Dynamic E-mail re-transmitting system having time parameters

• US 6,662,232 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1998
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitel Incorporated (MLN TopCo Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Limited (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Nicholls, Timothy J., Allport, Robert W., Kelley, Stephen, Capelli, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/222,192
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/246, 455/26.1, 704/270.1, 370/466, 370/412, 379/67.1, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for re-transmitting an e-mail message transmitted from a sender to a recipient based upon predetermined criteria. The method performing the steps of prescribing at least one time period for performing messaging tasks and defining messaging tasks to be initiated for the e-mail message during the at least one prescribed time period. When an e-mail message is received in a recipients e-mail account a determination is made as to whether if the e-mail message was received within the at least one prescribed time period. And re-transmitting the e-mail message in accordance with the defined messaging tasks if the e-mail message was determined to be received within the prescribed time period.

Claims

1. A method for re-transmitting an e-mail message transmitted from a sender to a recipient based upon predetermined criteria, the method comprising the steps of:

prescribing at least one time period for performing messaging tasks;

defining messaging tasks to be initiated for said e-mail message during said at least one time period;

receiving in a recipients e-mail account said e-mail message transmitted from said sender;

determining if said e-mail message was received within said at least one time period;

converting at least the messaging information content of the e-mail message to a predetermined communication format chosen from the group consisting of telephony format and facsimile format; and

re-transmitting said converted e-mail message such that it is received at a recipients location in the predetermined format in accordance with said defined messaging tasks for said time period if said e-mail message was determined to be received within said time period.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the re-transmitting step includes re-transmitting the e-mail message to an e-mail account other than the recipients intended e-mail account.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein in the re-transmitting step at least the messaging information content of the e-mail message is converted to at least two different communication formats other than e-mail format.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further including the steps of:

interrogating an address block of said e-mail message to determine if predetermined criteria has been met in a sender addressing information portion of said e-mail message; and

re-transmitting the e-mail message to said recipient such that said recipient receives at least a messaging information portion of said e-mail message at a location other than said recipients intended e-mail account if said predetermined criteria has been met in said sender addressing information portion of said e-mail message.

5. A method for re-transmitting an e-mail message transmitted from a sender to a recipient based upon predetermined criteria, the e-mail message including a message block having messaging information and an address block identifying both recipient and sender addressing information, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a storage medium;

receiving in a recipients intended e-mail account location an e-mail message transmitted from a sender;

prescribing at least one time period for performing messaging tasks;

defining messaging tasks to be initiated for said e-mail message during said at least one time period;

determining if said e-mail message was received within said at least one time period;

re-transmitting said e-mail message in accordance with said defined messaging tasks for said time period if said e-mail message was determined to be received within said time period;

converting at least the messaging information content of the e-mail message to a predetermined communication format chosen from the group consisting of telephony format and facsimile format;

storing the converted e-mail message in the storage medium;

transmitting all converted e-mail messages stored in the storage medium so as to be received by a recipient in the predetermined communication format at a location other than the recipients intended e-mail account when a predetermined number of converted e-mail messages having been stored in the storage medium.

6. A method for re-transmitting an e-mail message transmitted from a sender to recipient based upon predetermined criteria, the e-mail message including a message block having messaging information and an address block identifying both recipient and sender addressing information, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of storage mediums;

receiving in a recipients intended e-mail account location an e-mail message transmitted from a sender;

prescribing at least one time period for performing messaging tasks;

defining messaging tasks to be initiated for said e-mail message during said at least one time period;

determining if said e-mail message was received within said at least one time period;

re-transmitting said e-mail message in accordance with said defined messaging tasks for said time period if said e-mail message was determined to be received within said time period;

converting at least the messaging information content of the e-mail message to one of a plurality of predetermined communication formats chosen from the group consisting of telephony format and facsimile format;

storing each converted e-mail message in one of a plurality of storage mediums wherein each storage medium contains converted e-mail messages of a like communication format; and

transmitting all converted e-mail messages stored in one of the plurality of storage mediums so as to be received by a recipient in the predetermined communication format at a location other than the recipients intended e-mail account when a predetermined number of converted messages have been stored in the one of the plurality of storage mediums.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further including the step of deleting the e-mail message from the recipients intended e-mail account without user intervention.

8. A method for re-transmitting an e-mail message transmitted from a sender to a recipient based upon predetermined criteria, the e-mail message including a message block having messaging information and an address block identifying both recipient and sender addressing information, the method comprising the steps of:

defining at least two different sets of criteria to be satisfied in the address block of the e-mail message for initiating messaging tasks wherein each set of criteria has unique associated messaging tasks;

receiving in a recipients intended e-mail account location an e-mail message transmitted from a sender;

prescribing at least one time period for performing messaging tasks;

defining messaging tasks to be initiated for said e-mail message during said at least one time period;

determining if said e-mail message was received within said at least one time period;

converting at least the messaging information content of the e-mail message to a predetermined communication format chosen from the group consisting of telephony format and facsimile format;

re-transmitting said converted e-mail message such that it is received at a recipients location in the predetermined format in accordance with said defined messaging tasks for said time period if said e-mail message was determined to be received within said time period;

interrogating the address block of the e-mail message to determine if predetermined criteria from at least one of said two different sets of criteria has been met in the sender addressing information portion of the e-mail message; and

re-transmitting the e-mail message to the recipient such that the recipient receives at least the messaging information content of the e-mail message at a location other than the recipients intended e-mail account in accordance with the messaging tasks associated with one of the said two different sets of criteria that has be met in the sender addressing information portion of the e-mail message.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the re-transmitting step includes re-transmitting the e-mail message to an e-mail account other than the recipients intended e-mail account.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 further including the step of deleting the e-mail message from the recipients intended e-mail account without user intervention if the predetermined criteria from one of the different sets of criteria has been met.