ALTERNATE E-MAIL DELIVERY

• US 20110225246A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afilias PLC.
• Original Assignee: Afilias PLC.
• Inventors: Yee, Joseph Chiu Kit, Bayles, Len Albert
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,148 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 2101/32 containing non-Latin characters, e.g. Chinese domain names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A method is provided for transmitting an electronic mail (e-mail) message from a sender having a non-ASCII username to a recipient. The method comprising the following steps. It is determined whether or not the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message. If the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message, the message is transmitted to the recipient. If the recipient is not configured to receive the e-mail message, the e-mail message is submitted for storage in a data store, a uniform resource locator (URL) to identify a location of the stored e-mail message is obtained; and a notification message, including the URL, is transmitted to the recipient. A proxy server and e-mail server for implementing the method are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting an electronic mail (e-mail) message from a sender having a non-ASCII username to a recipient, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message;

if the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message, transmitting the message to the recipient;

if the recipient is not configured to receive the e-mail message;

submitting the e-mail message for storage in a data store;

obtaining a uniform resource locator (URL) to identify a location of the stored e-mail message; and

transmitting a notification message to the recipient, the notification message including the URL.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein upon receipt of the notification message, the recipient uses the URL to access the e-mail message

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the recipient uses the URL to access the e-mail message via a web browser.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user can perform mail operations on the e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mail operation is a request to send the e-mail message to the recipient, comprising the further steps removing the non-ASCII username and transmitting the message to the recipient.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-ASCII username is replaced with a generic ASCII username or an ASCII username defined by the sender.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the URL is randomly generated.

8. The method of claim 2, comprising the further step of encrypting communication when the recipient uses the URL to access the e-mail message.

9. The method of claim 2 comprising the further steps of obtaining a password associated with the URL;

and transmitting the password to the recipient;

wherein the password is used to validate the recipient when the recipient uses the URL to access the e-mail message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the password is sent in a password notification message, which is distinct from the notification message.

11. The method of claim 2 comprising the further steps of requiring the recipient to establish an account when the recipient uses the URL to access the e-mail message;

wherein further e-mail messages to the recipient are associated with the account.

12. A proxy e-mail server configured to display an e-mail message from a sender having a non-ASCII username to a recipient that cannot receive e-mail messages from senders non-ASCII usernames, the proxy e-mail server comprising:

a data store configured to store the e-mail message from a transmission e-mail server;

a web server configured to;

generate a URL to identify a location of the e-mail message;

transmit the URL to the recipient; and

display the e-mail message to the recipient when the recipient accesses the URL.

13. The proxy e-mail server of claim 12, wherein the web server transmits the URL to the recipient either by transmitting the URL to the transmission e-mail server, which transmits the URL in a notification message to a reception e-mail server;

or by transmitting the URL in a notification message directly to the reception e-mail server.

14. The proxy e-mail server of claim 12, wherein proxy e-mail server is associated with a corresponding transmission e-mail server.

15. The proxy e-mail server of claim 12, wherein proxy e-mail server is associated with a corresponding reception e-mail server.

16. The proxy e-mail server of claim 12, wherein the web server is further configured to generate a password associated with the URL;

and transmitting the password to the recipient;

wherein the password is used to validate the recipient when the recipient uses the URL to access the e-mail message.

17. The proxy e-mail server of claim 16, wherein the password is sent separately from the notification message.

18. The proxy e-mail server of claim 12 wherein the web server is further configured to establish an account when the recipient uses the URL to access the e-mail message;

wherein further e-mail messages to the recipient are associated with the account.

19. An e-mail server configured to transmit an e-mail message from a sender having a non-ASCII username to a recipient, the e-mail server comprising:

memory for storing instructions; and

a processor, configured to execute the instructions to implement the steps of;

determining whether or not the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message;

if the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message, transmitting the message to the recipient;

if the recipient is not configured to receive the e-mail message;

submitting the e-mail message for storage in a data store;

obtaining a uniform resource locator (URL) to identify a location of the stored e-mail message; and

transmitting a notification message to the recipient, the message notification including the URL.

20. The e-mail server of claim 19, wherein the e-mail server is a transmission e-mail server or a reception e-mail server.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for transmitting an electronic mail (e-mail) message from a sender having a non-ASCII username to a recipient, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to implement the steps of:

determining whether or not the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message;

if the recipient is configured to receive the e-mail message, transmitting the message to the recipient;

if the recipient is not configured to receive the e-mail message;

submitting the e-mail message for storage in a data store;

obtaining a uniform resource locator (URL) to identify a location of the stored e-mail message; and

transmitting a notification message to the recipient, the notification message including the URL.