E-mail messaging system

• US 6,708,205 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suffix Mail Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Suffix Mail Incorporated
• Inventors: Kagan, Jeremy, Palmarini, Nancy, Sheldon, Valentine DʼArcy
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US10/076,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 345/752, 345/751, 345/853, 345/854, 345/855
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A method for providing e-mail communication is provided in which an e-mail user interface is generated on a display device. The e-mail user interface implements e-mail messaging for a root e-mail address that includes a domain name and a username. Upon receiving a request from a user, the method generates a first suffix e-mail address, and creates a first directory on the e-mail user interface for the first suffix e-mail address. The first suffix e-mail address includes the domain name, the username, and a first suffix name. Upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and the username, the method stores the e-mail message in the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix. In accordance with further aspects of this embodiment, a plurality of suffix e-mail addresses can be created, each having a corresponding directory on the e-mail user interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing e-mail communication, comprising the steps of:

generating an e-mail user interface on a display device, the e-mail user interface implementing e-mail messaging for a root e-mail address, the root e-mail address including a domain name and a username;

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a first suffix e-mail address and creating a first directory on the e-mail user interface for the first suffix e-mail address, the first suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a first suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a second suffix e-mail address and creating a second directory on the e-mail user interface for the second suffix e-mail address, the second suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a second suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in the second folder if the destination address includes the second suffix.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

upon receiving a request from a user, designating a sender'"'"'s address from a received e-mail as one of an accepted address designation and a rejected address designation;

upon receiving an e-mail message from the sender'"'"'s address, storing the e-mail message in an inbox if the sender'"'"'s address has the accepted address designation, and deleting the e-mail if the sender'"'"'s address has the rejected address designation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving a request from a user, generating another suffix e-mail address and creating a directory on the e-mail user interface for the another suffix e-mail address, the another suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, the first suffix name and another suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix name and not the another suffix name, and storing the e-mail message in the another directory if the destination address includes the first suffix name and the another suffix name.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the first suffix name with a device; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, sending the e-mail message to the device if the destination address includes the first suffix name.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is a printer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is a telephone.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is a PDA.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is a pager.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising converting the message to an audio signal prior to sending the message to the telephone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first suffix name is a commercial suffix name, the commercial suffix name being associated with a third party e-mail address, the commercial suffix name being used by a plurality of users having a plurality of username and domain name combinations.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of providing authenticated communication between the first suffix e-mail address and the third party e-mail address.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of providing encrypted communication between the first suffix e-mail address and the third party e-mail address.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of providing authenticated and encrypted communication between the first suffix e-mail address and the third party e-mail address, said authenticated and encrypted communication including credit card transactions.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a computer display screen for a desktop computer.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a computer display screen for a laptop computer.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a display screen for a PDA.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a display screen for a telephone.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a televison.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a set top box.

25. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second suffix e-mail addresses includes a delimeter.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising, upon receiving an e-mail message with the delimeter, further processing the e-mail message as a function of the delimeter.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the further processing comprises forwarding the e-mail message to another e-mail address.

28. The method of claim 2, wherein the e-mail message includes a delimeter in one of the subject field and the body of the e-mail message.

29. The method of claim 28, comprising, upon receiving the e-mail message with the delimeter, further processing the e-mail message as a function of the delimeter.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the further processing comprises forwarding the e-mail message to another e-mail address.

31. The method of claim 8, wherein the message is in a first language, and wherein the method further comprising translating the message from the first language to a second language.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first and second languages are selected from the group consisting of Afrikaans, Albanian, Algerian Dardja, Amharic, Anishinaabe, Arabic, Armenian, Avestan, Azerbaijani, Balinese, Bashkir, Basque, Belarusan, Bengali, Bisayan, Brahui, Breton, Buhi Bicol, Bulgarian, Burmese, Catalan, Cebuano, Chechen, Cherokee-Tsalagi, Cheyenne, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Etruscan, Farsi, Finnish, French, Frisian, Gaelic, Galician, German, Gilbertese, Greek, Guarani, Hakka, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Ingush, Inuktitut, Italian, Japanese, Kamilaroi, Kapampangan, Kendô

, Khowar, Korean, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Lakhota, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Maltese, Maori, Mapudungun, Marathi, Mayan, Mayangna, Miskitu, Mohawk, Mongolian, Nauruan, Norwegian, Occitan, Ojibwe, Oriya, Pahlavi, Pali, Panamahka, Pashto, Passamaquoddy-Maliseet, Pirahã

, Polish, Portuguese, Potawatomi, Prussian, Punjabi, Rasta Patois, Romanian, Romany, Russian, Sami, Sanskrit, Sardinian, Serbo-Croatian, Sioux, Slovak, Slovene, Somali, Sorbian, Spanish, Sranan, Sudovian, Sumerian, Swabian, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Taino, Taiwanese, Tamil, Tarahumara, Tatar, Thai, Tibetan, Tok Pisin, Tongan, Tsalagi, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Ulwa, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Visayan, Votic, Warlpiri, Welsh, Wolof, Xhosa, Yiddish, and Yotvingian.

33. The method of claim 14, wherein the third party e-mail address is associated with an entity, and wherein the entity pays for the commercial suffix name.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to select a further suffix e-mail address from a list of suffix e-mail addreses, and upon receiving said selection, creating a directory on the e-mail user interface for the further suffix e-mail address, the further suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and the further suffix name.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving a request from a user, creating a sub-directory within the directory on the e-mail user interface, the subdirectory including one or more of a file, an HTML page, and a hyperlink.

36. The method of claim 14, wherein the third party e-mail address is associated with an entity, and wherein the method further comprises, upon receiving a request from the entity, creating a sub-directory within the first directory on e-mail user interfaces associated with each of the plurality of users, the subdirectory including one or more of a file, an HTML page, and a hyperlink.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an e-mail message from the first suffix e-mail address.

38. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

upon receiving a request from a user, generating deleting the second suffix e-mail address and the second directory.

39. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a third suffix e-mail address and creating a third directory on the e-mail user interface for the third suffix e-mail address, the third suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, the second suffix name, and a third suffix name.

40. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a further suffix e-mail address and creating a further directory on the e-mail user interface for the further suffix e-mail address, the further suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a plurality of suffix names.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the upon receiving an e-mail message step further comprises parsing the destination address first by the username, and then by the first suffix name.

42. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is a televison.

43. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is an appliance.

44. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is an MP3 player.

45. The method of claim 14, wherein the commercial suffix is associated with a plurality of third party e-mail addresses.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the first directory includes a plurality of sections, and wherein

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in a selected one of the plurality of sections of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix, said selected one of the plurality of sections being determined based upon selection criteria.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the plurality of sections includes an accepted section and a hold/new sender section, and wherein the selection criteria is whether the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on a list of accepted e-mail addresses.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the selection criteria is a portion of the destination address.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the portion of the e-mail address includes a category delimeter followed by a category identifier.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein the selection criteria is the sender'"'"'s e-mail address.

52. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching the e-mail message for predetermined information; and

exporting at least a portion of the e-mail message to a file if the predetermined information is in the e-mail message.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the file is a spreadsheet.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the predetermined information is in a subject field of the e-mail message and a portion of the body of the e-mail message is exported to the program.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the predetermined information is specified by the user.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the predetermined information is specified by an administrator.

57. The method of claim 36, further comprising

searching the e-mail message for predetermined information;

and

exporting at least a portion of the e-mail message to a file if the predetermined information is in the e-mail message.

58. The method fo claim 57, wherein the file is a spreadsheet.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the predetermined information is in a subject field of the e-mail message and a portion of the body of the e-mail message is exported to the program.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein the predetermined information is specified by the user.

61. The method of claim 57, wherein the predetermined information is specified by an administrator.

62. The method of claim 57, wherein the predetermined information is specified by the entity.

4. A method for providing e-mail communication, comprising the steps of:

generating an e-mail user interface on a display device, the e-mail user interface implementing e-mail messaging for a root e-mail address, the root e-mail address including a domain name and a username;

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a first suffix e-mail address and creating a first directory on the e-mail user interface for the first suffix e-mail address, the first suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a first suffix name;

maintaining a list of accepted e-mail addresses and a list of rejected e-mail addresses; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in an accepted section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses, and storing e-mail message in an hold/new sender section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses and does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in a directory designated for deleted e-mails if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, deleting the e-mail message if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses.

18. A method for providing e-mail communication, comprising the steps of:

generating an e-mail user interface on a display device, the e-mail user interface implementing e-mail messaging for a root e-mail address, the root e-mail address including a domain name and a username;

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a first suffix e-mail address and creating a first directory on the e-mail user interface for the first suffix e-mail address, the first suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a first suffix name;

maintaining a list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name, a list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name, a list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name, and a list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name;

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username;

storing the e-mail message in an accepted section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name,

and storing the e-mail message in an hold/new sender section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix name and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name and does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username,

storing the e-mail message in an accepted section of the second directory if the destination address includes the second suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name,

and storing e-mail message in an hold/new sender section of the first directory if the destination address includes the second suffix name and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name and does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name.

51. A method for providing e-mail communication, comprising the steps of:

generating an e-mail user interface on a display device, the e-mail user interface implementing e-mail messaging for a root e-mail address, the root e-mail address including a domain name and a username;

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a plurality of commerical suffix e-mail addresses and creating a directory on the e-mail user interface for each commercial suffix e-mail address, each commercial suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a commercial suffix name, each commercial suffix name being associated with a third party e-mail address, the commercial suffix name being used by a plurality of users having a plurality of username and domain name combinations;

logging on to a plurality of web-sites, each web-site corresponding to one of the plurality of commercial suffix names; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, if the destination address includes one of the commerical suffix names, storing the e-mail message in the one of the the directories corresponding to the commercial suffix name.

63. Computer readable media, having stored thereon, computer executable process steps operable to control a computer to perform the steps of:

generating an e-mail user interface on a display device, the e-mail user interface implementing e-mail messaging for a root e-mail address, the root e-mail address including a domain name and a username;

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a first suffix e-mail address and creating a first directory on the e-mail user interface for the first suffix e-mail address, the first suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a first suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix.

64. The computer readable media of claim 63, further comprising the steps of

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a second suffix e-mail address and creating a second directory on the e-mail user interface for the second suffix e-mail address, the second suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a second suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in the second folder if the destination address includes the second suffix.

65. The computer readable media of claim 63, further comprising the steps of:

upon receiving a request from a user, designating a sender'"'"'s address from a received e-mail as one of an accepted address designation and a rejected address designation;

upon receiving an e-mail message from the sender'"'"'s address, storing the e-mail message in an inbox if the sender'"'"'s address has the accepted address designation, and deleting the e-mail if the sender'"'"'s address has the rejected address designation.

66. The computer readable media of claim 63, further comprising:

maintaining a list of accepted e-mail addresses and a list of rejected e-mail addresses;

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in an accepted section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses, and storing e-mail message in an hold/new sender section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses and does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses.

67. The computer readable media of claim 63, further comprising:

upon receiving a request from a user, generating another suffix e-mail address and creating a directory on the e-mail user interface for the another suffix e-mail address, the another suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, the first suffix name and another suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, storing the e-mail message in the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix name and not the another suffix name, and storing the e-mail message in the another directory if the destination address includes the first suffix name and the another suffix name.

68. The computer readable media of claim 63, further comprising:

associating the first suffix name with a device; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, sending the e-mail message to the device if the destination address includes the first suffix name.

69. The computer readable media of claim 63, wherein the first suffix name is a commercial suffix name, the commercial suffix name being associated with a third party e-mail address, the commercial suffix name being used by a plurality of users having a plurality of username and domain name combinations.

70. The computer readable media of claim 64, further comprising

maintaining a list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name, a list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name, a list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name, and a list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name;

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username;

storing the e-mail message in an accepted section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name,

and storing the e-mail message in an hold/new sender section of the first directory if the destination address includes the first suffix name and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name and does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the first suffix name; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username,

storing the e-mail message in an accepted section of the second directory if the destination address includes the second suffix and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address corresponds to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name,

and storing e-mail message in an hold/new sender section of the first directory if the destination address includes the second suffix name and the sender'"'"'s e-mail address does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of accepted e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name and does not correspond to an e-mail address on the list of rejected e-mail addresses associated with the second suffix name.

71. The computer readable media of claim 64, wherein at least one of the first and second suffix e-mail addresses includes a delimeter.

72. The computer readable media of claim 71, comprising, upon receiving an e-mail message with the delimeter, further processing the e-mail message as a function of the delimeter.

73. The computer readable media of claim 69, wherein the third party e-mail address is associated with an entity, and wherein the computer readable media further comprises, upon receiving a request from the entity, creating a sub-directory within the directory on e-mail user interfaces associated each of the plurality of users, the subdirectory including one or more of a file, an HTML page, and a hyperlink.

74. Computer readable media, having stored thereon, computer executable process steps operable to control a computer to perform the steps of:

generating an e-mail user interface on a display device, the e-mail user interface implementing e-mail messaging for a root e-mail address, the root e-mail address including a domain name and a username;

upon receiving a request from a user, generating a plurality of commerical suffix e-mail address and creating a directory on the e-mail user interface for each commercial suffix e-mail address, each commercial suffix e-mail address including the domain name, the username, and a commercial suffix name, each commercial suffix name being associated with a third party e-mail address, the commercial suffix name being used by a plurality of users having a plurality of username and domain name combinations;

logging on to a plurality of web-sites, each web-site corresponding to one of the plurality of commercial suffix names; and

upon receiving an e-mail message having a destination address including the domain name and username, if the destination address includes one of the commerical suffix names, storing the e-mail message in the one of the the directories corresponding to the commercial suffix name.