System and Method for Attaching a Remotely Stored Attachment to an Email

• US 20160099896A1
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Andy Y.
• Granted Patent: US 9,832,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

An electronic mail message sent from a sender device is received by an email server. The electronic mail message includes an attachment holder block including an authentication token and an address of an attachment stored at a remote server. The authentication token is transmitted to the remote server to login to the remote server to access the attachment. The attachment is retrieved from the remote server using the address of the attachment. The attachment is attached to the electronic mail message by replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment. The electronic mail message including the attachment is transmitted to a recipient.

Claims

1. A method of attaching a remotely stored attachment to an electronic mail message comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message from a sender device, the electronic mail message comprising an attachment holder block comprising an authentication token and an address of an attachment stored at a remote server;

transmitting the authentication token to the remote server to login to the remote server to access the attachment;

retrieving the attachment from the remote server using the address of the attachment;

attaching the attachment to the electronic mail message by replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment; and

transmitting the electronic mail message including the attachment to a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

parsing a payload of the electronic mail message to locate a second attachment holder block, wherein the second attachment holder block comprises a second authentication token and an address of a second attachment stored at a second remote server;

transmitting the second authentication token to the second remote server to login to the second remote server;

in response to determining that the login is unsuccessful, replacing the second attachment holder block with error information indicating that the login is unsuccessful; and

transmitting the electronic mail message including the error information back to the sender device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a list of remote servers comprising a plurality of remote servers storing attachments;

parsing a payload of the electronic mail message to locate the attachment holder block, wherein the payload comprises a plurality of attachment holder blocks, each of the plurality of attachment holder blocks associated with one of the plurality of remote servers storing attachments; and

analyzing the attachment holder block to locate a respective authentication token associated with a respective remote server and a list of addresses of attachments stored at a respective remote server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication token is obtained by the sender device after a successful login in to the remote server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the attachment prior to the replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment comprises replacing a first portion of the attachment holder block with the attachment, the method further comprising:

determining that the attachment holder block further comprises an address of a second attachment stored at the remote server;

retrieving the second attachment from the remote server using the address of the second attachment and the authentication token; and

attaching the second attachment to the electronic mail message by replacing a second portion of the attachment holder block with the second attachment, wherein the transmitting the electronic mail message further comprises transmitting the electronic message including the second attachment to the recipient.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a list of remote servers comprising a plurality of remote servers storing attachments;

adding a new remote server to the list of remote servers; and

providing an updated list of remote servers including the new remote server to the sender device.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving an electronic mail message from a sender device, the electronic mail message comprising an attachment holder block comprising an authentication token and an address of an attachment stored at a remote server;

transmitting the authentication token to the remote server to login to the remote server to access the attachment;

retrieving the attachment from the remote server using the address of the attachment;

attaching the attachment to the electronic mail message by replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment; and

transmitting the electronic mail message including the attachment to a recipient.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

parsing a payload of the electronic mail message to locate a second attachment holder block, wherein the second attachment holder block comprises a second authentication token and an address of a second attachment stored at a second remote server;

transmitting the second authentication token to the second remote server to login to the second remote server;

in response to determining that the login is unsuccessful, replacing the second attachment holder block with error information indicating that the login is unsuccessful; and

transmitting the electronic mail message including the error information back to the sender device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

maintaining a list of remote servers comprising a plurality of remote servers storing attachments;

parsing a payload of the electronic mail message to locate the attachment holder block, wherein the payload comprises a plurality of attachment holder blocks, each of the plurality of attachment holder blocks associated with one of the plurality of remote servers storing attachments; and

analyzing the attachment holder block to locate a respective authentication token associated with a respective remote server and a list of addresses of attachments stored at a respective remote server.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the authentication token is obtained by the sender device after a successful login to the remote server.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

encoding the attachment prior to the replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment comprises replacing a first portion of the attachment holder block with the attachment, the operations further comprising:

determining that the attachment holder block further comprises an address of a second attachment stored at the remote server;

retrieving the second attachment from the remote server using the address of the second attachment and the authentication token; and

attaching the second attachment to the electronic mail message by replacing a second portion of the attachment holder block with the second attachment, wherein the transmitting the electronic mail message further comprises transmitting the electronic message including the second attachment to the recipient.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

maintaining a list of remote servers comprising a plurality of remote servers storing attachments;

adding a new remote server to the list of remote servers; and

providing an updated list of remote servers including the new remote server to the sender device.

15. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message from a sender device, the electronic mail message comprising an attachment holder block comprising an authentication token and an address of an attachment stored at a remote server;

transmitting the authentication token to the remote server to login to the remote server to access the attachment;

retrieving the attachment from the remote server using the address of the attachment;

attaching the attachment to the electronic mail message by replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment; and

transmitting the electronic mail message including the attachment to a recipient.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

parsing a payload of the electronic mail message to locate a second attachment holder block, wherein the second attachment holder block comprises a second authentication token and an address of a second attachment stored at a second remote server;

transmitting the second authentication token to the second remote server to login to the second remote server;

in response to determining that the login is unsuccessful, replacing the second attachment holder block with error information indicating that the login is unsuccessful; and

transmitting the electronic mail message including the error information back to the sender device.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

maintaining a list of remote servers comprising a plurality of remote servers storing attachments;

parsing a payload of the electronic mail message to locate the attachment holder block, wherein the payload comprises a plurality of attachment holder blocks, each of the plurality of attachment holder blocks associated with one of the plurality of remote servers storing attachments; and

analyzing the attachment holder block to locate a respective authentication token associated with a respective remote server and a list of addresses of attachments stored at a respective remote server.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

encoding the attachment prior to the replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the replacing the attachment holder block with the attachment comprises replacing a first portion of the attachment holder block with the attachment, the operations further comprising:

determining that the attachment holder block further comprises an address of a second attachment stored at the remote server;

retrieving the second attachment from the remote server using the address of the second attachment and the authentication token; and

attaching the second attachment to the electronic mail message by replacing a second portion of the attachment holder block with the second attachment, wherein the transmitting the electronic mail message further comprises transmitting the electronic message including the second attachment to the recipient.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

maintaining a list of remote servers comprising a plurality of remote servers storing attachments;

adding a new remote server to the list of remote servers; and

providing an updated list of remote servers including the new remote server to the sender device.