Methods, systems, and products for indicating receipt of electronic mail

• US 7,346,662 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Holt, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/472,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival. The email message is received and identifies at least an addressee. The addressee is looked up in a database that associates multiple addressees to a shared Internet Protocol address. The shared Internet Protocol address is retrieved and a message is sent to the shared Internet Protocol address. The message identifies the addressee of the email message and includes instructions for indicating arrival of the message at the addressee.

Claims

1. A method for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival, said method comprising:

receiving the email message identifying at least an addressee;

looking up the addressee in a database, the database associating multiple addressees to a shared Internet Protocol address;

retrieving the shared Internet Protocol address;

sending a message to the shared Internet Protocol address, the message identifying the addressee of the email message, and the message including instructions for particularly indicating the arrival of the message to the addressee from amongst the multiple addressees sharing the Internet Protocol address;

sending an email address of a sender of the email message;

retrieving a distinctive ring tone associated with the addressee from multiple ring tones associated with the shared Internet Protocol address, the distinctive ring tone selected by the addressee to provide a distinctive notification despite different addressees associated with the shared Internet Protocol address; and

sending a signal to a directory number associated with the addressee to provide the distinctive notification of the email message'"'"'s arrival.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving a user name associated with the addressee.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a priority associated with the email message.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a date of receipt of the email message.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a time of receipt of the email message.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sending an email address of a sender of the email message.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring a filter that identifies email messages for which arrival is to be indicated.

8. A method for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival, said method comprising:

receiving a message addressed to a shared Internet Protocol address that is shared amongst multiple addressees, the message identifying an addressee of the email message and including instructions for indicating arrival of the email message to the addressee;

causing a notification that indicates the email message was received for the addressee;

retrieving a distinctive ring tone associated with the addressee from multiple ring tones associated with the shared Internet Protocol address, the distinctive ring tone selected by the addressee to provide a distinctive notification despite different addressees associated with the shared Internet Protocol address; and

sending a signal to a directory number associated with the addressee to provide the distinctive notification of the email message'"'"'s arrival.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a user name associated with the addressee.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising causing display of an icon associated with the user name.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a priority associated with the email message.

12. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a date of receipt of the email message.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a time of receipt of the email message.

14. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving an email address of a sender of the email message.

15. A system for delivering an indication of an email message'"'"'s arrival, said system comprising:

means for receiving the email message identifying at least an addressee,

means for looking up the addressee and associating multiple addressees to a shared Internet Protocol address,

means for retrieving the shared Internet Protocol address,

means for sending a message to the shared Internet Protocol address, the message identifying the addressee of the email message and including instructions for particularly indicating arrival of the message to the addressee from amongst the multiple addressees sharing the Internet Protocol address,

means for sending an email address of a sender of the email message,

means for retrieving a distinctive ring tone associated with the addressee from multiple ring tones associated with the shared Internet Protocol address, the distinctive ring tone selected by the addressee to provide a distinctive notification despite different addressees associated with the shared Internet Protocol address, and

means for sending a signal to a directory number associated with the addressee to provide the distinctive notification of the email message'"'"'s arrival.

16. A system according to claim 15, further comprising means for retrieving a user name associated with the addressee.

17. A system according to claim 15, further comprising means for sending a priority associated with the email message.

18. A system according to claim 15, further comprising means for sending a date of receipt of the email message.

19. A system according to claim 15, further comprising means for sending a time of receipt of the email message.