SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GRANTING DEPOSIT-CONTINGENT E-MAILING RIGHTS

• US 20080071876A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buyerleverage Email Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Buyerleverage Email Solutions LLC
• Inventors: KORBA, Randy, LANDESMANN, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,756 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments

Abstract

An Email guarantee deposit method, system, and program product, with the method comprising in one embodiment, the steps of: receiving from a sender a request to send to a recipient an Email; receiving a deposit or an authorization to obtain a deposit of something of value; sending the Email to the recipient only if a deposit of authorization for a deposit is received; determining if the recipient has accepted the deposit; and if the recipient has accepted the deposit, then facilitating the disposal of the deposit. In an important alternate embodiment, a deposit can be required before an Email with a auditory or visual enhancement is provided, or before routing to a designated type of device occurs.

Claims

1. An Email guarantee method for operating a system, comprising:

the system receiving from a sender information associated with the sending of an Email to at least one human recipient;

the system receiving something of value from or on behalf of the sender or establishing control of a deposit guarantee associated with something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that is associated with the Email, at the same time as or prior to the sending of the email to the recipient;

after receipt of the information from the sender, electronically sending or sending in a particular manner the Email to a recipient inbox for the human recipient depending at least in part on whether or not the system has received the something of value from or on behalf of the sender or established control of the deposit guarantee associated with the something of value held or maintained on behalf of the sender, that is associated with the Email;

evaluating information generated after receipt of the Email by the recipient inbox, the information consistent with a decision by the human recipient to approve or disapprove the email, said decision having been made subsequent to the receipt of the Email by the recipient inbox; and

facilitating or not facilitating the taking of something of value or a benefit arising from the something of value consistent with the evaluating step only at a time subsequent to the receipt of the Email by the recipient inbox.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing to the recipient a facility for starting an electronic process to indicate approval or disapproval of the email, and wherein the evaluation is made based on the receiving or not receiving of information regarding whether or not the recipient has initiated the electronic process.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the taking in the facilitating taking step results in a loss by or on behalf of the sender of at least part of the value of the currency amount or of a right of refund to the currency amount.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the system receives information consistent with a designation by the recipient that one or more senders are allowed, and separately determining at least one class or type of senders that is allowed, and sending or sending in a particular manner exempt-emails from any sender that belongs to the plurality of allowed senders or who belongs in the at least one allowed class or type of senders regardless of whether or not something of value associated with the exempt-emails has been received.