Method, Apparatus and Communications Network for Managing Electronic Mail Services
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
For managing the transmission and/or reception of electronic mail messages by a user connected to a communications network, at least one apparatus is configured in such a way as to request, to another apparatus being part of the communications network, an identifier associated uniquely with the user (for example his telephone number), on the basis of another identifier which the network has assigned to the user in the step of connection to the network (an IP address, for example). For sending an electronic mail message generated by the user, the user identifier obtained from the network can be used by the apparatus configured in this way to automatically fill in a sender field of the message, without the need for the user to enter it himself among the configuration parameters of his mail program. For access to a mailbox made available to the user, the apparatus configured in this way intercepts a mailbox access request made by the user and uses the user identifier obtained from the network as the mailbox access key, without the need for the user to enter this access key himself among the configuration parameters of his mail program.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1-26. -26. (canceled)
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27. A method for sending an electronic mail message in a communications network, said message comprising a header and a body, said header comprising at least a first field adapted for containing an address of a sender of said message, and a second field adapted for containing an address of a recipient of said message, said sender being a user identified in said communications network by means of a first identifier associated with at least a second identifier, said header further comprising a third field, containing said first identifier of said user, said method comprising the steps of:
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selecting said first identifier of said user from said third field of said header;
requesting said second identifier associated with said first identifier to at least one apparatus of said communications network;
including said second identifier in said header of said message; and
forwarding said message to said recipient;
said step of including said second identifier in said header comprising including said second identifier in said first field. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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28. The method for forwarding a request for access to an electronic mailbox from a user of a communications network, said user being identified in said communications network by means of a first identifier associated with at least a second identifier, said request comprising at least a first field for containing an access key to said mailbox and a second field containing said first identifier of said user, comprising the steps of:
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selecting said first identifier of said user from said second field;
requesting said second identifier associated with said first identifier to at least one apparatus of said communications network;
including said second identifier in said first field; and
forwarding said request for access to said electronic mailbox, using said second identifier included in said first field.
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39. An apparatus for sending an electronic mail message in a communications network, said message comprising a header and a body, said header comprising at least a first field adapted for containing an address of a sender of said message, and a second field adapted for containing an address of a recipient of said message, said sender being a user identified in said communications network by means of a first identifier associated with at least a second identifier, said header additionally comprising a third field, containing said first identifier of said user, said apparatus being adapted for:
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selecting said first identifier of said user from said third field of said header;
requesting said second identifier associated with said first identifier to at least one further apparatus of said communications network;
including said second identifier in said header of said message; and
forwarding said message to said recipient, said apparatus being adapted to include said second identifier in said first field. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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40. An apparatus for forwarding a request for access to an electronic mailbox from a user of a communications network, said user being identified in said communications network by means of a first identifier associated with at least a second identifier, said request comprising at least a first field for containing an access key to said mailbox and a second field containing said first identifier of said user, said apparatus being adapted for:
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selecting said first identifier of the said user from said second field;
requesting said second identifier associated with said first identifier to at least one further apparatus of said communications network;
including said second identifier in said first field; and
forwarding said request for access to said electronic mailbox using said second identifier included in said first field.
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Specification