System for, and method of, providing the transmission, receipt and content of a reply to an electronic message

• US 8,484,706 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPost Communications Limited (RPost International Limited)
• Original Assignee: RPost Communications Limited (RPost International Limited)
• Inventors: Tomkow, Terrance A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelagay, Shewaye
• Application Number:
  US12/767,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• 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 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

A server transmits a message from a sender to a recipient. The server receives from the recipient an attachment relating to the message route between the server and the recipient. The server transmits to the sender the message and the attachment and their encrypted digital fingerprints and expunges the transmitted information. To subsequently authenticate the message and the attachment, the sender transmits to the server what the server has previously transmitted to the sender. The server then prepares a digital fingerprint of the message and decrypts the encrypted digital fingerprint of the message and compares these digital fingerprints. to authenticate the message. The server performs the same routine with the attachment and the encrypted digital fingerprint of the attachment to authenticate the attachment the recipient replies to the sender'"'"'s message through the server. The server records proof of the delivery and content of the reply to the sender and the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of providing proof of the transmission, receipt and content of a reply manually initiated by a recipient of an electronic message to the sender of the electronic message, comprising:

assigning a unique identification to a message received by a server from a sender, the server being displaced from an intended recipient of the message;

storing the unique identification of the message in a database;

adding a clickable link to the message;

transmitting the message from the server to the recipient;

generating a manually initiated reply to the message at the recipient, the manually initiated reply being initiated by the recipient by clicking on the link included in the message;

receiving the manually initiated reply at the server, the reply including a request from the recipient to receive proof of transmission or delivery of the reply;

transmitting the manually initiated reply to the sender; and

providing proof of the transmission or delivery of the reply to the sender to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the reply from the recipient is provided on the basis of the unique identification of the message by the server.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein

the reply by the recipient provides for an identification of each of a plurality of recipients on the basis of individual identifications related to the unique identification of the message and wherein

the message from the sender to the recipient is provided in a particular format at the server and wherein

the link added to the message by the server includes a fictional destination address and wherein

the destination address is at the server and wherein

a database associated with the server stores the identity of the message and the identity and address of the sender and wherein

the reply includes an identification of the message and the name and address of the sender and wherein

the server parses the message and the name and address of the sender from the fictional destination address and directs the reply to the sender at the sender'"'"'s address.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein

the reply by the recipient provides for an identification of each of a plurality of recipients on the basis of individual identifications related to the unique identification of the message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

the message from the sender to the recipient is provided in a particular format at the server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

the link added to the message by the server includes a fictional destination address and wherein

the destination address is at the server and wherein

a database associated with the server stores the identity of the message and the identity and address of the sender and wherein

the reply includes an identification of the message and the name and address of the sender and wherein

the server parses the message and the name and address of the sender from the fictional destination address and directs the reply to the sender at the sender'"'"'s address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein clicking on the link invites the recipient to post a reply on a web site in communication with the server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reply from the recipient is stored on the server.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein clicking on the link displays a page or form to the recipient displaying information to the recipient and also configured to receive second information from the recipient to be included in the reply;

further comprising forming the reply from at least a portion of information displayed to the recipient and at least a portion of the information received from the recipient; and

transmitting the reply formed from the at least a portion of the information displayed to the recipient and the at least a portion of the information received from the recipient to the sender.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying in a web page associated with the page or form displayed to the recipient upon manually clicking on the link in the message the reply formed from the at least a portion of the information displayed to the recipient and the at least a portion of the information received from the recipient to the server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply from the recipient is stored on the server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the proof of transmission or delivery of the reply to the sender includes at least a portion of information received by the server when the recipient clicked on the link included in the message.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising associating the at least a portion of information received by the server when the recipient clicked on the link included in the message with additional information stored at the server related to the at least a portion of the information received by the server when the recipient clicked on the link.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting the message by the sender on the server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the recipient is automatically generated when the recipient clicks on the link included in the message.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the recipient to receive proof of transmission or delivery of the reply is specifically added to the reply by the recipient.

17. A method of transmitting a message from a sender to a recipient through a server displaced from the recipient, including the steps at the server of:

receiving the message at the server from the sender,

providing the message with a unique identification by the server,

providing the sender with a unique identification related to the unique identification of the message by the server,

transmitting the message from the server to the recipient,

adding a clickable link in the message,

storing the unique identification of the message and the sender including an address of the sender in a database by the server,

initiating a reply to the message by the recipient clicking on the link in the message, the reply including a request from the recipient to receive proof of transmission or delivery of the reply to the sender by the server,

receiving the reply at the server,

locating in the database by the server the identification of the message and the sender using the unique identification in the reply,

transmitting to the sender the reply by the recipient to the sender, and

providing proof of the transmission or delivery of the reply to the sender by the server to the recipient.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein

the reply by the recipient provides for an identification of each of a plurality of recipients on the basis of individual identifications related to the individual identification of the message.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the request from the recipient is automatically generated when the recipient clicks on the link included in the message.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the request from the recipient to receive proof of transmission or delivery of the reply is specifically added to the reply by the recipient.

21. A system for providing proof of the transmission, receipt and content of a reply manually initiated by a recipient of an electronic message to the sender of the electronic message, comprising:

a server displaced from an intended recipient of a message, the server comprising a memory and a processor, said processor programmed using software commands to;

receive the message from a sender,

assign a unique identification to the message,

store the unique identification of the message in a database on a memory associated with the server,

add a clickable link to the message,

transmit the message from the server to the recipient,

respond to a command generated when the recipient manually clicks on the link included in the message by performing a selected action to facilitate a reply to the message by the recipient, the manual click on the link also indicating a request from the recipient to receive proof of transmission or delivery of the reply sent to the sender, and

respond to the request by the recipient to provide the proof of the transmission or delivery of the reply to the sender.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the selected action performed by the server is generation of a reply to the sender.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein

the reply is provided on the basis of the unique identification of the message by the server.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein

the reply provides for an identification of each of a plurality of recipients on the basis of individual identifications related to the unique identification of the message.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein

the reply provides for an identification of each of a plurality of recipients on the basis of individual identifications related to the unique identification of the message and wherein

the message from the sender to the recipient is provided in a particular format at the server and wherein

the link added to the message by the server includes a fictional destination address and wherein

the destination address is at the server and wherein

a database associated with the server stores the identity of the message and the identity and address of the sender and wherein

the reply includes an identification of the message and the name and address of the sender and wherein

the server parses the message and the name and address of the sender from the fictional destination address and directs the reply to the sender at the sender'"'"'s address.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the reply is stored in a memory in communication with the server.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the selected action performed by the server is to display a window on a web site controlled by the server to the recipient, the window including an invitation to the recipient to reply to the sender.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein

the message from the sender is provided in a particular format at the server.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein

the link added to the message by the server includes a fictional destination address and wherein the selected action is the generation of a reply to the sender and wherein

the destination address is at the server and wherein

the database stores the identity of the message and the identity and address of the sender and wherein

the reply includes an identification of the message and the name and address of the sender and wherein

the server parses the message and the name and address of the sender from the fictional destination address and directs the reply to the sender at the sender'"'"'s address.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the selected action performed by the server is to:

display a page or form to the recipient displaying information to the recipient, the page or form also configured to receive second information from the recipient to be included in the reply, form the reply from at least a portion of information displayed to the recipient and at least a portion of the information received from the recipient, and

transmit the reply formed from the at least a portion of the information displayed to the recipient and the at least a portion of the information received from the recipient to the sender.

31. The system claim 30, wherein the selected action performed by the server further includes displaying in a web page associated with the page or form displayed to the recipient upon manually clicking on the link in the message the reply formed from the at least a portion of the information displayed to the recipient and the at least a portion of the information received from the recipient to the server.

32. The system claim 21, wherein the proof of transmission or delivery of the reply to the sender includes at least a portion of information received by the server when the recipient clicked on the link included in the message.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the server further associates the at least a portion of information received by the server when the recipient clicked on the link included in the message with additional information stored at the server related to the at least a portion of the information received by the server when the recipient clicked on the link.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the message is received from the sender when the message is composed by the sender on the server.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the request from the recipient is automatically generated when the recipient clicks on the link included in the message.

36. The system of claim 21, wherein the request from the recipient to receive proof of transmission or delivery of the reply is specifically added to the reply by the recipient.