METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRONIC MAIL

• US 20150134758A1
• Filed: 01/18/2015
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EveryMD LLC
• Original Assignee: Frank M Weyer, Troy K Javaher
• Inventors: WEYER, FRANK MICHAEL, JAVAHER, TROY KUROSH
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for e-mail communications with members of a group of members. In one or more embodiments, a server computer system determines whether a sender of an incoming e-mail message addressed to a recipient member of the group is a member of the group. If the sender is a member of the group, the server computer system replaces the senders existing e-mail address in the incoming e-mail message with a created e-mail address created by the server computer system for the sender.

Claims

1. A method for providing e-mail communications between a sender and a recipient member of a group comprising a plurality of members by a first computer system comprising the steps of:

said first computer system creating a first created e-mail address for said recipient member;

said first computer system receiving an incoming first e-mail message from a sending entity other than said first computer system comprising a first existing email address of a first sender addressed to said first created e-mail address of said recipient member;

after receiving said first e-mail message from said sending entity other than said first computer system, said first computer system determining that said first sender is a member of said group;

said first computer system creating a second created e-mail address for said first sender different from said first existing e-mail address and from said first created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a first modified e-mail message by replacing said first existing e-mail address in said incoming first e-mail message with said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system delivering said first modified e-mail message to said recipient member;

wherein said step of said first computer system delivering said first modified e-mail message to said recipient member comprises said first computer system sending said first modified e-mail message to a second existing e-mail address of said recipient member different from said first created e-mail address of said recipient member.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first created e-mail address for said recipient member comprises a name of said recipient member and further comprising the step of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message comprising said second existing e-mail address from a sending entity other than said first computer system member addressed to said second created e-mail address.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a second modified e-mail message by replacing said second created e-mail address in said second incoming e-mail message with said first existing e-mail address.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a second modified e-mail message by replacing said second created e-mail address in said second incoming e-mail message with said first existing e-mail address;

said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender;

said first computer system receiving a third incoming e-mail message addressed to said first created e-mail address from a second sender, said third incoming e-mail message comprising a third existing e-mail address of said second sender;

after receiving said third incoming e-mail message from said sending entity other than said first computer system, said first computer system determining that said second sender is not a member of said group;

said first computer system forwarding said third incoming e-mail message to said recipient member without replacing said third existing e-mail address of said second sender.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender, wherein said step of said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender comprises said first computer system sending said second modified e-mail message to said first existing e-mail address.

6. A method for providing e-mail communications between a sender and a recipient member of a group comprising a plurality of members by a first computer system comprising the steps of:

said first computer system creating a first created e-mail address for said recipient member;

said first computer system receiving an incoming first e-mail message from a sending entity other than said first computer system comprising a first existing email address of a first sender addressed to said first created e-mail address of said recipient member;

said first computer system determining from information in said first e-mail message that said first sender is a member of said group;

said first computer system creating a second created e-mail address for said first sender different from said first existing e-mail address and from said first created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a first modified e-mail message by replacing said first existing e-mail address in said incoming first e-mail message with said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system delivering said first modified e-mail message to said recipient member;

wherein said step of said first computer system delivering said first modified e-mail message to said recipient member comprises said first computer system sending said first modified e-mail message to a second existing e-mail address of said recipient member different from said first created e-mail address of said recipient member.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said first created e-mail address for said recipient member comprises a name of said recipient member and further comprising the step of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message from a sending entity other than said first computer system comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a second modified e-mail message by replacing said second created e-mail address in said second incoming e-mail message with said first existing e-mail address.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a second modified e-mail message by replacing said second created e-mail address in said second incoming e-mail message with said first existing e-mail address;

said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender;

said first computer system receiving a third incoming e-mail message addressed to said first created e-mail address from a second sender, said third incoming e-mail message comprising a third existing e-mail address of said second sender;

said first computer system determining from information in said third incoming e-mail message that said second sender is not a member of said group;

said first computer system forwarding said third incoming e-mail message to said recipient member without replacing said third existing e-mail address of said second sender.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender, wherein said step of said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender comprises said first computer system sending said second modified e-mail message to said first existing e-mail address.

11. A method for providing e-mail communications between a sender and a recipient member of a group comprising a plurality of members and for providing information about said members of said group by a first computer system comprising the steps of:

said first computer system storing information about said plurality of members in a database;

said first computer system creating a first created e-mail address for said recipient member;

said first computer system receiving an incoming first e-mail message from a sending entity other than said first computer system comprising a first existing email address of a first sender addressed to said first created e-mail address of said recipient member;

after receiving said first e-mail message from said sending entity other than said first computer system, said first computer system determining from information in said first e-mail message and said information in said database that said first sender is a member of said group;

said first computer system creating a second created e-mail address for said first sender different from said first existing e-mail address and from said first created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a first modified e-mail message by replacing said first existing e-mail address in said incoming first e-mail message with said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system delivering said first modified e-mail message to said recipient member;

wherein said step of said first computer system delivering said first modified e-mail message to said recipient member comprises said first computer system sending said first modified e-mail message to a second existing e-mail address of said recipient member different from said first created e-mail address of said recipient member.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said first created e-mail address for said recipient member comprises a name of said recipient member and further comprising the step of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message from a sending entity other than said first computer system comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a second modified e-mail message by replacing said second created e-mail address in said second incoming e-mail message with said first existing e-mail address.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

said first computer system receiving a second incoming e-mail message comprising said second existing e-mail address from said recipient member addressed to said second created e-mail address;

said first computer system creating a second modified e-mail message by replacing said second created e-mail address in said second incoming e-mail message with said first existing e-mail address;

said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender;

said first computer system receiving a third incoming e-mail message addressed to said first created e-mail address from a second sender, said third incoming e-mail message comprising a third existing e-mail address of said second sender;

after receiving said third incoming e-mail message from said sending entity other than said first computer system, said first computer system determining from information in said third incoming e-mail message and said information in said database that said second sender is not a member of said group;

said first computer system forwarding said third incoming e-mail message to said recipient member without replacing said third existing e-mail address of said second sender.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender, wherein said step of said first computer system delivering said second modified e-mail message to said first sender comprises said first computer system sending said second modified e-mail message to said first existing e-mail address.