Techniques for providing add-on services for an email system

• US 6,836,792 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trend Micro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trend Micro Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mirza, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US09/454,469
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/203, 709/223, 709/229, 709/226, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email transferred via a distributed computer network. The method includes receiving via the distributed computer network the email at an add-on service system. The method further includes ascertaining from the email whether a recipient of the email subscribes to at least one of the add-on services. If the recipient subscribes to the at least one of the add-on services, the method includes forming a post add-on service email, which includes performing, using the add-on service system, the at least one of the add-on services on at least a first portion of the email. Furthermore, the method includes forwarding the post add-on service email, after the performing, to the email system, thereby rendering the post add-on service email accessible to the recipient through the email system.

Claims

1. A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email message transferred via a distributed computer network, comprising:

receiving using SMTP protocol via said distributed computer network said email message at a destination email-system, wherein said destination email system comprises an email server through which said email message is received, ascertaining from said email message whether a recipient of said email message subscribes to at least one of said add-on services by consulting a user profile database, if the recipient of said email message subscribers to at least one of said add-on service system, at least one of said add-on services on said email message;

forwarding said email message to a relay point where a middle ware module is implemented to form a post add-on service email message;

forming a post add-on service email message by performing using said add-on service system, at least one of said add-on services on said email message;

forwarding using a SMTP protocol said post add-on service email message, after said forming step, to an email server of a destination email system that services the recipient;

rendering said post add-on service email message accessible to said recipient through said destination email system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said performing said at least one of said add on services at said add-on service system comprises incorporating an electronic advertisement into said post add-on service email prior to said forwarding.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said electronic advertisement is selected from the group consisting of an advertising banner, an audio file, and a video file.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the distributed computer network is the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said rendering said post add-on service email message accessible, comprises allowing an email front end to access said email through said destination email system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said email server of said destination email system comprises an SMTP server.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said destination email system is a legacy email system.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding said email message from said destination email system to said add-on service, wherein said forwarding stores said email message in said destination email system, and further comprising rendering said email message accessible to said recipient if said add-on service system fails.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said rendering said post add-on service email message accessible to said recipient comprises allowing an email front end to access said post add-on service email message through said destination email system.

14. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the recipient an option of selecting at least one add-on service;

providing the recipient the choice of at least two vendors for said at least one add-on service;

determining which add-on service has been selected by the recipient;

determining which vendor has been selected by the recipient; and

wherein the forwarding the email message to a relay point, comprises sending a first portion of the email message as an email message to the vendor selected by the recipient.

5. An add-on service system configured to provide add-on services to email messages transferred via a distributed computer network, sadi add-on service system being configured to be coupled to a destination email system through said distributed computer network, said add-on service system comprising:

a furst server configured to receive according to a SMPTP protocol, through said distributed computer network, an email message eventually destined for said destination email system, said email message including an address of said add-on service system and recipient identifier;

a first server configured to receive according to a SMTP protocol, through said distributed computer network, an email message eventually destined for said destination email system, said email messages including an address of said add-on service system and recipient identifier;

a first logic module, operatively coupled to receive said email message from said first server, for ascertaining whether a recipient of said email message subscribes to at lets one of said add-on service by consulting a user profile database;

If said first logic module ascertains that said recipient of said email message subscribes to at least one of said add-on services, forwarding said email message to a relay point where a middleware module is implemented to form a post add-on service email message; and

a second server, operatively coupled to receive said post add-on service email message from said middleware module, said second server being configured to forward said post add-on service email message to an email server of said destination email system using a SMTP protocol.

6. The add-on service system of claim 5 further including an advertisement insertion module configured to incorporate an electronic advertisement as part of said post add-on service email.

12. The add-on service system of claim 5 wherein said server is and SMTP server and said second server is an encapsulation module.

13. The add-on service system of claim 12 wherein said encapsulation module is able to provide MIME encapsulation.