Methods and systems for providing an electronic account to a customer

• US 8,352,551 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Campbell, Leo J., Cook, Jon L., Orbke, Wayne H., Ray, Christine, Rogerson, Cathy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US09/809,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,316 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/206, 709/207, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 710/3, 710/4, 707/100, 714/53, 340/354, 340/3, 379/221.14, 382/101, 382/102
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 : by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

An electronic account is provided to a customer to enable the customer to access electronic services, such as e-mail and electronic transactions. The electronic account links an electronic address of the customer to a physical address of the customer. Using the electronic account, electronic services can be provided to the customer at either the electronic or physical address, or both. The services can be both secure and non-secure and can be provided by any service provider, such as an online merchant, a government agency, or a bank.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a message to a user with a validated electronic account, comprising:

receiving the message directed to the user with the validated electronic account at a trusted destination mail server, wherein the validated account is associated with a digital certificate used to validate the identity of the user, and wherein the message includes an electronic address associated with the validated electronic account and a non-standardized physical address of the user;

determining a standardized physical address of the user from the electronic address received in the message at the destination mail server using an address database;

linking the standardized physical address to the validated electronic account, wherein the linking includes a delivery point identification (DPID) key;

linking an alternate electronic address to the validated electronic account, wherein the alternate electronic address is the user selected electronic mail address and a series of numbers representing a telephone number;

determining a preferred address of the user, wherein the preferred address is a temporary address and determined to be the alternate electronic address linked to the validated electronic account, the preferred address being one of the electronic address and the standardized physical address linked to the validated electronic account;

accepting a filtering selection from the user to determine types of messages to be filtered out;

filtering the message to determine that the message should be delivered to the user; and

delivering the message to the user at the preferred address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred address is the electronic address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred address is the standardized physical address.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising informing a sender of the message of the standardized physical address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the address database is a United States Postal Service address database.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein the validated electronic account was validated through identity validation of the user that included presentation of at least one form of personal identification physically presented to an actual person.

7. A computer-implemented system for delivering a message to a user with a validated electronic account, comprising:

at least one processor to;

accept a filtering selection from the user for to determine types of messages to be filtered out,

filter the message to determine that the message should be delivered to the user; and

a memory that stores computer executable software components, including;

a receiving component executable by the at least one processor to receive the message directed to the user with the validated electronic account at the computer, wherein the message includes an electronic address associated with the validated electronic account and a non-standardized physical address of the user, at least a portion of the electronic address utilized to identify the computer as a trusted mail server and wherein the validated account is associated with a digital certificate used to validate the identity of the user;

a determining component executable by the at least one processor to determine;

a standardized physical address of the user from the electronic address received in the message using an address database, and

a preferred address of the user, wherein the preferred address is a temporary address and determined to be the alternate electronic address linked to the validated electronic account, the preferred address being one of the electronic address and the standardized physical address linked to the validated electronic account;

a linking component executable by the at least one processor to;

link the standardized physical address of the user to the validated electronic account, wherein the linking includes a delivery point identification (DPID) key;

link an alternate electronic address to the validated electronic account, wherein the alternate electronic address is the user selected electronic mail address and a series of numbers representing a telephone number; and

a message delivering component executable by the at least one processor to deliver the message to the user at the preferred address.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the preferred address is the electronic address.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the preferred address is the standardized physical address.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the execution of a software component stored in memory by the at least one processor further informs the sender of the message of the standardized physical address.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the address database is a United States Postal Service address database.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for delivering a message to a user with a validated electronic account when executed by at least one processor, the computer-readable code comprising:

a receiving module that receives the message directed to the user with the validated electronic account, wherein the validated account is associated with a digital certificate used to validate the identity of the user, and wherein the message includes an electronic address associated with the validated electronic account and a non-standardized physical address of the user, at least a portion of the electronic address utilized to route the message to a trusted destination mail server, and wherein the message has been filtered out according to a filtering selection as a type of message to be delivered;

a determining module that determines;

a standardized physical address of the user from the electronic address received in the message using an address database, and

a preferred address of the user, wherein the preferred address is a temporary address and determined to be the alternate electronic address linked to the validated electronic account, the preferred address being one of the electronic address and the standardized physical address linked to the validated electronic account;

a linking module that;

links the standardized physical address of the user to the electronic account, wherein the linking includes a delivery point identification (DPID) key, and

links an alternate electronic address to the validated electronic account, wherein the alternate electronic address is the user selected electronic mail address and a series of numbers representing a telephone number; and

a message delivering module that delivers the message to the user at the preferred address.

13. A method for delivering a message to a user with a validated electronic account, comprising:

executing instructions stored in memory wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

receives the message directed to the user with the validated electronic account at a trusted destination mail server, wherein the validated account is associated with a digital certificate used to validate the identity of the user, and wherein the message includes an electronic address associated with the validated electronic account and a non-standardized physical address of the user, at least a portion of the electronic address utilized to identify the destination mail server;

determines a delivery point identification key using the electronic address received in the message at the destination mail server, wherein the delivery point identification key points to a location in an address database, the location associated with a standardized physical address of the user;

links the delivery point identification key to the validated electronic account;

links an alternate electronic address to the validated electronic account, wherein the alternate electronic address is the user selected electronic mail address and a series of numbers representing a telephone number;

determines a preferred address of the user, wherein the preferred address is a temporary address and determined to be the alternate electronic address linked to the validated electronic account, the preferred address being one of the electronic address and the standardized physical address retrieved from the address database through use of the delivery point identification key linked to the validated electronic account;

accepts a filtering selection from the user for to determine types of messages to be filtered out;

filters the message to determine that the message should be delivered to the user; and

delivers the message to the user at the preferred address.

14. A computer-implemented system for delivering a message to a user with a validated electronic account, comprising:

at least one processor to;

accept a filtering selection from the user for to determine types of messages to be filtered out,

filter the message to determine that the message should be delivered to the user; and

a memory that stores computer executable software components, including;

a receiving component executable by the least one processor to receive the message directed to the user with the validated electronic account, wherein the validated account is associated with a digital certificate used to validate the identity of the user, and wherein the message includes an electronic address associated with the validated electronic account and a non-standardized physical address of the user, at least a portion of the electronic address utilized to identify the computer as a trusted destination mail server; and

a determining component executable by the least one processor to determine;

a delivery point identification key using the validated electronic address received in the message at the destination mail server, wherein the delivery point identification key points to a location in an address database, the location associated with a standardized physical address of the user, and

a preferred address of the user, wherein the preferred address is a temporary address and determined to be the alternate electronic address linked to the validated electronic account, the preferred address being one of the electronic address and the standardized physical address retrieved from the address database through the use of the delivery point identification key linked to the validated electronic account;

a linking component executable by the least one processor to link the delivery point identification key to the validated electronic account and link an alternate electronic address to the validated electronic account, wherein the alternate electronic address is the user selected electronic mail address and a series of numbers representing a telephone number; and

a delivering component executable by the least one processor to deliver the message to the user at the preferred address.