Method and system for validating email from an internet application or website

• US 9,197,591 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Justemailus, LLC
• Original Assignee: Justemailus, LLC
• Inventors: Singer, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLDEMARIAM, AYELE F
• Application Number:
  US13/751,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

An improved method for controlling a computer device user'"'"'s email accessibility to an email receiver includes the steps of: (a) providing software configured to generate a unique email address link for use by the email sender, (b) configuring this email address link to include code that causes any email message created by the email sender to have included within it a token which identifies the email sender and causes the email server handling this message to communicate with the server on which the software is running for the purpose of receiving authorization from this server as to whether to deliver the email message to its intended receiver, and (c) establishing a set of rules which seeks to restrict the email message of spammers from being authorized for delivery to the email receiver.

Claims

1. An improved method that is performed by a subscription-service provider, in an environment of networked computing devices which include a server operated by said subscription-service provider, for controlling a computer device user'"'"'s or email sender'"'"'s accessibility to an intended email recipient and service subscriber who wants to screen out spammers from using an email address link that appears on a webpage of said intended email recipient and, when said email sender requests access to said webpage, said service provider responds by providing a version of said webpage that contains a unique version of said email address link for said email sender that enables an email program of said email sender to generate an email message from said email sender to said intended email recipient and then send said email message to an email server that is capable of delivering said email message to said intended email recipient, the improvements to said method comprising the steps of:

providing software configured to;

(a) run on said server of said subscription-service provider, (b) generate a unique email address link that does not require said email sender to perform any actions, other than requesting said access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient, in the generation of said unique email address link which appears on said version of said webpage of said intended email recipient, (c) create a database on said server of said subscription-service provider, and, (d) upon receiving said request for access to said webpage, with said email address link of said intended email recipient, from said email sender, collect and store in said database information from said email sender that identifies said email sender and the date and time when said request, for access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient, was made, and wherein said information collection and storage steps do not require said email sender to perform any additional actions,

configuring said unique email address link in said requested webpage to include a token that has a configuration adapted to uniquely identify said email sender and which for said identification does not require said email sender to perform any actions other than requesting said access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient,

configuring further said token so as to cause said email message generated by the email program of said email sender, when received by said email server, to have said email server communicate with said server of said subscription-service provider for the purpose of receiving authorization from said server of said subscription-service provider to deliver said email message to said intended email recipient, and wherein said authorization is achieved without requiring said email sender to perform any actions other than requesting said access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient,

establishing a set of rules that are configured for use by said server of said subscription-service provider and which utilize said database information to determine whether said email message having one of said included tokens will be authorized for delivery to said intended email recipient,

applying said set of rules to determine whether said email message of said email sender is authorized for delivery to said intended email recipient, and

communicating said email delivery determination to said email server so as to provide for the delivery of said email message to said intended email recipient.

2. The improved method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

configuring said set of rules to include the requirement that said information on the identity of said email sender be checked against specified criteria established to identify email spammers and that the email messages of such identified email spammers not be authorized for delivery to said intended email recipient.

3. The improved method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

further configuring said token so that said token contains information on the date and time that said request is made for access to said webpage, and

configuring said set of rules to include the requirement that said email not be delivered if the duration of time, between when said request for access to said webpage is received and when said server of said subscription-service provider receives email server communication seeking authorization to deliver said email message, exceeds a specified time period.

4. The improved method as recited in claim 3, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.

5. The improved method as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.

6. The improved method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

further configuring said token so that said token contains information on the date and time that said request is made for access to said webpage, and

configuring said set of rules to include the requirement that said email not be delivered if the duration of time, between when said request for access to said webpage is received and when said server of said subscription-service provider receives email server communication seeking authorization to deliver said email message, exceeds a specified time period.

7. The improved method as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.

8. The improved method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.

9. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, enable a networked server operated by subscription-service provider to control a computer device user'"'"'s or email sender'"'"'s accessibility to an intended email recipient and service subscriber who wants to screen out spammers from using an email address link that appears on a webpage of said intended email recipient and, when said email sender requests access to said webpage, said service provider responds by providing a version of said webpage that contains a unique version of said email address link for said email sender that enables an email program of said email sender to generate an email message from said email sender to said intended email recipient and then send said email message to an email server that is capable of delivering said email message to said intended email recipient, said instructions on said medium comprising the steps of:

generating a unique email address link that does not require said email sender to perform any actions, other than requesting said access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient, in the generation of said unique email address link which appears on said version of said webpage of said intended email recipient,

creating a database on said server of said subscription-service provider,

upon receiving said request for access to said webpage, with said email address link of said intended email recipient, from said email sender, collect and store in said database information from said email sender that identifies said email sender and the date and time when said request, for access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient, was made, and wherein said information collection and storage steps do not require said email sender to perform any additional actions,

configuring said unique email address link in said requested webpage to include a token that has a configuration adapted to uniquely identify said email sender and which for said identification does not require said email sender to perform any actions other than requesting said access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient,

configuring further said token so as to cause said email message generated by the email program of said email sender, when received by said email server, to have said email server communicate with said server of said subscription-service provider for the purpose of receiving authorization from said server of said subscription-service provider to deliver said email message to said intended email recipient, and wherein said authorization is achieved without requiring said email sender to perform any actions other than requesting said access to said webpage with said email address link of said intended email recipient,

establishing a set of rules that are configured for use by said server of said subscription-service provider and which utilize said database information to determine whether said email message having one of said included tokens will be authorized for delivery to said intended email recipient,

applying said set of rules to determine whether said email message having one of said included tokens will be is authorized for delivery to said intended email recipient, and

communicating said email message delivery determination to said email server so as to provide for the delivery of said email message to said intended email recipient.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said set of rules are configured to include the requirement that said information on the identify of said email sender be checked against specified criteria established to identify email spammers and that the email messages of such identified email spammers not be authorized for delivery to said intended email recipient.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein:

said token further configured so that said token contains information on the date and time that said request is made for access to said webpage, and

said set of rules configured to include the requirement that said email not be delivered if the duration of time, between when said request for access to said webpage is received and when said server of said subscription-service provider receives email server communication seeking authorization to deliver said email message, exceeds a specified time period.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 11, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said token further configured so that said token contains information on the date and time that said request is made for access to said webpage, and

said set of rules configured to include the requirement that said email not be delivered if the duration of time, between when said request for access to said webpage is received and when said server of said subscription-service provider receives email server communication seeking authorization to deliver said email message, exceeds a specified time period.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said computer device is a smart phone and said request for access to said webpage is generated by an application running on said smart phone.