein the determining and parsing steps are performed at a time other than when the at least one message is received.

27. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising sending the at least one message to a relevant third party entity in accordance with a user configuration.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the relevant third party entity is a governmental entity.

29. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the steps comprising:

identifying and tracking variants of the incoming electronic message.

30. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising removing any software that records the user'"'"'s keystrokes, displays banners or other computer advertising, or reports the user'"'"'s behavior to a third party.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising identifying the network address the software was received from and any network address any user information is being sent to.

32. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the steps comprising:

identifying, tracking and removing software that enables the node to be controlled remotely.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the steps comprising:

measuring and capturing sender suggested content for the user to review at a time convenient to the user.

34. The system according to claim 31, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising measuring the time it takes for an electronic packet to be sent and subsequently received by the network address the software was received from.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising tracing the route to a sender of the at least one message.

36. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising contacting a sending web server using the message origination information.

37. The system according to claim 36, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising continuing to attempt contacting the sending web server after a time interval defined by the user if the sending web server is unable to respond.

38. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the steps comprising:

writing a message to a sending email domain'"'"'s web server log requesting that no further messages be sent to the node; and

tracking a sender'"'"'s compliance with the request.

39. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising sharing information regarding irrelevant messages with other nodes.

40. The system according to claim 39, wherein the sharing is performed using a peer-to-peer file system and grid architecture.

41. The system according to claim 23, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the step comprising sharing information regarding the irrelevant messages with one or more super nodes on the network.

42. The system according to claim 22, wherein the processor and memory are further configured for generating a copy of the computer software used to configure the processor and memory of the electronic message receiver node;

embedding a unique identification for the user into the generated copy of the computer software; and

providing the generated copy of the computer software to a second user.

43. The system according to claim 42, further comprising an account manager, wherein the account manager receives a notification from a machine associated with the second user, the notification indicating the unique identifier embedded in the generated copy of the computer software, the account manager further performing the steps of billing the second user for the generated copy of the computer software, collecting the billed amount, providing a commission of a portion of billed amount to the user.

44. Message response software, comprising:

user node software operable to perform the steps comprising;

receiving an incoming electronic message;

determining whether the incoming electronic message is relevant or irrelevant to a user; and

parsing the incoming electronic message for message origination information if the incoming electronic message is irrelevant to the user.

45. The message response software according to claim 44, the user node software further operable to perform the steps comprising:

contacting a sending web server using the message origination information; and

if the sending web server is unable to respond, continuing to attempt contacting the sending web server after a time interval defined by the user.