System and method for verified delivery of e-mail messages

• US 8,484,294 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Schwab & Company Incorporated (Charles Schwab Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Charles Schwab & Company Incorporated (Charles Schwab Corporation)
• Inventors: Raneri, Michael, Chisaki, Paul, Funk, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Colin, Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqi, Mohammad A
• Application Number:
  US09/847,753
• Time in Patent Office: 4,451 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/218, 709/219, 709/206, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A system and method delivers e-mail messages if it can validate the master name server, MX record, or both for the mail domain in the address of the message. Otherwise, the message may be sent by alternate means, such as a message printed and mailed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of sending a message, comprising:

receiving a destination of the message to be sent after comparing at least some of the information received in response to at least one request for information about at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message, with a known set of information related to the at least the part of the destination of the message;

sending the at least one request for information about at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message;

receiving the information about the at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message responsive to the request;

comparing at least some of the received information about the at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message with a known set of information related to the at least the part of the destination of the message; and

sending the message responsive to the comparing step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises an IP address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is an e-mail message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one server comprises at least one selected from a master name server and a mail exchanger.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending the message step comprises:

responsive to the comparing step indicating at least some of the information received matches at least some of the known set of information, sending the message as an e-mail message; and

responsive to the comparing step indicating at least some of the information received does not match at least some of the known set of information, sending the message in a form other than an e-mail message.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the message other than an e-mail message comprises a printed message.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the information about the at least one server responsive to the request step comprises receiving at least one MX record.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the message comprises a confirmation of a trade of at least one security.

9. A system for sending a message, comprising:

a sender having an input operatively coupled for receiving a destination of the message to be sent after comparing at least some of the information received in response to at least one request for information about at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message, with a known set of information related to the at least the part of the destination of the message, the sender for sending at an input/output the at least one request for information about at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message received at the sender input, receiving at the input/output the information about the at least one server, and for providing at an output at least a portion of the information about the at least one server received and at least the portion of the destination;

at least one verifier, each having a first input coupled to the sender output for receiving the at least the portion of the information about the at least one server and the at least the portion of the destination, the at least one verifier for providing at an input/output the at least the portion of the destination and receiving at the verifier input/output a known set of information, the at least one verifier for comparing at least some of the information received with a known set of information related to the at least the part of the destination of the message and providing at an output an indication responsive to the comparison; and

wherein the sender additionally comprises at least one verification input coupled to each of the at least one verifier output for receiving the indication, the sender additionally for sending the message responsive to the indication received at each verification input.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the information comprises an IP address.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the message is an e-mail message.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one server comprises at least one selected from a master name server and a mail exchanger.

13. The system of claim 9:

wherein the sender sends the message as an e-mail responsive to at least one of said each indication indicating at least some of the information received matches at least some of the known set of information, the sender additionally for providing a signal at an alternate output responsive to at least one of said each indication indicating at least some of the information received does not match at least some of the known set of information; and

additionally comprising an alternate confirmation generator having an input coupled to the sender alternate output, the alternate confirmation generator for generating the message in a form other than an e-mail message responsive to the signal received at the alternate confirmation generator input.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the message other than an e-mail message comprises a printed message.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the information about the at least one server responsive to the request comprises at least one MX record.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the message comprises a confirmation of a trade of at least one security.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for sending a message, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

receive a destination of the message to be sent after comparing at least some of the information received in response to at least one request for information about at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message, with a known set of information related to the at least the part of the destination of the message;

send the at least one request for information about at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of the destination of the message;

receive the information about the at least one server responsive to the request;

compare at least some of the information received with a known set of information related to the at least the part of the destination of the message; and

send the message responsive to the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer to compare.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the information comprises an IP address.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the message is an e-mail message.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the at least one server comprises at least one selected from a master name server and a mail exchanger.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the non-transitory computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to send the message step comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to:

responsive to the comparing step, indicate at least some of the information received matches at least some of the known set of information, sending the message as an e-mail message; and

responsive to the comparing step, indicate at least some of the information received does not match at least some of the known set of information, sending the message in a form other than an e-mail message.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the message other than an e-mail message comprises a printed message.

23. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the information about the at least one server responsive to the request step comprises at least one MX record.

24. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the message comprises a confirmation of a trade of at least one security.

25. A computer implemented method of confirming a trade of at least one security, the method comprising:

receiving an order to trade the at least one security, the order to be confirmed by sending a message after comparing at least some of the information received in response to at least one request for information about at least one server that can be used for receiving the message and corresponding to at least a part of an e-mail address to which said confirmation may be sent, with a known set of information related to the at least the part of the destination of the message;

providing a request to execute the trade responsive to the order received;

receiving an indication of the trade, the trade having at least one price;

requesting a first set of information about a computer system corresponding to an e-mail address to which a confirmation of the trade may be sent;

receiving the first set of information responsive to the request;

providing a second set of information about the computer system corresponding to an e-mail address to which a confirmation of the trade may be sent; and

sending a confirmation of the trade, said confirmation comprising a number corresponding to the price, by sending at least one selected from an e-mail message and a message other than an e-mail message, said selection responsive to at least some of the information in the first set having a correspondence to at least some of the information in the second set.