System and method for sorting e-mail using a vendor registration code and a vendor registration purpose code previously assigned by a recipient

• US 7,133,898 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/888,718
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/238, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for intelligently sorting e-mail comprises a client which downloads e-mails from a server. Prior to presenting the e-mails to the user, the client sorts the e-mail into classifications based upon whether the e-mail is from a personal contact, i.e. someone that that the user knows, whether the e-mail is from a commercial vendor from whom the user has indicated that he or she wishes to accept commercial e-mail, or whether the e-mail is from an unknown source. The client presents the e-mails to the user in these classifications.

Claims

1. A method of sorting e-mail, comprising:

receiving an e-mail from an e-mail source;

identifying whether the e-mail has a vendor registration code for identifying a vendor from whom the e-mail was forwarded;

identifying whether the e-mail has a vendor registration purpose code for identifying the purpose of the e-mail, wherein the vendor registration purpose code includes one or more classes of purposes related to the e-mail, the classes including at least one of the following;

promotions, billing, and advertising;

if the e-mail has a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail source and the e-mail has a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by a recipient to the e-mail source, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails having vendor registration codes; and

if the e-mail does not have a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail source or the e-mail does not have a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by the recipient to the e-mail source, sending a message to the e-mail source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of presenting the e-mail with other e-mails having vendor registration codes further comprises presenting the e-mail with other e-mails having the same vendor registration code and vendor registration purpose code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying whether the e-mail has a registration code further comprises identifying the username from which the email was forwarded and the source from which the e-mail was forwarded.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising

identifying whether the username and source identify a valid contact;

and

if the username and source identify a valid contact, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails having a username and source identifying a valid contact.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising

identifying a source category corresponding to the source identified for the e-mail;

and

presenting the e-mail along with others that were received from the source category.

6. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon for implementing the method of claim 1.

7. A method of sorting e-mails, comprising:

receiving an e-mail from an e-mail source;

if the e-mail is from a source that is identified in a contact list, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails received from sources identified in the contact list;

if the e-mail has a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail source and the e-mail has a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by a recipient to the e-mail source, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails received from sources registered to forward e-mails, wherein the vendor registration purpose code includes one or more classes of purposes related to the e-mail, the classes including at least one of the following;

promotions, billing, and advertising; and

if the e-mail does not have a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to, the e-mail source or the e-mail does not have a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by the recipient to the e-mail source, sending a message to the e-mail source.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if the e-mail is not from a source that is identified in a contact list and the e-mail does not have a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails that are not from a source that is identified in a contact list and do not have a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein presenting the e-mail with other e-mails that are not from a source that is identified in a contact list and do not have a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail comprises presenting the e-mail with other e-mails from the same source category.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising parsing the e-mail to identify at least one of the following:

a username from whom the e-mail was forwarded; and

a source from which the e-mail was forwarded.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing the username and source to the contact list to determine if the e-mail is from a source that is identified in the contact list.

12. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for performing the method recited in claim 7.

13. A method of registering an e-mail source to forward e-mail to a user, comprising:

storing a vendor registration code for the e-mail source;

storing a vendor registration purpose code for the e-mail source;

forwarding the vendor registration code to the e-mail source;

forwarding the vendor registration purpose code to the e-mail source;

if an e-mail is received from the e-mail source having the vendor registration code and vendor registration purpose code assigned by a recipient therein, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails having a vendor registration code, wherein the vendor registration purpose code includes one or more classes of purposes related to the e-mail, the classes including at least one of the following;

promotions, billing, and advertising; and

if an e-mail is received from the e-mail source not having the vendor registration code or the vendor registration purpose code assigned by the recipient therein, sending a message to the e-mail source.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

presenting the e-mail with other e-mails having the vendor registration purpose code.

15. A system for sorting e-mails, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, wherein said processor is operable to perform the following acts;

receive an indication that an e-mail has been received from an e-mail source;

if the e-mail source is identified in a contact list, presenting the e-mail with other emails received from sources identified in the contact list;

if the e-mail has a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e mail source and the e-mail has a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by a recipient to the e-mail source, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails received from sources registered to forward e-mails, wherein the vendor registration purpose code includes one or more classes of purposes related to the e-mail, the classes including at least one of the following;

promotions, billing, and advertising; and

if the e-mail does not have a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail source or the e-mail does not have a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by the recipient to the e-mail source, sending a message to the e-mail source.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is operable to perform the following act:

if the e-mail source is not from a source that is identified in a contact list and not from a source that is registered to forward e-mails, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails that are not from a source that is identified in a contact list and not from a source that is registered to forward e-mails.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said processor is operable to perform the following act:

presenting the e-mail with other e-mails that are not from a source that is identified in a contact list and not from a source that is registered to forward e-mails comprises presenting the e-mail with other e-mails from the same source category.

18. A method of sorting e-mails, comprising:

receiving an e-mail from an e-mail source;

if the e-mail has a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail source and the e-mail has a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by a recipient to the e-mail source, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails received from sources registered to forward e-mails wherein the vendor registration purpose code includes one or more classes of purposes related to the e-mail the classes including at least one of the following;

promotions, billing, and advertising; and

if the e-mail does not have a vendor registration code that was previously assigned to the e-mail source or the e-mail does not have a vendor registration purpose code that was previously assigned by the recipient to the e-mail source, sending a message to the e-mail source.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

if the e-mail does not have a vendor registration code, presenting the e-mail with other e-mails that are not from a source that is registered to forward e-mails.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein presenting the e-mail with other e-mails that are not from a source that is registered to forward e-mails comprises presenting the e-mail with other e-mails from the same source category.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising parsing the e-mail to identify at least one of the following:

a username from whom the e-mail was forwarded; and

a source from which the e-mail was forwarded.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining using the vendor registration code whether the e-mail is from a source registered to forward e-mails.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining using the vendor registration purpose code whether the e-mail is from a source registered to forward e-mails.