Electronic communication delivery confirmation and verification system

• US 6,618,747 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1999
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: Francis H. Flynn, Jeffrey Foran
• Inventors: Flynn, Francis H., Foran, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): CALDWELL, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US09/448,365
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 345/744, 345/752, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method for a user to verify receipt of an electronic communication such as an email message by an intended recipient. Instead of forwarding the email to the intended recipient(s), (e.g. as a normal SMTP server might,) the invention sends a notification message of a posted email to the intended recipient(s). The email and attachments are each saved at a unique call address on a server such as for example a web server. At least one unique address is provided for each of the intended recipients that points to the location of the contents of the original email. When attachments accompany the email, each attachment is also assigned an address that is unique for each intended recipient. The intended recipient is notified of the call addresses for collecting the email and attachments. When the recipient downloads or collects the email and attachments from their respective addresses, the invention detects information regarding the downloaded email and notifies the sender that the email was retrieved. This information may be stored in a back-end database for ease of access and management.

Claims

1. A method for verifying receipt by an intended recipient of an electronic communication generated by a sender comprising the following steps:

a) sending an electronic communication comprising a data-string having an electronic address for the intended recipient;

b) posting said data-string having said electronic address to a unique call address;

c) providing the intended recipient with said unique call address at said electronic address;

d) receiving at said call address a request, having said electronic address for the intended recipient therewith, to access said data string;

e) comparing said electronic address in said request with said electronic address provided in said data-string and proceeding with accessing said data string when said electronic address in said request matches said electronic address in said data-string;

f) sending an electronic notification consisting of data, said data comprising said call address and said electronic address of the intended recipient to the sender when said electronic communication is accessed by the intended recipient.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of posting said data in a back end database.

3. A method for verifying receipt by an intended recipient of an electronic communication generated by a sender comprising the following steps:

a) sending an electronic communication comprising a data-string having an electronic address for the intended recipient;

b) sending an attachment to said electronic communication to an additional electronic address for the intended recipient;

c) posting said data-string having said electronic address to a unique call address;

d) posting said attachment having said additional electronic address to an additional unique call address;

e) providing the intended recipient with said unique call address at said electronic address;

f) receiving at said call address a request, having said electronic address for the intended recipient therewith, to access said data-string;

g) comparing said electronic address in said request with said electronic address provided in said data-string and proceeding with accessing said data string when said electronic address in said request matches said electronic address in said data-string; and

h) sending an electronic notification consisting of data, said data comprising said call address and said electronic address of the intended recipient to the sender when said electronic communication is accessed by the intended recipient.

4. The method as in claim 3, further comprising the step of posting said data in a back end database.

5. A device for verifying receipt by an intended recipient of an electronic communication generated by a sender comprising the following steps:

a) means for sending an electronic communication comprising a data-string having an electronic address for the intended recipient;

b) means for posting said data-string having said electronic address to a unique call address;

c) means for providing the intended recipient with said unique call address at said electronic address;

d) means for receiving at said call address a request, having said electronic address for the intended recipient therewith, to access said data string;

e) means for comparing said electronic address in said request with said electronic address provided in said datastring and proceeding with accessing said data string when said electronic address in said request matches said electronic address in said datastring; and

f) means for sending an electronic notification consisting of data, said data comprising said call address and said electronic address of the intended recipient to the sender when said electronic communication is accessed by the intended recipient.

6. A device for verifying receipt by an intended recipient of an electronic communication generated by a sender comprising the following steps:

a) means for sending an electronic communication comprising a data-string having an electronic address for the intended recipient;

b) means for sending an attachment to said electronic communication to an additional electronic address for the intended recipient;

c) means for posting said data-string having said electronic address to a unique call address;

d) means for posting said attachment having said additional electronic address to an additional unique call address;

e) means for providing the intended recipient with said unique call address at said electronic address;

f) means for receiving at said call address a request, having said electronic address for the intended recipient therewith, to access said data-string;

g) means for comparing said electronic address in said request with said electronic address provided in said datastring and proceeding with accessing said data string when said electronic address in said request matches said electronic address in said datastring; and

h) means for sending an electronic notification consisting of data, said data comprising said call address and said electronic address of the intended recipient to the sender when said electronic communication is accessed by the intended recipient.