Email client application incorporating an active transmit authorization request

• US 6,671,718 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: James Randall Beckers, Mark Meister
• Inventors: Beckers, James Randall, Meister, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/337,035
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/201
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system that monitors for an initiation of the sending of an electronic message. The user is alerted or warned that the message is about to be sent. The alert includes a list of the addressees of the message. The list includes addressee aliases where available. The sender can then verify that the addressees are correct and change or delete those on the list, or erase the message. The system also provides such an alert when a computer initiates the sending of an unauthorized message and allows the user to delete the unauthorized message.

Claims

1. An e-mail method, comprising:

recognizing whether a complete electronic mail message having a valid recipient address for an unintended recipient, is to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, from a sending side to a receiving side; and

alerting a system user on the sending side as to the message being sent.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message is not sent until approved by the system user.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alerting alerts the user as to addressees of the message.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alerting alerts the user as to an addressee of the message.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said recognizing recognizes a send operation initiated by the user.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said recognizing recognizes a send operation initiated by an unauthorized agent.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the user to approve sending of the message after the alert; and

sending the message to an addressee.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said alerting comprises providing a display of both alias names and fully resolved addresses.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the display includes a confirmation field.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to modify an addressee list after the alerting.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the alerting is performed after the addressee list is modified.

12. An electronic mail method, comprising:

allowing a user on a sending side to indicate that a complete message having a valid recipient address for an unintended recipient, is to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, from the sending side to a receiving side; and

alerting the user on the sending side that the message is to be sent.

13. An electronic mail method, comprising:

recognizing that a complete message having a valid recipient address for an unintended recipient, is to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, by an unauthorized agent from a sending side to a receiving side; and

alerting a user on the sending side that the message is to be sent.

14. An e-mail method, comprising:

recognizing whether a complete electronic mail message having a valid recipient for an unintended recipient, is to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, by a user or an unauthorized agent from a sending side to a receiving side;

alerting the user on the sending side as to the message being sent and as to addressees of the message by providing a display of both alias names and fully resolved addresses when available and a confirmation field for each address;

allowing the user to approve sending of the message to an addressee after the alert by marking the confirmation field;

allowing the user to modify an addressee list after the alert;

allowing the user to erase the message; and

sending the message after all addressees have been approved.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an e-mail transmission system having a sending side and a receiving side; and

an e-mail system recognizing a complete e-mail message having a valid recipient address for an unintended recipient, is to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, by a user via the transmission system and alerting a user on the sending side as to the addressees of the message.

16. A computer readable storage medium for controlling a computer including a computer program recognizing whether a complete electronic mail message having a valid recipient address for an unintended recipient, is to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, and alerting a user as to the message being sent.

17. An electronic message alert display, comprising:

text alerting a user on a sending side as to a complete electronic message having a valid recipient address for an unintended recipient, about to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, and

a list of addressees.

18. A display as recited in claim 17, wherein the list shows an addressee alias and a fully resolved address.

19. A display, as recited in claim 17, further comprising a modify addressee control.

20. A display as recited in claim 17, further comprising an erase control.

21. A display as recited in claim 17, further comprising a confirmation to send field.

22. An electronic mail method, comprising:

determining whether a complete electronic mail message having a valid recipient address that satisfies requirements for transmission, is to be sent, after a send function has been initiated, by detecting, on a sending side, a send operation initiated by a user and detecting a send operation initiated by an unauthorized agent;

alerting an e-mail system user on the sending side as to addressees of the message by providing a display of both available alias names and fully resolved addresses and a confirmation field for each intended recipient;

allowing the user to modify an addressee list after the alert with the alert being again produced after the intended recipient list is modified;

allowing the user to approve sending of the message after the alert; and

sending the message after approval.

23. A method for alerting a user on a sending side as to the addressees of an e-mail before sending, said method comprising:

composing a complete e-mail message;

addressing the e-mail message;

requesting that the e-mail message having a valid recipient address that satisfies requirements for transmission, be sent, after a send function has been initiated,

alerting the sender on the sending side that the e-mail is about to be sent and listing the addressees;

modifying, deleting or confirming the addressees; and

sending or deleting the message, if sending, connecting to a mail server.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein in said alerting, modifying, deleting or confirming addressees, the e-mail system performs:

parsing the address header;

selecting an address;

determining whether the address is fully resolved;

determining if an alias exists;

resolving group or list names;

adding aliases and/or fully resolved addresses to the alert list; and

alerting, again, the sender that the e-mail is about to be sent and listing the addressees.

25. An e-mail method, comprising:

determining that a complete validly addressed electronic mail message for an unintended recipient, is to be sent from a sending side to a receiving side, after a send function has been activated; and

alerting a system user on the sending side as to the message being sent.