Method for controlling the delivery of electronic mail messages

• US 6,393,464 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unbound Communications, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Unbound Communications, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dieterman, Jude Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/309,219
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/227, 709/229, 709/245, 709/202, 709/203, 709/204, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method for controlling the delivery of electronic mail. The method comprises the steps of: creating an allowed list of electronic addresses with which the user is permitted to freely exchange messages; categorizing as authorized each message that is sent to or received from an entity whose address is included on the list; categorizing as unauthorized each message that is sent to or received from an entity whose electronic address is not included in the list; transmitting authorized outgoing messages to their intended recipients; allowing the user to access the contents of authorized received messages. Also disclosed is a method for allowing an administrator to selectively approve messages which are sent to or received from entities whose electronic addresses do not appear on the allowed list.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the delivery of electronic messages sent to and sent by a user, said method comprising the following steps:

creating an allowed list comprised of electronic entity identifications with whom the user is permitted to freely exchange messages;

categorizing as authorized each outgoing and incoming message that is sent to and received from an entity whose electronic identification is included on the allowed list;

categorizing as unauthorized each outgoing and incoming message that is sent to and received from an entity whose electronic identification is not included in the allowed list;

transmitting only authorized outgoing messages to their intended recipients;

allowing the user to access the contents of authorized received messages;

requesting authorization for each unauthorized incoming and outgoing messages;

authorizing the delivery or viewing of each message sent to or received from an electronic identification that does not appear on the allowed list.

2. A method for permitting an administrator to control reception of electronic messages by a user of a client terminal, which client terminal connects to a computer network through a service provider, the method consisting of the following steps:

creating an allowed list of electronic entity identifications from which the user is permitted to receive messages;

receiving at the service provider one or more electronic messages addressed to the user;

establishing a communications link between the service provider and the client;

determining for each of the electronic messages addressed to the user whether or not the sender'"'"'s electronic identification appears in the allowed list;

transmitting all messages to the client computer;

allowing the user to display the contents of each message received from an entity whose electronic identification appears in the allowed list;

preventing the user from displaying the contents of each message received from an entity whose electronic identification does not appear in the allowed list;

authorizing the reception of a message from a sender whose electronic identification does not appear in the allowed list;

allowing the user to display the contents of the authorized message.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the step of determining whether or not the sender'"'"'s electronic identification appears in the allowed list is performed by the service provider.

4. The method of claim 2, in which the step of determining whether or not the sender'"'"'s electronic identification appears in the allowed list is performed by the client terminal.

5. A method for permitting an administrator to control the transmission of electronic messages by a user of a client terminal, which client terminal connects to a computer network through a service provider, the method consisting of the following steps:

creating an allowed list of electronic entity identifications to which the user is permitted to transmit messages;

generating one or more outgoing electronic messages for transmission to a destination electronic entity identification;

establishing a communications link between the service provider and the client;

determining for each of the outgoing electronic messages whether or not the message'"'"'s destination identification appears in the allowed list;

transmitting all messages directed to a destination identification which appears in the allowed list;

authorizing the transmission of a message to a destination identification that does not appear in the allowed list;

transmitting the authorized message to its intended destination.

11. The method of claim 5, in which the step of authorizing the transmission of a message is further comprised of the substeps of:

delivering a message directed to a destination identification which does not appear in the allowed list to a destination accessible to the administrator but not accessible to the user;

approving the transmission of the message to its intended destination address by the administrator;

transmitting the message to its intended destination address.

12. The method of claim 5, in which the step of authorizing the transmission of a message is further comprised of the substeps of:

requesting authorization of a message directed to a destination that does not appear on the approved list;

entering by the administrator a password unknown to the user;

designating the message as authorized if the password entered by the administrator corresponds to a predetermined authorization password.

6. A method for permitting an administrator to control the transmission of an electronic message from a user'"'"'s computer to an electronic destination identification, which method is comprised of the following steps:

creating an allowed list of electronic entity identifications to which the user is permitted to transmit messages;

generating an electronic message;

determining whether or not the message'"'"'s destination electronic identification appears in the allowed list;

transmitting the message if its destination electronic identification appears in the allowed list;

authorizing the transmission of a message to a destination identification that does not appear in the allowed list;

transmitting the authorized message.

7. A method for permitting an administrator to control the reception of electronic messages by a user'"'"'s computer from a sender'"'"'s computer, which method is comprised of the following steps:

creating an allowed list of electronic entity identifications from which the user is permitted to receive messages;

receiving an electronic message;

determining whether or not the electronic entity identification of the message sender appears in the allowed list;

permitting the user to access the contents of the message only if the sender'"'"'s electronic identification apears in the allowed list;

authorizing the message received from a sender whose electronic identification does not appear in the allowed list;

permitting the user to access the contents of the authorized message.

8. A method for controlling the delivery of electronic messages sent to and sent by a first user by a second user, said method comprising the following steps:

creating an allowed list comprised of electronic entity identifications with whom the first user is permitted to freely exchange messages;

categorizing as authorized each outgoing and incoming message that is sent to and received from an entity whose electronic identification is included on the allowed list;

categorizing as unauthorized each outgoing and incoming message that is sent to and received from an entity whose electronic identification is not included in the allowed list;

requesting authorization for each unauthorized incoming and outgoing messages;

changing the status of a message from unauthorized to authorized by the second user;

transmitting only authorized outgoing messages to their intended recipients;

allowing the first user to access the contents of authorized received messages only.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the step of requesting authorization for each unauthorized incoming and outgoing message further comprises the substep of delivering the unauthorized message to an approval mailbox to which the second user has access and the first user does not have access;

and the step of allowing the first user to access the contents of authorized received messages further comprises the substep of transmitting messages in the approval mailbox to a mailbox accessible to the first user.

10. The method of claim 8, in which the step of changing the status of a message is further comprised of the following substeps:

selecting the message for which the status is to be changed;

entering by the second user a password unknown to the first user;

designating the message as authorized if the password entered by the second user corresponds to a predetermined authorization password.