System and method for forwarding electronic messages
First Claim
1. A method to forward messages in an organization having an e-mail system wherein messages that are sent to a departed member'"'"'s e-mail address are forwarded to a successor member'"'"'s e-mail address, the method comprising the steps of:
- associating the departed member'"'"'s disfavored e-mail address with the successor member'"'"'s e-mail address as a corresponding forwarding address in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that the message will be forwarded, to a message originator; and
waiting until a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the message originator before initiating the forwarding step and forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for forwarding an e-mail message addressed to a first disfavored e-mail address to a second preferred forwarding e-mail address. A message is received at an e-mail forwarding computer, the message identifying the first disfavored e-mail address. The e-mail forwarding computer parses the first e-mail address from the message to determine if there is a second preferred forwarding e-mail address associated with the first e-mail address. If there is a second e-mail address associated with the first e-mail address, the e-mail forwarding computer sends the e-mail message to a third computer associated with the second e-mail address.
141 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method to forward messages in an organization having an e-mail system wherein messages that are sent to a departed member'"'"'s e-mail address are forwarded to a successor member'"'"'s e-mail address, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating the departed member'"'"'s disfavored e-mail address with the successor member'"'"'s e-mail address as a corresponding forwarding address in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that the message will be forwarded, to a message originator; and
waiting until a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the message originator before initiating the forwarding step and forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising:
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receiving an e-mail message from an originator to an e-mail address at an e-mail system server for an e-mail service provider;
determining at the e-mail system server that the e-mail address is undeliverable;
returning the undeliverable message to the originator;
including a prompt, along with the returned undeliverable message from the e-mail system server to the originator, to send the undeliverable message to the electronic address for an e-mail forwarding computer wherein the prompt comprises an activatable link to automatically send the undeliverable message to the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer.
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61. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer including;
receiving a forwarding address request indicating a disfavored e-mail address;
sending an address change confirmation request to the disfavored e-mail address;
receiving an address change confirmation response;
authenticating the address change confirmation response; and
storing the forwarding e-mail address and associated disfavored e-mail address for the forwarding address request for which an authenticated address change confirmation response is received;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address;
identifying unverified forwarding e-mail addresses for which no authenticated address change confirmation response was received;
when the received message includes a disfavored e-mail address with an unverified forwarding e-mail address, sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that an unverified forwarding e-mail address has been determined, to a message originator; and
waiting until a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the message originator before initiating the forwarding step.
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62. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer including;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address;
linking an address domain name to at least one forwarding rule wherein the step of associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses further includes;
identifying the address domain name of a disfavored e-mail address to be associated;
determining whether the identified address domain name has a linked forwarding rule;
determining whether associating the disfavored e-mail address with a corresponding forwarding address is in accordance with the linked forwarding rule; and
aborting the association of the disfavored e-mail address with the corresponding forwarding address if it is not in accordance with the associated forwarding rule.
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63. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address; and
linking an address domain name to at least one forwarding rule wherein the step of forwarding further includes;
identifying the address domain name of a disfavored e-mail address to be forwarded;
determining whether the identified address domain name has a linked forwarding rule; and
formatting the portion of the message to be forwarded in accordance with the linked forwarding rule.
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64. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address;
linking an address domain name to at least one forwarding rule;
identifying the address domain name of a disfavored e-mail address to be forwarded;
determining whether the identified address domain name has a linked forwarding rule; and
sending a return message to a message originator in accordance with the linked forwarding rule.
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65. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address;
linking an address domain name to at least one forwarding rule;
identifying the address domain name of a disfavored e-mail address to be forwarded;
determining whether the identified address domain name has a linked forwarding rule; and
wherein the step of forwarding includes forwarding the portion of the message in accordance with the linked forwarding rule.
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66. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer, including;
registering an organization e-mail system with the e-mail forwarding computer;
uploading domain name information for the organization e-mail system to the e-mail forwarding computer;
uploading e-mail address format information for the organization e-mail system to the e-mail forwarding computer; and
uploading organization member e-mail address change information for the organization e-mail system to the e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address; and
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address.
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67. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that the message will be forwarded, to a message originator;
waiting until a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the message originator before initiating the forwarding step;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address;
receiving an e-mail message at an e-mail system server for an e-mail service provider;
determining at the e-mail system server that the e-mail message is undeliverable;
automatically redirecting the undeliverable e-mail message to the electronic address of the e-mail forwarding computer, the undeliverable e-mail message becoming the received message at the e-mail forwarding computer.
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68. A method to forward messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating a plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses with corresponding forwarding e-mail addresses in an e-mail forwarding computer;
providing an electronic address for receiving messages at the e-mail forwarding computer, said messages relating to any of the plurality of disfavored e-mail addresses;
receiving said messages at the electronic address;
identifying, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a disfavored e-mail address in a received message, the disfavored e-mail address being other than the electronic address for the e-mail forwarding computer;
determining, with the e-mail forwarding computer, a forwarding e-mail address associated with the disfavored e-mail address;
sending a forward confirmation request, indicating that the message will be forwarded, to a message originator;
waiting until a forwarding confirmation authorization is received from the message originator before initiating the forwarding step;
forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address;
sending an e-mail message from an originator to an e-mail address at an e-mail system server for an e-mail service provider;
determining at the e-mail system server that the e-mail address is undeliverable;
returning the undeliverable message to the originator; and
sending the undeliverable e-mail message from the originator to the e-mail forwarding computer whereby the undeliverable message becomes the received message at the e-mail forwarding computer.
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Specification