Method and apparatus for bouncing electronic messages

• US 20040039843A1
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServStor Technologies, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Meyer Cordless LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fuisz, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• 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 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided that establishes user accounts that automatically forward a user'"'"'s e-mail to the user'"'"'s pre-selected forwarding e-mail address(es). Each user creates a forwarding directory, which may comprise multiple e-mail accounts, that the user activates and deactivates as needed.

Claims

1. A method of bouncing electronic messages comprising the steps of:

storing secondary account information for a primary account in a bounce database;

receiving an electronic message addressed to a primary account;

retrieving secondary account information corresponding to said primary account from said database; and

forwarding said electronic message to at least one secondary account corresponding to said retrieved secondary account information.

2. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of;

identifying an intended recipient and a sender; and

replacing the sender with a primary account address.

3. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 2 wherein said primary account address is a conversion type address.

8. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one secondary account comprises a first account and a second account.

9. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first account is an e-mail account and said second account is a non-internet account.

10. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 9 wherein said non-internet account is a pager account.

11. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 9 wherein said non-internet account is a cellular telephone account.

12. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 9 wherein said non-internet account is a digital telephone account.

13. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 9 wherein said non-internet account is a satellite telephone account.

14. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 9 wherein said non-internet account is a voicemail account.

15. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 9 wherein said non-internet account is a facsimile machine.

16. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

capturing a reply message in an audio file; and

sending said reply message to a sender of said electronic message.

17. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

determining the packet size of said forwarded electronic message.

18. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 17 further comprising the step of:

billing a sender of said electronic message based at least in part on said packet size of said forwarded electronic message.

19. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 17 further comprising the step of:

billing a primary account holder based at least in part on said packet size of said forwarded electronic message.

4. A method of bouncing electronic messages comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic message;

identifying intended recipient and sender information;

retrieving at least one secondary address corresponding to said intended recipient; and

replacing said intended recipient information with said at least one secondary address.

5. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

retrieving a primary account address associated with said sender information;

replacing said sender information with said primary account address.

6. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the step of:

comparing said intended recipient information against known primary accounts and

if said intended recipient information corresponds to a known primary account, retrieving associated secondary account information, and

if said intended recipient information corresponds to a conversion type address, retrieving an associated sender address.

7. The method of bouncing electronic messages as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

comparing said sender information against known primary accounts and

if said sender information corresponds to a primary account address, replacing said sender information with said primary account address,

if said sender information does not correspond to a primary account address, creating a conversion type address corresponding to said sender information and replacing said sender information with said conversion address.

20. An apparatus for bouncing electronic messages comprising:

a computer comprising an operating system and a bounce system capable of receiving, editing and sending e-mail; and

a database comprising primary account information and forwarding account information.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein said database comprises password information and filter information corresponding to said primary account information.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein at least one forwarding account comprises an enable function that is capable of enabling and disabling said forwarding account based on pre-selected date and time information.

23. An apparatus for bouncing electronic messages comprising:

a server operationally connected to the internet capable of receiving, modifying and sending e-mails;

a forwarding database operationally connected to said server;

non-internet server operationally connected to said server;

a format conversion database operationally connected to said non-internet server;

an account database operationally connected to said server.