Method for determining a correct recipient for an undeliverable e-mail message

• US 20020087647A1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Turnpike Data Processing LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Quine, Douglas B., Schumacher, Karl H.
• Application Number:
  US10/016,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087647A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A method for directing an e-mail message to a correct recipient, the method including identifying a domain portion and a unique identifier portion of the e-mail address. For the domain, a predetermined list of corresponding e-mail addresses, and related information, associated with that domain will have been generated. The identifier portion is compared to the list of e-mail addresses and addressee information for the domain portion. If the identifier portion, or information submitted about the intended recipient, for the e-mail address is found to be consistent with one of the listed e-mail addresses for the domain, a sender of the e-mail message is notified. If the e-mail address is not found to be consistent with any of the known listed addresses for the domain, then e-mail address correction procedures may be performed on the e-mail address. The method may also include an e-mail forwarding capability in conjunction with address correction capabilities.

Claims

1. A method for directing an undeliverable e-mail message to a correct recipient, the e-mail message having an e-mail address, the method comprising:

identifying a domain in the e-mail address;

identifying an identifier portion of the e-mail address;

comparing the identifier portion to records for predetermined e-mail recipients associated with the domain to determine whether the identifier portion is consistent with the record of any of the predetermined e-mail recipients, the records being different than the identifier portion; and

if the identifier portion is consistent with the record for a first e-mail recipient associated with the domain, indicating to a sender of the e-mail message that the first email recipient has been found.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein if the identifier portion is not consistent with the records for the predetermined e-mail recipients, the method further comprising:

performing e-mail address correction on the e-mail address to determine a suggested corrected e-mail address; and

providing the suggested corrected e-mail address to a sender of the e-mail message.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further including:

sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that the e-mail message will be forwarded to the first e-mail recipient, to the sender of the e-mail message; and

forwarding the e-mail message to the first e-mail recipient when a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the sender of the e-mail message.

4. A method for directing an undeliverable e-mail message to a correct recipient, the e-mail message having an e-mail address, the method comprising:

associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses;

comparing the e-mail address to the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses; and

if the e-mail address matches one of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses, forwarding at least a portion of the e-mail message to a corresponding forwarding e-mail address; and

if the e-mail address does not match one of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses, then

identifying a domain in the e-mail address;

identifying an identifier portion of the e-mail address;

comparing the identifier portion to records for predetermined e-mail recipients associated with the domain to determine whether the identifier portion is consistent with the record of any of the predetermined e-mail recipients; and

if the identifier portion is consistent with the record for a first email recipient associated with the domain, indicating to a sender of the email message that the first e-mail recipient has been found.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein if the e-mail address does not match one of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses and if the identifier portion is not consistent with the record for an e-mail recipient, then the method further including:

performing e-mail address correction on the e-mail address to determine a suggested corrected e-mail address; and

providing the suggested corrected e-mail address to a sender of the e-mail message.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein if the identifier portion is consistent with the record for a first e-mail recipient associated with the domain, further including the steps of:

sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that the e-mail message will be forwarded to the first e-mail recipient, to the sender of the e-mail message; and

forwarding the e-mail message to the first e-mail recipient when a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the sender of the e-mail message.

7. A method for directing an undeliverable e-mail message to a correct recipient, the e-mail message having an e-mail address, the method comprising:

identifying a domain in the e-mail address;

receiving recipient information regarding the correct recipient to whom the message is intended at the e-mail address, recipient information being other than an identifier portion of the e-mail address;

comparing the recipient information to a list of predetermined e-mail recipients associated with the domain portion to determine if the recipient information matches any of the predetermined e-mail recipients for the domain;

indicating to a sender of the e-mail message that the correct recipient has been identified at the domain.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further including the steps of:

sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that the e-mail message will be forwarded to the correct recipient, to the sender of the e-mail message; and

forwarding the e-mail message to the correct recipient when a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the sender of the e-mail message.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the recipient information is the name of the correct recipient.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of receiving recipient information includes deriving the recipient information from content of the e-mail message.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein if the recipient information does not match any of the predetermined e-mail recipients for the domain, the method further comprising:

performing e-mail address correction on the e-mail address to determine a suggested corrected e-mail address; and

providing the suggested corrected e-mail address to a sender of the e-mail message.