System and method for enabling the originator of an electronic mail message to preset an expiration time, date, and/or event, and to control and track processing or handling by all recipients
First Claim
1. Electronic mail control software, comprising:
- means for opening a window arranged to enable a user of the electronic mail applications program to select (i) an original destination address to which an electronic mail message created using the electronic mail applications program is to be sent, and (ii) control options to be applied to the electronic mail message; and
means for causing the electronic mail control software to automatically substitute, without manual entry of a substitute address by the user, an address of a central mail server for the original destination address selected by the user in order to divert said electronic mail message to said central mail server, said original destination address being appended by the electronic mail control software to the message so that it can be read by the central mail server, the central mail server being arranged to forward said electronic mail message to said original destination address and to implement said control options if one of said control options is selected.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic mail system and method enables the originator of a message sent by electronic mail to select a date, time, or event at which the message and all incarnations of the message to self-destruct, regardless of the number and types of computers or software systems that may have interacted with the message, and/or to include processing and handling limitations. The necessary control over the message is achieved by encrypting the message and enabling viewing only through a viewer applet arranged to facilitate destruction of the message upon the occurrence of the selected expiration time, date, or event, and/or to implement the handling and processing limitations. A central server can be used to exercise additional control over the message by serving as a proxy destination, and by transmitting the encrypted message to the viewer applet. In the case where a central mail server is required to enable forwarding of messages, the central server tracks the messages and compiles lists including the identities of all individuals or groups to whom the message has been forwarded, and information on handling of the message by those to whom the message has been sent or forwarded.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. Electronic mail control software, comprising:
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means for opening a window arranged to enable a user of the electronic mail applications program to select (i) an original destination address to which an electronic mail message created using the electronic mail applications program is to be sent, and (ii) control options to be applied to the electronic mail message; and
means for causing the electronic mail control software to automatically substitute, without manual entry of a substitute address by the user, an address of a central mail server for the original destination address selected by the user in order to divert said electronic mail message to said central mail server, said original destination address being appended by the electronic mail control software to the message so that it can be read by the central mail server, the central mail server being arranged to forward said electronic mail message to said original destination address and to implement said control options if one of said control options is selected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of adding lifespan and handling limitations to an electronic mail message, comprising the step of:
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opening a window arranged to enable a user of the electronic mail applications program to select (i) an original destination address to which an electronic mail message created using the electronic mail application program is to be sent, and (ii) control options to be applied to the electronic mail message, wherein, when one of said control options is selected by the user, the electronic mail application program automatically substitutes, without further entry of an address by the user, an address of a central mail server for the original destination address and appends the original destination address to the electronic mail message in order to divert the electronic mail message to a central mail server arranged to read the original destination address and forward the electronic mail message to said original destination address and to implement said control options. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electronic mail system, comprising:
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a first computer on which is installed message origination software and which is connected to a network capable of carrying an electronic mail wrapper that includes an electronic mail message;
at least one recipient computer also connected to said network; and
a viewer applet installed on said recipient computer, said viewer applet being arranged to decode control information appended to the electronic mail wrapper, search for sender-identity and message-origination fields in said wrapper and control, based on input to said message origination software, a manner in which information items in said sender-identity and message-origination fields in said wrapper are presented to a recipient of the message, said control including selection of which of said information items in said sender-identity and message-origination fields are to be presented, and control of coupling of the information and the message. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of controlling an electronic mail message transmitted over a network comprising the steps of:
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before transmission of the electronic mail message over the network, enabling a user to attach limitations on processing and handling of the electronic mail message by a recipient;
initially transmitting said electronic mail message over said network to a central electronic mail server;
storing said electronic mail message at said electronic mail server;
upon request by the recipient, causing said electronic mail server to encrypt said electronic mail message;
causing the electronic mail server to send the encrypted electronic mail message to a viewer applet installed on said recipient computer;
causing the viewer applet to store said encrypted message on the recipient computer;
causing the viewer applet to enable viewing of said message by decrypting said electronic mail message using the viewer applet and a session key supplied by the central electronic mail server, wherein said message cannot be viewed by the recipient unless the viewer applet is used; and
causing said central electronic mail server and viewer applet to implement said processing and handling limitations. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An electronic mail system, comprising:
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A first computer on which is installed message origination software arranged to assign message processing limitations to an electronic mail message and which is connected to a network capable of carrying said electronic mail message;
at least one recipient computer also connected to said network;
w viewer applet; and
w central electronic mail server connected to said network, said message origination software being arranged to send said electronic mail message to said electronic mail server, said electronic mail server being arranged to store information concerning said electronic mail message and, upon request by the recipient, encrypt said electronic mail message and send it to said viewer applet, wherein said viewer applet is arranged to decrypt said electronic mail message as it is sent so as to display said message, wherein said viewer applet is also arranged to store at least a portion of said message that has been stripped of said information by said central server, wherein said message can only be viewed by the recipient using the viewer applet, and wherein said processing limitations are implemented by said central electronic mail server and said viewer applet. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of controlling an electronic mail message transmitted over a network, comprising the steps of:
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before transmission of the electronic mail message over the network, attaching limitations on processing and handling of the electronic mail message by a recipient;
initially transmitting said electronic mail message over said network to a central electronic mail server;
storing said electronic mail message at said electronic mail server;
upon request by the recipient, encrypting said electronic mail message, sending the encrypted electronic mail message to a viewer applet installed on said recipient computer, and decrypting said electronic mail message as it is received by the viewer applet so as to display said message; and
causing said central server and viewer applet to implement said processing and handling limitations. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of developing mailing lists, comprising the steps of:
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sending an electronic mail message to an initial list of recipients;
requiring that versions of said electronic mail message that are forwarded to first additional recipients by said initial recipients be routed through at least one central mail server, said first additional recipients including recipients initially unknown to the sender and the central mail server;
requiring that versions of said electronic mail message that are forwarded to second additional recipients by said first additional recipients be routed through said at least one central mail server, said second additional recipients including further recipients initially unknown to the sender and the central mail server;
tracking all transactions involving said electronic mail message, including transactions by said original recipients, said first additional recipients, and said second additional recipients; and
using a record of at least a portion of said transactions to expand said electronic mailing list to recipients not on the initial mailing list, and not initially known to the sender or to the central mail server. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification