Method for providing address change notification in an electronic message forwarding system

• US 6,988,129 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Quine, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/994,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/219, 709/225, 709/203, 709/228, 713/170, 705/76
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for providing address change notification in an e-mail forwarding system by providing a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to recipients selected during registration in the e-mail forwarding system. The e-mail forwarding system operating when 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.

Claims

1. A method for providing notification of an e-mail address change and forwarding messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of subscribers for an e-mail forwarding service, the step of registering comprising;

identifying disfavored e-mail addresses of the subscribers;

identifying forwarding e-mail addresses of the subscribers;

identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients using the subscribers email address book;

sending a test message to the subscriber to confirm that the forwarding e-mail address is correct;

sending a test message to the subscriber to confirm that the forwarding e-mail address is correct;

sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to the identified one or more e-mail address change notification recipients; and

providing a description of the e-mail forwarding service in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification;

associating the disfavored e-mail addresses with the 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; and

forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of registering further comprises providing a link to a subscriber registration interface in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients further comprises selecting recipients from subscribers'"'"' e-mail address books.

4. A method for providing notification of an e-mail address change and forwarding messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of subscribers for an e-mail forwarding service, the step of registering comprising;

identifying disfavored e-mail addresses of the subscribers;

identifying forwarding e-mail addresses of the subscribers;

identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients;

sending a test message to the subscriber to confirm that the forwarding e-mail address is correct;

sending a test message to the subscriber to confirm that the forwarding e-mail address is correct;

sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to the identified one or more e-mail address change notification recipients; and

providing a description of the e-mail forwarding service in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification;

associating the disfavored e-mail addresses with the 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

sending a message including confirmation data relating to the forwarding of the received message.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of registering further comprises providing a link to a subscriber registration interface in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients further comprises selecting recipients from subscribers'"'"' e-mail address books.

7. A method for providing notification of an e-mail address change and forwarding messages to forwarding e-mail addresses, the method comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of subscribers for an e-mail forwarding service, the step of registering comprising;

identifying disfavored e-mail addresses of the subscribers;

identifying forwarding e-mail addresses of the subscribers;

identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients;

sending a test message to the subscriber to confirm that the forwarding e-mail is correct;

sending a pre-generated e-mail address change notification to the identified one or more e-mail address change notification recipients; and

providing a description of the e-mail forwarding service in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification;

associating the disfavored e-mail addresses with the 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 camputer, 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;

requesting permission to forward the received message from the sender; and

if permission is received, forwarding at least a portion of the received message from the e-mail forwarding computer to the associated forwarding e-mail address.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the step of registering further comprises providing a link to a subscriber registration interface in the pre-generated e-mail address change notification.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the step of identifying one or more e-mail address change notification recipients further comprises selecting recipients from subscribers'"'"' e-mail address books.