E-mail to physical mail converter

• US 7,483,956 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, David LeRoy, Denney, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joo; Joshua
• Application Number:
  US10/758,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-206, 709/207, 709/215, 358/400, 358/401, 358/402, 358/407, 358/1.15, 705/1, 705/34, 705/40, 705/410, 715/752
• US Class Current: 709/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment convert e-mail into physical mail. In various embodiments, if a recipient identifier in the e-mail is an e-mail address, the recipient identifier is retained. But, if the recipient identifier in the e-mail is not an e-mail address, the recipient identifier, or a street address associated with the recipient identifier, is printed on an envelope, and the e-mail is also printed. Postage may also optionally be printed on the envelope. In this way, persons who do not have an e-mail address may still receive the contents of e-mail via physical delivery.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving by an e-mail application an e-mail from a client, wherein the e-mail comprises at least one recipient identifier, wherein the at least one recipient identifier identifies an intended recipient of the e-mail;

determining by the e-mail application whether each recipient identifier including the at least one recipient identifier in the e-mail that identifies the intended recipient of the e-mail comprises an e-mail address;

in response to the determining, for the each recipient identifier in the e-mail;

if a recipient identifier does not comprise an e-mail address, removing the recipient identifier that does not comprise an e-mail address from the e-mail, printing the e-mail, printing postage on an envelop, printing a street address associated with the recipient identifier on the envelop, and subtracting a cost of the postage from an account associated with an originator of the e-mail; and

if a recipient identifier does comprise an e-mail address, retaining the recipient identifier comprising the e-mail address in the email;

wherein the removing, the printing of the postage, the printing of the street address, the subtracting, and the retaining are performed by the email application; and

sending by the e-mail application the e-mail to recipient identifiers retained in the e-mail if any recipient identifier comprising an e-mail address is retained in the e-mail after the determining and the removing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the street address from an address book, wherein an entry in the address book is associated with the recipient identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient identifier comprises the street address.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether to perform the removing, the printing the e-mail, and the printing the street address based on an option associated with the address book.

5. A storage medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps comprising of:

receiving by an e-mail application an e-mail from a client, wherein the e-mail comprises at least one recipient identifier, wherein the at least one recipient identifier identifies an intended recipient of the e-mail;

determining by the e-mail application whether each recipient identifier including the at least one recipient identifier in the e-mail that identifies the intended recipient of the e-mail comprises an e-mail address;

in response to the determining, for the each recipient identifier in the e-mail;

if a recipient identifier does not comprise an e-mail address, removing the recipient identifier that does not comprise an e-mail address from the e-mail, printing the e-mail, printing postage on an envelop, printing a street address associated with the recipient identifier on the envelop, and subtracting a cost of the postage from an account associated with an originator of the e-mail; and

if a recipient identifier does comprise an e-mail address, retaining the recipient identifier comprising the e-mail address in the email;

wherein the removing, the printing of the postage, the printing of the street address, the subtracting, and the retaining are performed by the email application; and

sending by the e-mail application the e-mail to recipient identifiers retained in the e-mail if any recipient identifier comprising an e-mail address is retained in the e-mail after the determining and the removing.

6. The storage medium of claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining the street address from an address book, wherein an entry in the address book is associated with the recipient identifier.

7. The storage medium of claim 5, wherein the recipient identifier comprises the street address.

8. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

memory encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions execute steps comprising of;

receiving by an e-mail application an e-mail from a client, wherein the e-mail comprises at least one recipient identifier, wherein the at least one recipient identifier identifies an intended recipient of the e-mail;

determining by the e-mail application whether each recipient identifier including the at least one recipient identifier in the e-mail that identifies the intended recipient of the e-mail comprises an e-mail address;

in response to the determining, for the each recipient identifier in the e-mail;

if a recipient identifier does not comprise an e-mail address, removing the recipient identifier that does not comprise an e-mail address from the e-mail, printing the e-mail, printing postage on an envelop, printing a street address associated with the recipient identifier on the envelop, and subtracting a cost of the postage from an account associated with an originator of the e-mail, and

if a recipient identifier does comprise an e-mail address, retaining the recipient identifier comprising the e-mail address in the email;

wherein the removing, the printing of the postage, the printing of the street address, the subtracting, and the retaining are performed by the email application;

sending by the e-mail application the e-mail to recipient identifiers retained in the e-mail if any recipient identifier comprising an e-mail address is retained in the e-mail after the determining and the removing; and

determining whether to perform the removing, the printing the e-mail, and the printing the street address based on an option associated with an address book.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise:

obtaining the street address from the address book, wherein an entry in the address book is associated with the recipient identifier.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the recipient identifier comprises the street address.