System and method for granting deposit-contingent e-mailing rights

• US 7,725,546 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Buyerleverage Email Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: BuyerLeverage
• Inventors: Landesmann, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): ISMAIL, SHAWKI SAIF
• Application Number:
  US11/037,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 709206-207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

An Email guarantee deposit method, system, and program product, with the method comprising in one embodiment, the steps of: receiving from a sender a request to send to a recipient an Email; receiving a deposit or an authorization to obtain a deposit of something of value; sending the Email to the recipient only if a deposit of authorization for a deposit is received; determining if the recipient has accepted the deposit; and if the recipient has accepted the deposit, then facilitating the disposal of the deposit. In an important alternate embodiment, a deposit can be required before an Email with a auditory or visual enhancement is provided, or before routing to a designated type of device occurs.

Claims

1. An Email guarantee system, comprising:

one or more computers, configured with programming or hardwiring to perform the following steps;

receiving electronically by a network, from a sender first information associated with the sending of at least one email to at least one human recipient inbox of a human recipient;

determining electronically, whether or not, or the extent to which, the sender has an accepted sender status, said accepted sender status based at least in part on, or derived at least in part from, electronic prior-email-feedback-information resulting at least in part from the one or more computers in the system, or one or more computers in one or more other systems;

having received or having received among them if more than one system, electronically from the sender, prior-email-information associated with the sending electronically of at least one prior-email to at least one other-human-recipient-inbox of an other-human recipient;

having electronically made a prior-determination whether something of value had been received from or on behalf of the sender or control of a deposit guarantee associated with something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that is associated with the prior-email, had been established, said prior-determination having been made at the same time as or prior to the sending of the prior-email to the other-human-recipient-inbox;

after receipt of the prior-email-information from the sender, having electronically sent or electronically sent in a privileged-manner the prior-email to the other-human-recipient-inbox for the at least one other human recipient depending at least in part on whether or not the system, or the one or more other systems, had made the prior-determination that the something of value had been received from or on behalf of the sender or that control of the deposit guarantee associated with the something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that was associated with the prior-email, had been established;

having evaluated electronically the prior-email-feedback-information generated after receipt of the prior-email by the other-human-recipient-inbox, the prior-email-feedback-information information consistent with a decision by the at least one other human recipient to approve or disapprove the prior-email, said decision having been made subsequent to the receipt of the prior-email by the at least one other-human-recipient-inbox; and

having facilitated electronically the taking or not taking the something of value or a benefit arising from the something of value consistent with or based at least in part on the evaluating step only at a time subsequent to the receipt of the prior-email by the other-human-recipient-inbox; and

,

sending or sending in a privileged-manner the email based at least in part on the determination; and

further comprising;

evaluating electronically, second information, generated after receipt of the email by the one human recipient inbox, the second information consistent with a decision by the human recipient to approve or disapprove the email, said decision having been made subsequent to the receipt of the email by the recipient inbox; and

facilitating electronically the use of data from said evaluating the second information step to determine whether or not the accepted sender status of the sender should be changed or adjusted.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the something of value had an ascertainable market value.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the prior-something of value comprised money or a right, privilege or benefit obtained with a monetary expenditure made by or on behalf of the sender.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the prior-email would not have been sent or sent in a privileged manner but for the monetary expenditure.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the something of value comprised value associated with a credit obtained in consideration for payment of a currency amount made by or on behalf of the sender, and the taking in the facilitating taking step resulted or would have resulted in an at least partial loss by or on behalf of the sender of that value.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the taking or the facilitating the taking had or would have resulted in a loss of value that would have made the sending of the email uneconomical or significantly less economical for the sender.

7. The system as defined in claim 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the taking or the facilitating the taking had or would have resulted in a loss of value that would have made the sending of the email uneconomical or significantly less economical for the sender.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, further comprising the system, or the one or more other systems, having electronically provided to the other human recipient a facility for starting an electronic process to indicate approval or disapproval of the Email, and wherein the evaluation by the system, or the one or more other systems, was made based at least in part on the receiving or not receiving of second information regarding whether or not the recipient had initiated the electronic process.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, further comprising the one or more computers electronically providing to the recipient a facility for starting an electronic process to indicate approval or disapproval of the Email, and where the second information is obtained at least in part through the process.

10. The system as defined in claim 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, where the human recipient and the other-human recipient are the same person, and where the email is a commercial email.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, where all cited steps from which the electronic prior-email-feedback-information results are either performed or facilitated by one or more computers in the system.

12. An Email guarantee method for operating a system, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computers and a network, from a sender first information associated with the sending of at least one email to at least one human recipient inbox of a human recipient;

determining, by the one or more computers, whether or not, or the extent to which, the sender has an accepted sender status, said accepted sender status based at least in part on, or derived at least in part from, electronic prior-email-feedback-information resulting at least in part from one or more computers in the system, or one or more other systems;

having received or having received among them if more than one system, electronically from the sender, prior-email-information associated with the sending electronically of at least one prior-email to at least one other-human-recipient-inbox of an other-human recipient;

having electronically made a prior-determination whether something of value had been received from or on behalf of the sender or control of a deposit guarantee associated with something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that is associated with the prior-email, had been established, said prior-determination having been made at the same time as or prior to the sending of the prior-email to the other-human-recipient-inbox;

after receipt of the prior-email-information from the sender, having electronically sent or electronically sent in a privileged-manner the prior-email to the other-human-recipient-inbox for the at least one other human recipient depending at least in part on whether or not the system, or the one or more other systems, had made the prior-determination that the something of value had been received from or on behalf of the sender or that control of the deposit guarantee associated with the something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that was associated with the prior-email, had been established;

having evaluated electronically the prior-email-feedback-information generated after receipt of the prior-email by the other-human-recipient-inbox, the prior-email-feedback-information information consistent with a decision by the at least one other human recipient to approve or disapprove the prior-email, said decision having been made subsequent to the receipt of the prior-email by the at least one other-human-recipient-inbox; and

having facilitated electronically the taking or not taking the something of value or a benefit arising from the something of value consistent with or based at least in part on the evaluating step only at a time subsequent to the receipt of the prior-email by the other-human-recipient-inbox; and

,

sending or sending in a privileged-manner, by the one or more computers, the email based at least in part on the determination; and

further comprising;

evaluating, by the one or more computers, second information, generated after receipt of the email by the one human recipient inbox, the second information consistent with a decision by the human recipient to approve or disapprove the email, said decision having been made subsequent to the receipt of the email by the recipient inbox; and

facilitating, by the one or more computers, the use of data from said evaluating the second information step to determine whether or not the accepted sender status of the sender should be changed or adjusted.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the something of value had an ascertainable market value.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the prior-something of value comprised money or a right, privilege or benefit obtained with a monetary expenditure made by or on behalf of the sender.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the prior-email would not have been sent or sent in a privileged manner but for the monetary expenditure.

16. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the something of value comprised value associated with a credit obtained in consideration for payment of a currency amount made by or on behalf of the sender, and the taking in the facilitating taking step resulted or would have resulted in an at least partial loss by or on behalf of the sender of that value.

17. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the taking or the facilitating the taking had or would have resulted in a loss of value that would have made the sending of the email uneconomical or significantly less economical for the sender.

18. The method as defined in claim 13, 14, 15, or 16 wherein the taking or the facilitating the taking had or would have resulted in a loss of value that would have made the sending of the email uneconomical or significantly less economical for the sender.

19. The method as defined in claim 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, further comprising the system, or the one or more other systems, having electronically provided to the other human recipient a facility for starting an electronic process to indicate approval or disapproval of the Email, and wherein the evaluation in the system, or the one or more other systems, was made based at least in part on the receiving or not receiving of second information regarding whether or not the recipient had initiated the electronic process.

20. The method as defined in claim 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, further comprising providing to the recipient, by the one or more computers, a facility for starting an electronic process to indicate approval or disapproval of the Email, and where the second information is obtained at least in part through the process.

21. The method as defined in claim 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, where the human recipient and the other-human recipient are the same person, and where the email is a commercial email.

22. The method as defined in claim 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, where all cited steps from which the electronic prior-email-feedback-information results are either performed or facilitated by one or more computers in the system.

23. An Email guarantee program product, comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media having computer readable program code stored therein or among them if more than one computer-readable storage medium, to be executed by a computer, the computer-readable program code comprising;

program code for receiving from a sender first information associated with the sending of at least one email to at least one human recipient inbox of a human recipient;

program code for determining whether or not, or the extent to which, the sender has an accepted sender status, said accepted sender status based at least in part on, or derived at least in part from, electronic prior-email-feedback-information resulting at least in part from one or more computers in one or more systems;

having received or having received among them if more than one system, electronically from the sender, prior-email-information associated with the sending electronically of at least one prior-email to at least one other-human-recipient-inbox of an other-human recipient;

having electronically made a prior-determination whether something of value had been received from or on behalf of the sender or control of a deposit guarantee associated with something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that is associated with the prior-email, had been established, said prior-determination having been made at the same time as or prior to the sending of the prior-email to the other-human-recipient-inbox;

after receipt of the prior-email-information from the sender, having electronically sent or electronically sent in a privileged-manner the prior-email to the other-human-recipient-inbox for the at least one other human recipient depending at least in part on whether or not the one or more systems had made the prior-determination that the something of value had been received from or on behalf of the sender or that control of the deposit guarantee associated with the something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that was associated with the prior-email, had been established;

having evaluated electronically the prior-email-feedback-information generated after receipt of the prior-email by the other-human-recipient-inbox, the prior-email-feedback-information information consistent with a decision by the at least one other human recipient to approve or disapprove the prior-email, said decision having been made subsequent to the receipt of the prior-email by the at least one other-human-recipient-inbox; and

having facilitated electronically the taking or not taking the something of value or a benefit arising from the something of value consistent with or based at least in part on the evaluating step only at a time subsequent to the receipt of the prior-email by the other-human-recipient-inbox; and

,

program code for sending or sending in a privileged-manner the email based at least in part on the determination; and

further comprising;

program code for evaluating second information, generated after receipt of the email by the one human recipient inbox, the second information consistent with a decision by the human recipient to approve or disapprove the email, said decision having been made subsequent to the receipt of the email by the recipient inbox; and

program code for facilitating the use of data from said evaluating the second information step to determine whether or not the accepted sender status of the sender should be changed or adjusted.

24. The program product as defined in claim 23, wherein the something of value had an ascertainable market value.

25. The program product as defined in claim 23, wherein the prior-something of value comprised money or a right, privilege or benefit obtained with a monetary expenditure made by or on behalf of the sender.

26. The program product as defined in claim 25, wherein the prior-email would not have been sent or sent in a privileged manner but for the monetary expenditure.

27. The program product as defined in claim 23, wherein the something of value comprised value associated with a credit obtained in consideration for payment of a currency amount made by or on behalf of the sender, and the taking in the facilitating taking step resulted or would have resulted in an at least partial loss by or on behalf of the sender of that value.

28. The program product as defined in claim 23, wherein the taking or the facilitating the taking had or would have resulted in a loss of value that would have made the sending of the email uneconomical or significantly less economical for the sender.

29. The program product as defined in claim 24, 25, 26, or 27, wherein the taking or the facilitating the taking had or would have resulted in a loss of value that would have made the sending of the email uneconomical or significantly less economical for the sender.

30. The program product as defined in claim 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, or 28, further comprising the one or more systems having electronically provided to the other human recipient a facility for starting an electronic process to indicate approval or disapproval of the Email, and wherein the evaluation by the one or more systems was made based at least in part on the receiving or not receiving of second information regarding whether or not the recipient had initiated the electronic process.

31. The program product as defined in claim 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, or 28, further comprising program code for providing to the recipient a facility for starting an electronic process to indicate approval or disapproval of the Email, and where the second information is obtained at least in part through the process.

32. The program product as defined in claim 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, or 28, where the human recipient and the other-human recipient are the same person, and where the email is a commercial email.

33. The program product as defined in claim 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, or 28, where all cited steps from which the electronic prior-email-feedback-information results are either performed or facilitated by one or more computers in one system.