System for processing electronic mail messages with specially encoded addresses

• US 20070143432A1
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: D Moore, Thomas Klos
• Original Assignee: D Moore, Thomas Klos
• Inventors: Klos, Thomas, Moore, D.
• Application Number:
  US11/707,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143432A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for processing an electronic mail message is disclosed comprising the steps of: accepting a request for e-mail server address information for an electronic message having an address, the address having an electronic mail receiving system domain with a recipient name encoded therein; providing an e-mail server address for the recipient name in response to the request; accepting the electronic message at the e-mail server address.

Claims

1. A method for processing an electronic mail message comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving in an electronic mail receiving system an electronic message having an address, said address having an electronic mail receiving system domain with a recipient name encoded therein; and

(b) processing said electronic message in accordance with processing instructions associated with said recipient name.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said recipient name is a sub-domain of said electronic mail receiving system domain, said processing step including the step of processing said sub-domain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing includes the step of routing said electronic message to an e-mail server associated with said recipient name.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said address of said electronic messages includes a local-part and a source identifier encoded in said local-part, and wherein said e-mail server includes:

process instruction storage for maintaining processing instructions based on said source identifier for electronic messages received by said e-mail server; and

an electronic message processor for processing electronic messages received by said e-mail server in accordance with said processing instructions.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said process instruction storage is a database.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said process instruction storage is a text database.

4. A method for processing an electronic mail message comprising the steps of:

(a) accepting a request for e-mail server address information for an electronic message having an address, said address having an electronic mail receiving system domain with a recipient name encoded therein;

(b) providing an e-mail server address for said recipient name in response to said request;

(c) accepting said electronic message at said e-mail server address.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said recipient name is a sub-domain of said electronic mail receiving system domain, and wherein said step of providing an e-mail server address includes the steps of:

(a) obtaining sub-domain address information for said sub-domain of said electronic mail receiving system domain;

(b) providing said sub-domain address as said e-mail server address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of obtaining said sub-domain address information includes the steps of requesting an address from a DNS server and receiving a sub-domain address from said DNS server in response to said request.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said address includes a source identifier, further comprising the steps of:

(a) examining the source identifier included in said address;

(b) processing said electronic message based on processing instructions associated with said source identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said address includes a local-part, said source identifier being encoded in said local-part, and wherein said step of examining said source identifier includes the step of retrieving said source identifier from said local-part of said address.

9. A system for receiving and processing an electronic message, comprising:

an electronic message receiver for receiving an incoming electronic message, said message having an address which includes an electronic mail receiving system domain portion having a recipient name encoded in therein;

an electronic mail receiving system domain associated with said system;

processing instruction storage for maintaining processing instructions for said incoming electronic message based on said recipient name;

a message processor for processing said incoming electronic message in accordance with said processing instructions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

said recipient name is a sub-domain of said electronic mail receiving system domain; and

said processing instruction storage includes instructions associated with said sub-domain.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein:

said system includes an e-mail server associated with said recipient name; and

said message processor includes an e-mail server address request processor for providing e-mail server address information in response to a request for an e-mail server address associated with said recipient name.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said recipient name is a sub-domain of said electronic mail receiving system domain and said e-mail server address request processor is a DNS server.