Methods, systems, and products for indicating receipt of electronic mail

• US 20060242250A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Holt, Scott C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival. The email message is received and identifies at least an addressee. The addressee is looked up in a database that associates multiple addressees to a shared Internet Protocol address. The shared Internet Protocol address is retrieved and a message is sent to the shared Internet Protocol address. The message identifies the addressee of the email message and includes instructions for indicating arrival of the message at the addressee.

Claims

1. A method for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival, said method comprising:

receiving the email message identifying at least an addressee;

looking up the addressee in a database, the database associating multiple addressees to a shared Internet Protocol address;

retrieving the shared Internet Protocol address; and

sending a message to the shared Internet Protocol address, the message identifying the addressee of the email message and including instructions for indicating arrival of the message at the addressee.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving a user name associated with the addressee.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the message comprises sending a priority associated with the email message.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the message comprises sending a date of receipt of the email message.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the message comprises sending a time of receipt of the email message.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the message comprises sending an email address of a sender of the email message.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring a filter that identifies email messages for which arrival is to be indicated.

8. A method for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival, said method comprising:

receiving a message addressed to a shared Internet Protocol address that is shared amongst multiple addressees, the message identifying an addressee of the email message and including instructions for indicating arrival of the email message to the addressee; and

causing a notification that indicates the email message was received for the addressee.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a user name associated with the addressee.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising causing display of an icon associated with the user name.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a priority associated with the email message.

12. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a date of receipt of the email message.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a time of receipt of the email message.

14. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving an email address of a sender of the email message.

15. A system for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival, said system comprising:

a server communicating with a database,

the server receiving the email message identifying at least an addressee,

the database looking up the addressee and associating multiple addressees to a shared Internet Protocol address,

the server retrieving the shared Internet Protocol address and sending a message to the shared Internet Protocol address, the message identifying the addressee of the email message and including instructions for indicating arrival of the message at the addressee.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the server retrieves a user name associated with the addressee.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the server sends a priority associated with the email message.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein the server sends a date of receipt of the email message.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the server sends a time of receipt of the email message.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the server sends an email address of a sender of the email message.