Method and system for updating email addresses

• US 6,405,243 B1
• Filed: 04/05/1996
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US08/628,415
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.36, 395/200.37, 395/200.75, 395/200.72, 379/90.01, 379/100.08, 379/93.24, 370/351, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a network-based method and system for forwarding an email message to an updated email address. After a user changes his or her email address, the user sends information regarding the updated email address to an address-change server used in conjunction with the present invention. The address-change server stores the updated email information in its database. When a sender wants to reach a recipient whose email address has changed, the sender sends an email message to the address-change server. The address-change server forwards the updated email address to the sender. The sender'"'"'s email program, modified in accordance with the present invention, programmatically forwards the sender'"'"'s email message to the recipient'"'"'s new email address.

Claims

1. A method executed in a computer system for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an address-change server an update message from a recipient; and

storing information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address and the recipient'"'"'s old email address.

2. A method executed in a computer system for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

storing information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

sending an email to the recipient'"'"'s new email address which informs the recipient that the recipient'"'"'s email address information has been updated at the address-change server.

3. A method executed in a computer system for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

storing information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

when authentication information associated with the update message is not received at the address-change server, sending an email to the recipient'"'"'s old email address which informs the recipient that the recipient'"'"'s email address information has been updated at the address-change server.

4. A method executed in a computer system for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

storing information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

when authentication information associated with the update message is received at the address-change server, checking the authentication information to determine that the recipient sent the update message.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

when the authentication check indicates that the recipient did not send the update message,

removing from the address-change server the information retrieved from the update message; and

sending an email message to the recipient'"'"'s old email address regarding receipt of the update message and the indication from the authentication check.

6. A method executed in a computer system for informing a sender of a recipient'"'"'s updated email address, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at the address-change server an email message from the sender which requests the updated email address of the recipient;

retrieving the recipient'"'"'s old email address from the email message;

searching for the recipient'"'"'s new email address using the recipient'"'"'s old email address; and

when the search finds the recipient'"'"'s new email address, sending an email to the sender with the recipient'"'"'s new email address.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of searching further comprises the step of:

performing a transitive closure operation using the recipient'"'"'s old email address.

8. A method in an improved email program which facilitates reaching a recipient at a new email address, the method executing in a computer system and comprising the steps of:

receiving an error email message indicating that a recipient is unreachable;

sending an update request email message to an address-change server;

receiving a reply email message from the address-change server, the reply message containing information regarding the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

sending a modified email message to the recipient at the recipient'"'"'s new email address.

9. A method executed in a computer system for updating information associated with a user'"'"'s program, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a recipient'"'"'s updated email address and the recipient'"'"'s old email address from an address-change server;

retrieving the user'"'"'s program; and

updating the recipient'"'"'s email address in the user'"'"'s program.

10. A computer program product for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email to a new email address, the computer program product comprising:

code that receives at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

code that stores information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address and the recipient'"'"'s old email address; and

a computer readable medium that stores the code.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 comprising:

when the authentication check indicates that the recipient did not send the update message,

code that removes from the address-change server the information retrieved from the update message; and

code that sends an email message to the recipient'"'"'s old email address regarding receipt of the update message and the indication from the authentication check.

12. A computer program product for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email address to a new email address, the computer program product comprising:

code that receives at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

code that stores information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address;

a computer readable medium that stores the code; and

code that sends an email to the recipient'"'"'s new email address which informs the recipient that the recipient'"'"'s email address information has been updated at the address-change server.

13. A computer program product for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email to a new email address, the computer program product comprising:

code that receives at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

code that stores information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address;

a computer readable medium that stores the code; and

code that sends an email to the recipient'"'"'s old email address which informs the recipient that the recipient'"'"'s email address information has been updated at the address-change server, when authentication information associated with the update message is not received at the address-change server.

14. A computer program product for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email to a new email address, the computer program product comprising:

code that receives at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

code that stores information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address;

a computer-readable medium that stores the code; and

code the checks the authentication information to determine whether the recipient sent the update message, when authentication information associated with the update message is received at the address-change server.

15. A computer program product for informing a sender of a recipient'"'"'s updated email address, the computer program product comprising:

code that receives at the address-change server an email message from the sender which requests the updated email address of the recipient;

code that retrieves the recipient'"'"'s old email address from the email message;

code that searches for the recipient'"'"'s new email address using the recipient'"'"'s old email address;

code that sends an email to the sender with the recipient'"'"'s new email address, when the search finds the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

a computer-readable medium that stores the code.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the code that searches further comprises:

code that performs a transitive closure operation using the recipient'"'"'s old email address.

17. A computer program product which facilitates reaching a recipient at a new email address, the computer program product comprising:

code that receives an error email message indicating that a recipient is unreachable;

code that sends an update request email message to an address-change server;

code that receives a reply email message from the address-change server, the reply message containing information regarding the recipient'"'"'s new email address;

code that sends a modified email message to the recipient at the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

a computer-readable medium that stores the code.

18. A computer program product for updating information associated with a user'"'"'s program, the computer program product comprising:

code that receives a recipient'"'"'s updated email address and recipient'"'"'s old email address from an address-change server;

code the retrieves the user'"'"'s program;

code that updates the recipient'"'"'s email address in the user'"'"'s program; and

a computer-readable medium that stores the code.

19. An apparatus for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email address to a new email address, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism configured to receive at an address-change server an update message from a recipient; and

a mechanism configured to store information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address and the recipient'"'"'s old email address.

20. A The apparatus of claim 19 comprising:

when the mechanism configured to perform the authentication check determines that the recipient did not send the update message,

a mechanism configured to remove from the address-change server the information retrieved from the update message; and

a mechanism configured to send an email message to the recipient'"'"'s old email address regarding receipt of the update message and the indication from the authentication check.

21. An apparatus for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email address to a new email address, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism configured to receive at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

a mechanism configured to store information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

a mechanism configured to send an email to the recipient'"'"'s new email address which informs the recipient that the recipient'"'"'s email address information has been updated at the address-change server.

22. An apparatus for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email address to a new email address, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism configured to receive at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

a mechanism configured to store information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

a mechanism configured to send an email to the recipient'"'"'s old email address which informs the recipient that the recipient'"'"'s email address information has been updated at the address-change server, when authentication information associated with the update message is not received at the address-change server.

23. An apparatus for updating a recipient'"'"'s email address information from an old email address to a new email address, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism configured to receive at an address-change server an update message from a recipient;

a mechanism configured to store information from the update message at the address-change server, the information comprising the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

a mechanism configured to check the authentication information to determine whether the recipient sent the update message, when authentication information associated with the update message is received at the address-change server.

24. An apparatus for informing a sender of a recipient'"'"'s updated email address, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism configured to receive at the address-change server an email message from the sender which requests the updated email address of the recipient;

a mechanism configured to retrieve the recipient'"'"'s old email address from the email message;

a mechanism configured to search for the recipient'"'"'s new email address using the recipient'"'"'s old email address; and

a mechanism configured to send an email to the sender with the recipient'"'"'s new email address, when the search finds the recipient'"'"'s new email address.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the mechanism configured to search further comprises:

a mechanism configured to perform a transitive closure operation using the recipient'"'"'s old email address.

26. An apparatus which facilitates reaching a recipient at a new email address, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism configured to receive an error email message indicating that a recipient is unreachable;

a mechanism configured to send an update request email message to an address-change server;

a mechanism configured to receive a reply email message from the address-change server, the reply message containing information regarding the recipient'"'"'s new email address; and

a mechanism configured to send a modified email message to the recipient at the recipient'"'"'s new email address.

27. An apparatus for updating information associated with a user'"'"'s program, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism configured to receive a recipient'"'"'s updated email address and recipient'"'"'s old email address from an address-change server;

a mechanism configured to retrieve the user'"'"'s program; and

a mechanism configured to update the recipient'"'"'s email address in the user'"'"'s program.