Systems and methods for an e-mail clearing house

• US 7,155,523 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Quenton Lanier
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US11/380,699
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-207, 709213-219, 709227-229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Systems and methods provide e-mail forwarding by receiving a first message from a first e-mail system, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system; associating the first message previously addressed to the first e-mail account with a second e-mail account address; and forwarding the first message to the second e-mail account address.

Claims

1. An e-mail clearing house server, comprising:

a network connection for communicating with a first and a second e-mail system; and

a processor operative to;

receive a first message from the network connection, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associate the first message with a second e-mail account address on the second e-mail system;

send a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receive a response from the second e-mail account address; and

forward the first message to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

2. The email clearing house server of claim 1, further comprising a memory with a look-up table.

3. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 2, wherein the processor uses the look-up table stored in the memory to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

4. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 3, wherein the processor uses the look-up table to associate the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

5. An e-mail clearing house server, comprising:

a network connection for communicating with a first and a second e-mail system; and

a processor operative to;

receive a first message from the network connection, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associate the first message with a second e-mail account address on the second e-mail system;

forward the first message to the second e-mail system with the second e-mail account address;

send a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receive a response from the second e-mail account address; and

send the second e-mail account address to a sender of the first message if indicated by the response.

6. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 5, further comprising a memory with a look-up table.

7. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 6, wherein the processor uses the look-up table stored in the memory to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

8. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 7, wherein the processor uses the look-up table to associate the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

9. An e-mail clearing house server, comprising:

a network connection for communicating with a first and a second e-mail system; and

a processor operative to;

receive a first message from the network connection, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associate the first message with a second e-mail account address on the second e-mail system;

send a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receive a response from the second e-mail account address; and

block the first message from being sent to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

10. The email clearing house of claim 9, further comprising a memory with a look-up table.

11. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 10, wherein the processor uses the look-up table stored in the memory to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

12. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 11, wherein the processor uses the look-up table to associate the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

13. A method for forwarding electronic mail, comprising:

receiving a first message from a first e-mail system, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associating the first message with a second e-mail account address;

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

forwarding the first message to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

14. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 13, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

15. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 14, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

16. A method for forwarding electronic mail, comprising:

receiving a first message from a first e-mail system, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associating the first message with a second e-mail account address;

forwarding the first message to the second e-mail account address;

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

sending the second e-mail account address to a sender of the first message if indicated by the response.

17. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 16, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

18. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 17, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

19. A method for forwarding electronic mail, comprising:

receiving a first message from a first e-mail system, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associating the first message with a second e-mail account address;

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

blocking the first message from being sent to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

20. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 19, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

21. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 20, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

22. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a set of instructions for forwarding electronic mail, which when executed perform steps comprising:

receiving an e-mail originally sent to a first e-mail account address on a first e-mail system;

associating the e-mail with a second e-mail account address on a second e-mail system;

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address requesting permission to forward the e-mail;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

forwarding the e-mail to the second e-mail account address if permission is granted to forward the e-mail in the response.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first account address and the second e-mail account address.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

25. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a set of instructions for forwarding electronic mail, which when executed perform steps comprising:

receiving an e-mail originally sent to a first e-mail account address on a first e-mail system;

associating the e-mail with a second e-mail account address on a second e-mail system;

forwarding the e-mail to the second e-mail account address;

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address requesting permission to provide the second e-mail account address to a sender of the email;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

sending the second e-mail account address to the sender of the e-mail if permission is granted in the response.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first account address and the second e-mail account address.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

28. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a set of instructions for forwarding electronic mail, which when executed perform steps comprising:

receiving an e-mail originally sent to a first e-mail account address on a first e-mail system;

associating the e-mail with a second e-mail account address on a second e-mail system;

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address requesting permission to forward the e-mail;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

blocking the e-mail from being sent to the second e-mail account address if permission to forward the e-mail is denied in the response.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first account address and the second e-mail account address.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.