Electronic mail forwarding service

• US 8,214,443 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamburg, Keith Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US12/398,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 726/26
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed that enable an email service provider to implement an email forwarding service without losing associated page views. In one embodiment, rather than forwarding the entire email message, the email forwarding service generates a summary email message, and sends this summary email message to the forwarding email address pre-specified by the subscriber. This summary email message includes a link that is selectable by the user to view the original email message on a web site of the email service provider. Thus, even if the forwarding email address is hosted externally, the subscriber still views the full email message on a web site of the provider of the email forwarding service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing email message forwarding functionality, the method comprising:

providing a web-based email service for a plurality of subscribers, the web-based email service including a website for enabling subscribers to access email messages, the website generating revenue by displaying advertisements when a subscriber accesses email messages;

receiving and storing a first email message addressed to a first email address of a subscriber of the web-based email service, the first email message including a body section containing message content;

in response to receiving the first email message, automatically generating and sending, to a second email address pre-specified by the subscriber, a second email message that contains a textual summary of the first email message, the second email message lacking at least a portion of the message content of the first email message, wherein the second email message includes a link that is selectable by the subscriber to access the first email message from the website of the web-based email service, the link encoded with information that identifies the first email message; and

in response to the subscriber selecting the link in the second email message, serving, by the web-based email service, a web page containing the first email message, the web page further including at least one advertisement to generate advertising revenue for the website of the web-based email service even though the subscriber accessed the first email message through the link in the second email message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the link comprises encrypted information that identifies the first email message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page that contains the first email message and the at least one advertisement is served without requiring the subscriber to log in to an email account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the link, determining whether a threshold number of unsuccessful attempts to access the first email message have occurred.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second email message includes an additional link that is selectable by the subscriber to immediately cause the first email message to be deleted.

6. An email system programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program that embodies the method of claim 1.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the second email address is supported by an email service that is distinct from the web-based email service.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein the forwarding email address is supported by an email service that is distinct from the web-based email service.

8. A computer-implemented method of providing email message forwarding functionality, the method comprising:

providing a web-based email service for a plurality of subscribers, the web-based email service including a website for enabling subscribers to access email messages, the website generating revenue by displaying advertisements when a subscriber accesses email messages;

receiving and storing an original email message addressed to an original email address of a subscriber of the web-based email service, the original email message including a body section containing message content;

generating a forwarding email document comprising a summary of the original email message and a unique link for accessing the original email message from the website of the web-based email service, the summary lacking at least a portion of the message content of the original email message;

sending the forwarding email document to a forwarding email address of the subscriber; and

in response to the subscriber selecting the link in the forwarding email document, serving a web page containing the original email message, the web page further including at least one advertisement to generate advertising revenue for the website of the web-based email service even though the subscriber accessed the original email message through the link in the forwarding email document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique link comprises a URL that includes an identifier of the original email message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier is included in the URL in encrypted form.

11. The method of claim 8, the web page including the original email message and the at least one advertisement is served without requiring the subscriber to log in to an email account.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising, in response to user selection of the link, determining whether a threshold number of unsuccessful attempts to access the first email address have occurred.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the forwarding email message includes an additional link that is selectable by the user to immediately cause the original email message to be deleted.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which embodies the method of claim 8.

15. An email system programmed to perform the method of claim 8.

16. A system for providing email message forwarding functionality, the system comprising:

a web server that provides access to a web-based email application, the web-based email application allowing a plurality of subscribers to access email messages and to enable an email forwarding service, wherein the web server generates revenue by hosting a web site that displays advertisements when a subscriber accesses email messages; and

an email forwarding system that implements the email forwarding service, the email forwarding system being configured to;

responsive to receipt of a first email message addressed to a first email address of a subscriber of the web-based email application, generate a second email message; and

send the second email message to a second email address pre-specified by the subscriber, the second email message including a summary of the first email message, and further including a link that is selectable by the subscriber to access the first email message via the website of the web server,

wherein, in response to the subscriber selecting the link in the second email message, the web server provides instructions for displaying a web page containing the first email message, the web page further including at least one advertisement to generate advertising revenue even though the subscriber accessed the first email message through the link in the second email message.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the email forwarding system is configured to omits from the second email message at least some message content of the first email.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the link includes encoded information that identifies the first email message.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the second email address is supported by an email server that is distinct from the web server.

22. A computer-implemented method of providing electronic message forwarding functionality, the method comprising:

providing a web-based message service for a plurality of registered users, the web-based message service including a website for enabling registered users to electronically access messages, the website generating revenue by displaying advertisements when a registered user electronically accesses messages;

receiving and storing a first message addressed to a registered user of the web-based message service, the first message including a body section containing message content;

in response to receiving the first message, automatically generating and sending, to an email address pre-specified by the registered user, a second message that contains a textual summary of the first email, the second message lacking at least a portion of the message content of the first message, wherein the second message comprises an email with a body section that includes a link that is selectable by the registered user to electronically access the first message from the website of the web-based message service, the link encoded with information that identifies the first message; and

in response to the user selecting the link in the second message, serving a web page containing the first message, the web page further including at least one advertisement to generate advertising revenue for the website of the web-based message service even though the registered user accessed the first message through the link in the second message.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the link comprises encrypted information that identifies the first message.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the web page that contains the first message and the at least one advertisement is served without requiring the registered user to log in to the user'"'"'s email account.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising, in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the link, determining whether a threshold number of unsuccessful attempts to access the first message have occurred.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the second message includes an additional link that is selectable by the registered user to immediately cause the first message to be deleted.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the email address associated with the second message is supported by an email service that is distinct from the web-based message service.