Enhanced telephone service system with secure system and method for E-mail address registration

• US 6,353,852 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Nestoriak, John III, Burger, Eric William
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caldwell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US09/238,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 379/88.17, 379/93-1-, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• 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 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a system for registering E-mail addresses for subscribers of the system, a telephone call manager, upon request, provides a subscriber with a unique identifier and stores a copy of the unique identifier. An E-mail manager receives and processes an E-mail message sent to a first E-mail address, the received E-mail message including a request to register a second E-mail address, the received E-mail message including the unique identifier. The E-mail manager, upon receipt of the E-mail message, compares the unique identifier with the copy of the unique identifier stored by the telephone call manager, and registers the second E-mail address only if the unique identifier and the copy of the unique identifier correspond. In a second embodiment, an E-mail message requesting registration of the second E-mail address is first sent to the E-mail manager. When the subscriber places a telephone call to the system, and enters a password that is verified by the telephone call manager, the telephone call manager notifies the subscriber of the pending E-mail address registration request and registers the specified second E-mail address only if the subscriber so authorizes.

Claims

1. A system for registering E-mail addresses for subscribers having access to a service platform comprising:

a telephone call manager configured to receive telephone calls at the service platform and to process E-mail address registration requests by subscribers, the telephone call manager upon receiving a telephone call, and during the telephone call receiving a first E-mail registration request from one of the subscribers, providing the subscriber with a unique identifier and storing a copy of the unique identifier;

wherein the first E-mail registration request solicits issuance of the unique identifier to enable the subscriber to subsequently register a particular E-mail address not identified in the first E-mail registration request; and

an E-mail manager configured to receive and process an E-mail message sent to a first E-mail address, the received Email message including a second E-mail registration request to register a second E-mail address, the received E-mail message including the unique identifier;

the E-mail manager, upon receipt of the E-mail message, comparing the unique identifier with the copy of the unique identifier stored by the telephone call manager, and registering the second E-mail address only if the unique identifier and the copy of the unique identifier correspond.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the E-mail manager is further configured to send a confirmation E-mail message to the second E-mail address when the second E-mail address is registered.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the telephone call manager is further configured to:

set a time-limit for receiving the E-mail message requesting registration of the second E-mail address, the time-limit corresponding to the time that the telephone call was received; and

store in a database, in conjunction with the unique identifier, the time-limit, and a telephone number corresponding to the subscriber; and

the E-mail manager is configured to reject the second E-mail registration request if the E-mail message requesting registration of the second E-mail address is not received within the time-limit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein when the E-mail manager receives a non-delivery notification indicating that the confirmation E-mail message invalid or inoperative E-mail address, the telephone call manager is configured to use the telephone number to deliver to the subscriber a corresponding voice message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second E-mail address is specified by the unique identifier.

6. A method for registering an E-mail address for a subscriber having access to a service platform, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a telephone call at the service platform from the subscriber, and during the telephone call, receiving a first E-mail address registration request;

providing the subscriber with a unique identifier and a first E-mail address associated with the service platform;

wherein the first E-mail registration request solicits issuance of the unique identifier to enable the subscriber to subsequently register a particular E-mail address not identified in the first E-mail registration request;

storing a copy of the unique identifier;

receiving an E-mail message addressed to the first E-mail address, the E-mail message including a second E-mail registration request to register a second E-mail address, the E-mail message including the unique identifier;

comparing the stored copy of the unique identifier with the unique identifier; and

registering the second E-mail address only if the stored copy of the unique identifier corresponds to the unique identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein when the second E-mail address is registered, the method further comprises steps of:

sending a confirmation E-mail message to the second E-mail address; and

in the event that a non-delivery notification is received by the service platform in response to the step of sending, telephoning the subscriber with a corresponding voice message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises steps of:

setting a time-limit for receiving the E-mail message, the time-limit corresponding to the time that the telephone call was received;

storing in a database, in conjunction with the unique identifier, the time-limit, and a telephone number corresponding to the subscriber; and

rejecting the second E-mail registration request if the E-mail message is not received within the time-limit.

9. The method of claim 6, where the second E-mail address is specified by the unique identifier.

10. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer controlled service platform, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a telephone call manager configured to receive telephone calls at the service platform and to process E-mail address registration requests by subscribers, the telephone call manager upon receiving a telephone call, and during the telephone call receiving a first E-mail registration request from one of the subscribers, providing the subscriber with a unique identifier and storing a copy of the unique identifier; and

an E-mail manager configured to receive and process an E-mail message sent to a first E-mail address, the received Email message including a second E-mail registration request to register a second E-mail address, the received E-mail message including the unique identifier;

the E-mail manager, upon receipt of the E-mail message, comparing the unique identifier with the copy of the unique identifier stored by the telephone call manager, and registering the second E-mail address only if the unique identifier and the copy of the unique identifier correspond.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the E-mail manager is further configured to send a confirmation E-mail message to the second E-mail address when the second E-mail address is registered.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein

the telephone call manager is further configured to:

set a time-limit for receiving the E-mail message requesting registration of the second E-mail address, the time-limit corresponding to the time that the telephone call was received;

store in a database, in conjunction with the unique identifier, the time-limit, and a telephone number corresponding to the subscriber; and

the E-mail manager is configured to reject the second E-mail registration request if the E-mail message requesting registration of the second E-mail address is not received within the time-limit.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein when the E-mail manager receives a non-delivery notification indicating that the confirmation E-mail message was sent to an invalid or inoperative E-mail address, the telephone call manager is configured to use the telephone number to deliver to the subscriber a corresponding voice message.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the second E-mail address is specified by the unique identifier.

15. A system for registering E-mail addresses for subscribers having access to a service platform comprising:

an E-mail manager configured to receive and process an E-mail message sent to a first E-mail address, the received E-mail message including an E-mail registration request to register a second E-mail address specified by the message, the received E-mail message including a subscriber identifier specifying a subscriber of the service platform;

the E-mail manager, upon receipt of the E-mail message, storing an indication of a pending E-mail registration request for the specified subscriber; and

a telephone call manager configured to receive telephone calls at the service platform, to validate a password provided by a subscriber of the service platform during the course of a telephone call to the service platform so as to confirm the subscriber'"'"'s authority, to determine when processing a call from a subscriber of the service platform, wherein the subscriber'"'"'s password has been validated during the processing of the call, whether there is a pending E-mail registration request for the subscriber, to request authorization from the subscriber to register the second E-mail address specified by the previously received E-mail registration request, and to register the second E-mail address as the subscriber'"'"'s E-mail address upon receipt of such authorization.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is further configured to send a confirmation E-mail message to the second E-mail address when the second E-mail address is registered.