Email system delivers email message to a proxy email address that corresponds to a sender and recipient pairing

• US 6,643,687 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Dickie, Garth A., Peters, Eric C., Fasciano, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/545,705
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/238, 709/227, 709/207, 709/239, 709/240, 709/241, 709/242, 709/243, 709/244, 705/74, 379/201.08
• 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

Abstract

The present invention advantageously provides for an email system that implements proxy email addresses to control access to a recipient'"'"'s email mailbox, and eliminates the requirement of a sender of email to know the recipient'"'"'s private email address when sending mail. A user interface is presented to a user of the email system that corresponds to permissible email exchanges.

Claims

1. An email system, operable on a computer system, for delivering an email message from a sender to a recipient, as identified by a sender and recipient pairing, comprising:

a user interface defining one or more said sender and recipient pairings, each of said pairings corresponding to a proxy email address that is distinct from the email address of said recipient, and being individually selectable;

wherein said email message is delivered to said proxy email address in response to selecting one of said sender and recipient pairings.

2. The email system of claim 1 wherein said user interface is structured as a hierarchical tree.

3. The email system of claim 2 wherein said hierarchical tree represents an organizational structure.

4. The email system of claim 1 further including:

a converter for converting said proxy email address to said recipient'"'"'s email address; and

a fowarder for forwarding said email message in response to said recipient'"'"'s email address.

5. The email system of claim 4 wherein said converter is coupled to a database, having for each said sender and recipient pairing an entry describing said proxy email address.

6. The email system of claim 5 wherein said database further includes for each said sender and recipient pairing a second proxy email address identifying a response email address for said recipient.

7. The email system of claim 6 wherein said second proxy email address is different than the email address of said sender.

8. The email system of claim 4 wherein said converter includes embedding relationship data in said email message in response to said proxy email address.