Systems and methods for an e-mail clearing house

• US 20040054734A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Quenton Lanier
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Systems and methods provide e-mail forwarding by receiving a first message from a first e-mail system, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system; associating the first message previously addressed to the first e-mail account with a second e-mail account address; forwarding the first message to the second e-mail account address; and arranging for an incentive to be shared between the first e-mail system and a forwarding system that receives the first message.

Claims

1. An e-mail clearing house server, comprising:

a memory with a look-up table;

a network connection to a first and a second e-mail system; and

a processor operative to;

receive a first message from the network connection to the first e-mail system, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associate the first message with a second e-mail account address on the second e-mail system;

forward the first message to the second e-mail system with the second e-mail account address; and

arrange a fee payment between the first e-mail system and the e-mail clearing house server.

2. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 1, wherein the processor uses the look-up table stored in the memory to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

3. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 2, wherein the processor uses the look-up table to associate the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

4. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

send a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receive a response from the second e-mail account address; and

forward the first message to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

5. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

send a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receive a response from the second e-mail account address; and

send the second e-mail account address to a sender of the first message if indicated by the response.

6. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

send a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receive a response from the second e-mail account address; and

block the first message from being sent to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

7. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to provide a portion of the fee payment to the first e-mail system as an incentive to forward the first message to the e-mail clearing house server.

8. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to receive the fee payment and share the fee payment with the first e-mail system.

9. The e-mail clearing house server of claim 8, wherein the processor arranges for the fee payment and receives contact information to arrange to share the fee payment with the first e-mail system during a registration process.

10. The e-mail clearing house of claim 7, wherein the portion of the fee payment varies based upon a time period that a user desires for the first message to be forwarded to the second e-mail account address.

11. A method for forwarding electronic mail, comprising:

receiving a first message from a first e-mail system, the first message being previously addressed to a first e-mail account address on the first e-mail system;

associating the first message with a second e-mail account address;

forwarding the first message to the second e-mail account address; and

arranging an incentive to be shared between the first e-mail system and a forwarding system that receives the first message.

12. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 11, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first message and the second e-mail account address.

13. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 12, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

14. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 11, wherein the forwarding step further comprises:

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

forwarding the first message to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

15. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 11, wherein the forwarding step further comprises:

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

sending the second e-mail account address to a sender of the first message if indicated by the response.

16. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 11, wherein the forwarding step further comprising:

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address about the first message;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

blocking the first message from being sent to the second e-mail account address if indicated by the response.

17. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 11, wherein arranging the incentive includes paying a fee to the first e-mail system and the fee is shared between the first e-mail system and the forwarding system.

18. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 11, wherein arranging the incentive includes paying a fee to the forwarding system and the fee is shared between the forwarding system and the first e-mail system.

19. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 18, wherein a user arranges to pay the fee to the forwarding system and provides contact information to arrange to share the fee with the first e-mail system during a registration process.

20. The electronic mail forwarding method of claim 11, wherein arranging the incentive includes varying the incentive based upon a time period that a user desires for the first message to be forwarded to the second e-mail account address.

21. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a set of instructions for forwarding electronic mail, which when executed perform steps comprising:

receiving an e-mail originally sent to a first e-mail account address on a first e-mail system;

associating the e-mail with a second e-mail account address on a second e-mail system;

forwarding the e-mail to the second e-mail account address; and

arranging a fee payment between the first e-mail system and a forwarding system that receives the e-mail.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the associating step further comprises using a look-up table to generate the association between the first account address and the second e-mail account address.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the look-up table associates the first e-mail account address and a third e-mail account address with the second e-mail account address.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the forwarding step further comprises:

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address requesting permission to forward the e-mail;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

forwarding the e-mail to the second e-mail account address if permission is granted to forward the e-mail in the response.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the forwarding step further comprises:

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address requesting permission to forward the e-mail;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

sending the second e-mail account address to a sender of the e-mail if indicated in the response.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the forwarding step further comprises:

sending a notification message to the second e-mail account address requesting permission to forward the e-mail;

receiving a response from the second e-mail account address; and

blocking the e-mail from being sent to the second e-mail account address if permission to forward the e-mail is denied in the response.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising arranging a portion of the fee payment to be shared with the first e-mail system as an incentive to forward the e-mail to the forwarding system.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein arranging the portion of the fee payment to be shared with the first e-mail system includes determining an amount for the portion, based on a period of time that the e-mail is to be forwarded to the second e-mail account address.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein arranging the fee payment includes making the fee payment to the forwarding system and the fee payment is shared with the first e-mail system.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein a user arranges the fee payment with the forwarding system and provides contact information to share the fee payment with the first e-mail system during a registration process.

31. A method for registering a user for e-mail forwarding, comprising:

receiving a first and a second e-mail account address;

registering the user by associating the first e-mail account address on a first e-mail system with the second e-mail account address on a second e-mail system; and

receiving payment for registering the user.

32. The method for registering a user for e-mail forwarding of claim 31, further providing an incentive to the first e-mail system to forward e-mails sent to the first e-mail account address.