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Method and apparatus for utilizing portable e-mail addresses

a technology of e-mail addresses and portable devices, applied in the field of methods, can solve problems such as system failure to address problems and user's email address changing

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-11-08
IBM CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0051] As described above, the invention improves the efficiency of a conventional email forwarding system by eliminating the need to send the same email message multiple times, improves security by minimizing the number of intermediate servers some email messages traverse, lessens administrative overhead and server load at some email providers that regularly perform email address forwarding, such as universities that maintain student forwarding addresses, and improves the reliability of email addresses by avoiding loss of service when a forwarding service goes out of business or discontinues operations.

Problems solved by technology

One problem that arises from implementing this email address format is that the user's email address will change if the email account is hosted by another provider.
However, such systems fail to address problems which arise in a dynamic environment where service providers and email servers are subject to change.

Method used

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  • Method and apparatus for utilizing portable e-mail addresses

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0016] In exemplary embodiments of the invention there are described an apparatus and method for providing virtual or portable email addresses that do not require change should the user switch email providers or hosting services. The exemplary embodiments provide a mechanism to allow the portability of email addresses without regard to the email provider or network domain name. In contrast to existing provider-based email forwarding systems, the invention provides email forwarding absent a reliance on a particular hosting system or Internet service provider (ISP). Typical email forwarding provides a work-around to the problem of address portability but relies on a forwarding service to be operational to prevent the interruption of service. A typical email forwarding service accepts email messages at one address and then simply retransmits the messages, including their attachments, to another email address. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the invention translates the em...

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PUM

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Abstract

A signal bearing medium tangibly embodies a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations comprising receiving an email message having an extended email address encoded virtual address, resolving said address to an actual email address, replacing the virtual address with the actual email address, and transmitting said email message.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention generally concerns electronic mail and electronic mail systems, and more particularly concerns a method and apparatus for enabling the portability of email addresses on the Internet. BACKGROUND [0002] Electronic mail has become an important communications medium that few can do without. Today's global business climate requires users to contact each other across continents and time zones, to conduct business transactions, and to share information. Email allows users to send or receive communications anytime, day or night, whether or not the recipient is immediately available. The recipient simply checks their email when it becomes convenient. [0003] Internet email is addressed with industry standard syntax that specifies the user name separated by the ‘@’ sign, followed by the domain name of the user's email provider or email server. The general form is user@domain. The domain portion of an e-mail address is specified by the Internet Servi...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G06F15/16
CPCH04L29/12584H04L51/28H04L61/2596H04L51/48
Inventor CARDONE, RICHARD J.MASTRIANNI, STEVEN J.TIWARI, ALPANA
Owner IBM CORP
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