Verification scheme for email message containing information about remotely monitored devices
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring over a network a monitored device by a monitoring device using Internet electronic mail, the method comprising:
- receiving an electronic mail message by the monitoring device;
extracting, from a field of a header of the received electronic mail message, validation information;
determining, by the monitoring device based on a content of the validation information, whether or not a body of the electronic mail message includes at least one of status and configuration information of the monitored device;
extracting, from the body of the electronic mail message, the at least one of status and configuration information, when the determining step determines that the body of the electronic mail message includes the at least one of status and configuration information, and when the determining step determines that the body of the electronic mail message does not include the at least one of status and configuration information, parsing the body of the electronic mail message without extracting the at least one of status and configuration information; and
storing the extracted at least one of status and configuration information in a memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to sending control or monitoring information between two hardware devices utilizing email. Control information relating to either a first hardware device or a second hardware device is determined. This information is incorporated into an email message. Directing information for directing the control information is incorporated into the email message. Two hardware devices can then operate cooperatively over different remote networks. These networks only need to be compatible in the ability to exchange email for communication to persist between the two hardware devices. The control information and/or the directing information can be encrypted. The control information and/or the directing information can be encoded. In embodiments of the present invention the encoding map is encrypted.
52 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring over a network a monitored device by a monitoring device using Internet electronic mail, the method comprising:
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receiving an electronic mail message by the monitoring device; extracting, from a field of a header of the received electronic mail message, validation information; determining, by the monitoring device based on a content of the validation information, whether or not a body of the electronic mail message includes at least one of status and configuration information of the monitored device; extracting, from the body of the electronic mail message, the at least one of status and configuration information, when the determining step determines that the body of the electronic mail message includes the at least one of status and configuration information, and when the determining step determines that the body of the electronic mail message does not include the at least one of status and configuration information, parsing the body of the electronic mail message without extracting the at least one of status and configuration information; and storing the extracted at least one of status and configuration information in a memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 23)
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11. A monitoring device for monitoring over a network a monitored device using Internet electronic mail, the monitoring device configured to:
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receive an electronic mail message by the monitoring device; extract, from a field of a header of the received electronic mail message validation information; determine, based on a content of the validation information, whether a body of the electronic mail message includes at least one of status and configuration information of the monitored device; extract from the body of the electronic message the at least one of status and configuration information, when the monitoring device determines that the body of the electronic mail message includes the at least one of status and configuration information, and when the monitoring device determines that the body of the electronic mail message does not include the at least one of status and configuration information, to parse the body of the electronic mail message without extracting the at least one of status and configuration information; and store the extracted at least one of status and configuration information in a memory. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24)
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21. A monitoring device for monitoring over a network a monitored device using Internet electronic mail, the monitoring device comprising:
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means for receiving an electronic mail message by the monitoring device; means for extracting, from a field of a header of the received electronic mail message, validation information; means for determining, based on a content of the validation information, whether a body of the electronic mail message includes at least one of status and configuration information of the monitored device; means for extracting, from the body of the electronic message, the at least one of status and configuration information, when the means for determining determines that the body of the electronic mail message includes the at least one of status and configuration information, and when the means for determining determines that the body of the electronic mail message does not include the at least one of status and configuration information, for parsing the body of the electronic mail message without extracting the at least one of status and configuration information; and means for storing the extracted device information in a memory.
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22. A computer program product embodied on one or more storage media, the computer program product causing a monitoring device to perform the steps of:
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receiving an electronic mail message by the monitoring device; extracting, from a field of a header of the received electronic mail message, validation information; determining, based on a content of the validation information, whether a body of the electronic mail message includes at least one of status and configuration information of the monitored device; extracting, from the body of the electronic message, the at least one of status and configuration information, when the determining step determines that the body of the electronic mail message includes the at least one of status and configuration information, and when the determining step determines that the body of the electronic mail message does not include the at least one of status and configuration information, parsing the body of the electronic mail message without extracting the at least one of status and configuration information; and storing the extracted at least one of status and configuration information in a memory.
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Specification