E-mail route trace functionality

• US 7,562,118 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gusler, Carl Phillip, Schatz, Harry, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Fellenstein, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/617,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/227, 709/229, 709/224, 709/240, 709/236, 705/400, 705/401
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

An example of a solution provided here comprises: in response to a request from an original sender, transmitting tracing notifications to the original sender, and providing limits for the tracing notifications. The tracing notifications operate when an e-mail message is forwarded to at least one non-original recipient.

Claims

1. A method for providing electronic mail (e-mail) services, said method comprising:

receiving from an original sender a request for tracing notifications, for an e-mail message;

in response to said request, creating at least one tag for said e-mail message, indicating that said original sender is to receive said tracing notifications;

receiving at a computing device of the original sender said tracing notifications from one or more non-original recipients in response to said e-mail message being forwarded by an original recipient to at least one non-original recipient; and

providing limits for said tracing notifications, wherein said providing limits further comprises;

limiting a number of retransmissions for which said tracing notifications operate, wherein limiting the number of retransmissions for which tracing notifications operate further comprises;

setting a maximum number of retransmissions for the email message,

incrementing an actual number of retransmissions of the email message each time the email message is forwarded from the original recipient to the one or more non-original recipients,

responsive to the actual number of retransmissions being less than or equal to the maximum number of retransmissions, transmitting the email message from the original recipient to the one or more non-original recipients, and

responsive to the actual number of retransmissions being more than the maximum number of retransmissions, refusing to transmit the email message from the original recipient to the one or more non-original recipients, and

limiting the content of said tracing notifications, wherein limiting the content of the tracing notifications transmitted to the original sender limits the content of the tracing notifications to only a name of the non-original recipient while excluding an e-mail address of the non-original recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to a user

a representation of said e-mail message,

together with information as to who has been provided with the content of said e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing and updating said information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting said tracing notifications to said original sender, from said at least one non-original recipient.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said transmitting tracing notifications further comprises transmitting one or more tracing notifications selected from a group consisting of:

notifications reporting that said message has been sent somewhere in some manner,

notifications reporting that the content of said message was provided to said at least one non-original recipient,

and notifications reporting deletion of said message.

6. A method for providing e-mail services, said method comprising:

in response to a request from an original sender, transmitting tracing notifications to a computing device of said original sender from one or more non-original recipients in response to an e-mail message being forwarded by an original recipient to at least one non-original recipient; and

providing limits for said tracing notifications, wherein said providing limits further comprises;

limiting a number of retransmissions for which said tracing notifications operate, wherein limiting the number of retransmissions for which tracing notifications operate further comprises;

setting a maximum number of retransmissions for the email message,

incrementing an actual number of retransmissions of the email message each time the email message is forwarded from the original recipient to the one or more non-original recipients,

responsive to the actual number of retransmissions being less than or equal to the maximum number of retransmissions, transmitting the email message from the original recipient to the one or more non-original recipients, and

responsive to the actual number of retransmissions being more than the maximum number of retransmissions, refusing to transmit the email message from the original recipient to the one or more non-original recipients, and

limiting the content of said tracing notifications, wherein limiting the content of the tracing notifications transmitted to the original sender limits the content of the tracing notifications to only a name of the non-original recipient while excluding an e-mail address of the non-original recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said transmitting tracing notifications further comprises:

signaling that the content of said e-mail message has been provided to said at least one non-original recipient.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said transmitting tracing notifications further comprises:

signaling that said e-mail message has been forwarded to said at least one non-original recipient.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing to a user

a representation of said e-mail message,

together with information as to who has been provided with the content of said e-mail message.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing and updating said information.