System and method for cleansing addresses for electronic messages

• US 6,839,738 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Quine, Douglas B., Schumacher, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US09/751,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/226, 709/207, 709/205, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A method for correcting an e-mail message that has been determined as being undeliverable via a remote e-mail correcting computer having a unique e-mail address including the steps of prescribing at least one domain name address in the remote e-mail computer by a subscriber and prescribing at least one format for formatting e-mail addresses intended to be sent to the at least one domain name address. A ser then sends to the remote computer an e-mail message addressed to an intended e-mail address that was determined undeliverable. The remote computer receives this e-mail message from the senders computer that was addressed to an intended e-mail address. The intended e-mail address is parsed from the e-mail message in the remote computer to determine if the domain name address of the e-mail message has been prescribed with the remote computer. And, if yes, a message is sent to the senders computer indicating the prescribed at least one format for the parsed domain name address if the parsed domain name address has been prescribed with the remote computer.

Claims

1. A method for correcting an e-mail message that has been determined as being undeliverable via a remote e-mail correcting computer having a unique e-mail address, the method comprising the steps of:

prescribing at least one domain name e-mail address without having an e-mail username in the remote e-mail correcting computer by a subscriber;

prescribing at least one e-mail address format message for e-mail messages intended to be sent to the at least one domain name e-mail address;

prescribing a plurality of correct e-mail usernames for the prescribed domain name e-mail address in the remote e-mail correcting computer;

sending from a user'"'"'s computer to said remote e-mail correcting computer an undeliverable e-mail message addressed to an intended e-mail address;

receiving at said remote e-mail correcting computer from said user'"'"'s computer the undeliverable e-mail message addressed to the intended e-mail address;

parsing the intended e-mail address from the undeliverable e-mail message in said remote e-mail correcting computer to determine if the domain name address of the undeliverable e-mail message has been prescribed with said remote e-mail correcting computer;

determining in the remote e-mail computer if there is a closet match between one of the prescribed correct usernames with that of the username associated with the e-mail message sent to the remote computer; and

sending a message to the user'"'"'s computer containing the prescribed at least one e-mail address format message for the parsed domain name address if the parsed domain name address from said undeliverable e-mail message has been prescribed with said remote e-mail correcting computer.