System and method for integrated management of electronic messages

• US 6,965,918 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2000
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schreiber, Robert, Arnold, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US09/477,331
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 709/218, 379/93.15, 379/93.24, 379/88.12
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

An email proxy server system gives the user access to all of their email accounts through a unified port. The proxy server maintains a mail registration database associating the user'"'"'s ID with multiple email accounts, which may be hosted on different Internet providers and otherwise. The email messages stored on the email hosts may be in POP3 format, which configuration the proxy server imitates to give the user an impression of transparent access to all of their email accounts. Because the ability to access individual mail boxes is unbound from particular internet addresses, one user may maintain any number of email mail boxes at different hosting servers, and change those addresses, without having to reprogram client, server, and other software. Moreover, the presentation of the integrated interface of the invention permits system administrators to attach service modules, such as billing and other packages directly to the proxy server to serve each of the different email accounts, without having to tailor those individual services to individual hosts hardware.

Claims

1. A method of managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user, the method comprising:

providing an account database associated with a server, wherein the account database stores at least one of passwords or user IDs corresponding to the plurality of individual messaging accounts;

receiving an access request to access selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts are determined based on information associated with the single user;

authorizing access to the server based on authorization information associated with the single user;

accessing the account database to retrieve at least one of the passwords or the user IDs corresponding to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts;

accessing the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts by providing the corresponding passwords and/or user IDs to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts; and

retrieving a report of messages that are pending from the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a consolidated message list, including at least the messages in the report;

transmitting the consolidated message list as an output; and

presenting the consolidated message list on a user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

accepting a message process request to perform predetermined functions on the messages presented in the consolidated message list;

associating the message process request to the corresponding message presented in the consolidated message list; and

transmitting the message process request to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the server comprises a networked proxy server.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts have reassignable network addresses.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the POP3 standard is utilized in at least one step.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the consolidated message list comprises a list of e-mail messages and the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts comprise different email accounts.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising performing predetermined service functions at the message access port.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises a first portion that lists messages pending in the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts, and a second portion that lists one or more account indicators that indicate which of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts contains the corresponding messages from the first portion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching password and/or user ID is different for each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts are accessed individually by providing a corresponding password and/or user ID to each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding passwords and/or user IDs are predefined for the selected ones of the individual messaging accounts.

13. A system for managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user, the system comprising:

an account database associated with a server, wherein the account database stores at least one of passwords or user IDs corresponding to the plurality of individual messaging accounts;

a message port on the server adapted to accept an access request, wherein the access request includes authorization information and the access request enables access to the server, wherein the server determines selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user based on information associated with the single user,

the server further being adapted to;

authorize access to the server,

reference the account database,

match the at least one of the passwords or the user IDs with the corresponding selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts determined in the access request, and

access the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user by providing the corresponding passwords and/or user IDs to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts; and

a processor unit in communication with the message port, wherein the processor unit accesses the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts and retrieves a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts, and wherein the messages that are Pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the messages comprise electronic mail and selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts comprise different electronic mail accounts.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the server comprises a networked proxy server.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor unit retrieves information from selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts and creates a consolidated message list that includes at least the messages included in the report.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor unit accepts message process requests that perform predetermined functions on the messages presented in the pending message list.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the message process requests comprise at least one of selecting messages, deleting messages or reading messages.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the POP3 standard is utilized in at least one communication.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising an administrative module in communication with the message access port, wherein the administrative module is adapted to perform predetermined service functions.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further adapted to individually access each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts by providing each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts with a corresponding password and/or user ID.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the matching password and/or user ID is different for each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the corresponding passwords and/or user IDs are predefined for the selected ones of the individual messaging accounts.

24. A system for managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user, the system comprising:

account database means for storing at least one of passwords or user IDs corresponding to the plurality of individual messaging accounts, the account database means associated with a server;

message port means for receiving an access request as an input to enable access to selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts are determined based on information associated with the single user;

server authorization means for authorizing access to the server based on authorization information associated with the single user;

referencing means for referencing the account database, wherein the account database stores corresponding ones of the at least one of the passwords or the user IDs corresponding to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts determined in the access request;

matching means for matching the at least one of the passwords or the user IDs with the corresponding selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts determined in the access request;

authorizing means for authorizing access to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts by providing the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts with the matched passwords and/or user IDs; and

processing means for communicating with the message port means, wherein the processing means accesses the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts and retrieves a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts, and wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the messages comprise electronic email and selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts comprise different electronic mail accounts.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the server comprises a networked proxy server.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the processing means retrieves information from selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts and creates a consolidated message list that includes at least the messages included in the report.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the processing means accepts message process requests that perform predetermined functions on the messages presented in the pending message list.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the message process requests comprise at least one of selecting messages, deleting messages or reading messages.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the authorizing means individually accesses each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts by providing each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts with a corresponding password and/or user ID.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the matching password and/or user ID is different for each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the matched passwords and/or user IDs are predefined for the selected ones of the individual messaging accounts.

33. A storage medium for storing computer readable code, the computer readable code being executable to manage a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user, the medium comprising:

computer readable code for providing an account database associated with a server, wherein the account database stores at least one of passwords or user IDs corresponding to the plurality of individual messaging accounts;

computer readable code for receiving an input of an access request to access selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts are determined based on information associated with the single user;

computer readable code for authorizing access to the server based on authorization information associated with the single user;

computer readable code for accessing the account database to retrieve the at least one of the passwords or the user IDs corresponding to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts;

computer readable code for accessing the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts by providing the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts with the corresponding passwords and/or user IDs; and

computer readable code for retrieving a report of messages that are pending from the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

34. The medium of claim 33 further comprising:

computer readable code for creating a consolidated message list, including at least the messages included in the report; and

computer readable code for transmitting the consolidated message list as an output.

35. The medium of claim 33 further comprising:

computer readable code for accepting a message process request;

computer readable code for associating the message process request to the corresponding message presented in the consolidated message list; and

computer readable code for transmitting the message process request to the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the authorizing means individually accesses each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts by providing each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts with a corresponding password and/or user ID.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the matching password and/or user ID is different for each of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts.

38. The storage medium of claim 33, wherein the corresponding passwords and/or user IDs are predefined for the selected ones of the individual messaging accounts.

39. A system for enabling a single user to manage a plurality of messages stored in two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, the individual messaging accounts being associated with different service providers, the system comprising:

two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, the individual messaging accounts being associated with different service providers;

an interface module for determining the single user, authorizing the single user and matching the single user to the corresponding two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user;

a storage module, wherein the storage module stores at least one of user IDs or passwords corresponding to the two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user;

an authorization module for accessing each of the two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the authorization module references the storage module and matches the at least one of the user IDs or passwords with corresponding ones of the two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, and wherein the authorization module provides each of the two or more individual messaging accounts with the matching password and/or user IDs; and

a report retrieving module that retrieves a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the matching password and/or user ID is different for each of the two or more individual messaging accounts.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the matching passwords and/or user IDs are predefined for the selected ones of the individual messaging accounts.

42. A method of managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user using a proxy server, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization request, the authorization request including user identification information;

performing a proxy server authorization to enable access to the proxy server based on the user identification information;

determining two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user identification information;

retrieving at least one of account passwords or account user IDs associated with the two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user;

performing an individual messaging account authorization for the two or more individual messaging accounts by providing the two or more individual messaging accounts with corresponding ones of the at least one of the account passwords or the account user IDs; and

retrieving a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

43. A method of managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user using a proxy server, the method comprising:

providing a account database for storing at least one of passwords or user IDs corresponding to the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user;

accepting a user access request for at least a first individual messaging account associated with the single user and a second individual messaging account associated with the single user, wherein the user access request includes user identification information;

performing a first authorization based on the user identification information;

accessing the account database to obtain at least one of a password or a user ID for at least the first individual messaging account associated with the single user and the second individual messaging account associated with the single user;

performing an individual messaging account authorization that includes;

providing at least one of a first user ID or a first password to the first individual messaging account associated with the single user and providing at least one of a second user ID or a second password to the second individual messaging account associated with the single user, and

retrieving a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the messages that are sending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

44. A method of managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user, the method comprising:

authorizing access to a server based on user identification information;

accepting a user access request to access selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user are determined based on the user identification information;

individually gaining authorization to access the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the server provides the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user with account specific authorization information; and

retrieving a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

presenting a consolidated message list on a user interface, the consolidated message list including messages contained in the report, wherein the user interface comprises a first portion that lists the messages contained in the report and a second portion that lists one or more account indicators that indicate which of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts contains that corresponding messages from the first portion of the user interface.

46. A method of managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of email messaging accounts associated with a single user using a proxy server, the method comprising:

providing an account database for storing at least one of account-specific passwords or account-specific user IDs corresponding to the plurality of email messaging accounts associated with the single user;

receiving a user access request to access selected ones of the plurality of email messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of email messaging accounts associated with the single user are determined based on user identification information;

authorizing access to the proxy server based on the user identification information;

accessing an account database to obtain corresponding ones of the at least one of the account-specific passwords or the account-specific user IDs for the selected ones of the plurality of email messaging accounts associated with the single user;

matching the corresponding ones of the at least one of the account-specific passwords or the account-specific user IDs with the corresponding selected ones of the plurality of email messaging accounts associated with the single user;

individually gaining authorization to the selected ones of the plurality of email messaging accounts associated with the single user by providing the corresponding ones of the at least one of the account-specific passwords or the account-specific user IDs to the selected ones of the plurality of email messaging accounts associated with the single user; and

retrieving a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

47. A system for managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user using a proxy server, the system comprising:

authorization request receiving means for receiving an authorization request at a message access port on the proxy server, the authorization request including user identification information associated with the single user;

proxy server authorization means for performing authorization to enable access to the proxy server based on the user identification information;

account determining means for determining two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the user identification information that is associated with the single user;

retrieving means for retrieving at least one of account passwords or account user IDs for the two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user;

individual messaging account authorization means for performing authorization for the two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user by providing the two or more individual messaging accounts associated with the single user with corresponding ones of the at least one of the account passwords or the account user IDs; and

report retrieving means for retrieving a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

48. A system for managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user using a proxy server, the system comprising:

an account database means for storing at least one of passwords or user IDs corresponding to the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user;

a message access means that accepts a user access request for at least a first individual messaging account associated with the single user associated with the single user and a second individual messaging account, wherein the message access means receives the user access request at a message access port on the proxy server, and wherein the user access request includes user identification information;

a proxy server authorization means that performs an authorization based on the user identification information;

an accessing means that accesses the account database to obtain at least one of a password or a user ID for at least the first individual messaging account associated with the single user and the second individual messaging account associated with the single user;

an individual messaging account authorization means for performing authorization, the individual messaging account authorization means including;

providing means for providing at least one of a first user ID or a first password to the first individual messaging account associated with the single user and providing at least one of a second user ID or a second password to the second individual messaging account associated with the single user, and

report retrieving means for retrieving a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

49. A system for managing a plurality of messages stored in a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user, the system comprising:

a server authorization module that authorizes access to a server based on user identification information;

a message access port that accepts, at the server, a user access request to access selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user are determined based on the user identification information;

an individual account accessing module that individually gains authorization to access the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the server provides the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user with account specific authorization information; and

a report retrieving module that retrieves a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.

50. The system of claim 49 further comprising:

a consolidated message module that presents a consolidated message list on a user interface, the consolidated message list including messages contained in the report, wherein the user interface comprises;

a first portion that lists the messages contained in the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, and

a second portion that lists one or more account indicators that indicate which of the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user contains the corresponding messages from the first portion of the user interface.

51. A method of accessing a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with a single user individually using a single access request to a proxy server, the method comprising:

receiving an access request for accessing selected ones of a plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user and authorizing access to the proxy server;

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automatically retrieving pre-stored account authorization information for the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user;

individually authorizing the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user by providing the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user with the corresponding pre-stored authorization information; and

retrieving a report of messages that are pending on the selected ones of the plurality of individual messaging accounts associated with the single user, wherein the messages that are pending include one or more messages that are new and one or more messages that have been reported in a previous report.