System and method for re-routing of e-mail messages

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the re-routing of e-mail sent to a prior address (or an address that is non-working, or temporarily inconvenient) to the new address of an intended recipient. E-mail that is to be sent to a recipient is sent to the former Internet Service Provider (ISP). Because the recipient is no longer a subscriber to the old ISP, or because the address at the old ISP is temporarily inconvenient, the e-mail is re-routed to a re-route server of the present invention. The re-route server then causes the e-mail to be sent to the correct address through a variety of processes. Alternatively, new e-mail addresses are made available at the old ISP. The old ISP can then forward e-mail messages directly to the new ISP.

1 - 64 . (canceled)  
     
     
         65 . A method or re-routing e-mail so as to provide transition between providers via an independent re-route server, the method comprising: 
 a recipient registering with the re-route server that is independent of the recipient's old provider;    the re-route server sending a re-route request to the old provider;    the old provider receiving and processing the re-route request; and    the old provider re-routing e-mail for the recipient to a new provider after the receipt and processing of the re-route request.    
     
     
         66 . The method or re-routing e-mail of  claim 65 , wherein: 
 the re-route server sending a re-route request to the old provider further comprises the re-route server sending a new address for the recipient to the old provider.    
     
     
         67 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , wherein the new address for the recipient comprises the address of the new provider at which the recipient is located.  
     
     
         68 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , wherein the new address for the recipient comprises the address of the re-route server.  
     
     
         69 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , further comprising the old provider maintaining a “FROM” account for the recipient; 
 inserting a “.forward” file comprising a “to” account comprising the new address for the recipient; and    forwarding e-mail for the recipient to the new address when it is received at the old provider.    
     
     
         70 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , further comprising the old provider maintaining and aliasing a FROM account for the recipient with an alias entry comprising the new address for the recipient; and 
 forwarding e-mail for the recipient to the new address when it is received at the old provider.    
     
     
         71 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 70 , wherein the alias entry is stored in a look up table.  
     
     
         72 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , further comprising the old provider maintaining an X.500 database; 
 inserting a “to” account entry into the X.500 database comprising the new address of the recipient; and    forwarding e-mail to the new address when it is received at the old provider.    
     
     
         73 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , further comprising maintaining a DNS table to which the new address comprising a “to” account entry is written; and forwarding e-mail to the new address when the DNS table is accessed.  
     
     
         74 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , further comprising: 
 writing a “to” account comprising the new address for the recipient to a private alias file;    passing e-mail for other recipients whose addresses are not in the private alias file to e-mail software of the providers; and    forwarding e-mail for the recipient to the “to” account for the recipient.    
     
     
         75 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , wherein the new address for the recipient is in Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) format; and 
 further comprising forwarding e-mail for the recipient to the new address when it is received at the old provider.    
     
     
         76 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , further comprising: the re-route server generating a statistical record of the re-route request.  
     
     
         77 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 76 , wherein the generated statistical record includes information regarding the old provider and the new provider.  
     
     
         78 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 76 , wherein the generated statistical record includes information indicating customer chum.  
     
     
         79 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 76 , wherein the generated statistical record is added to an aggregated register of from and to data for a plurality of users.  
     
     
         80 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , wherein the old provider automatically forwards e-mail directed to an old address at the old provider to the new address, consistent with Simple-mail Transfer Protocol.  
     
     
         81 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 66 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP and the new provider comprises a new ISP.  
     
     
         82 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 receiving at a re-route server an e-mail addressed by the sender to a recipient, the overall e-mail address comprising an old address of the recipient at an old provider and a re-route extension to the e-mail address designating the re-route server;    checking at the re-route server to determine if the recipient is a re-route customer; and    forwarding the e-mail to a new address associated with the recipient if the recipient is a re-route customer.    
     
     
         83 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 82 , wherein the receiving and processing further comprises the re-route server checking if a re-route extension is present in the overall e-mail address; and 
 ceasing further processing if no re-route extension is present.    
     
     
         84 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 82 , further comprising passing the e-mail through to the old address if the recipient is not a re-route customer.  
     
     
         85 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 receiving, at a re-route server, a query from a sending computer for an e-mail address of a recipient;    determining, at the re-route server, if an e-mail address for the recipient is available;    forwarding from the re-route server e-mail sent by the sending computer to the recipient at the e-mail address, in the event that an e-mail address for the recipient is available.    
     
     
         86 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 85 , wherein the query comprises a query under the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).  
     
     
         87 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 receiving, at a re-route server, a query from a sending computer for an e-mail address of a recipient;    determining, at the re-route server, if an e-mail address for the recipient is available;    in the event that an e-mail address for the recipient is available, the re-route server providing such address to the sending computer for the sending computer to re-address the e-mail to the recipient at the e-mail address.    
     
     
         88 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 87 , wherein the query comprises a query under the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).  
     
     
         89 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 obtaining assignment of mail exchange authority from an old provider to a re-route server;    receiving, at the re-route server, e-mail addressed to subscribers at the old provider;    comparing the addresses of the subscribers to a re-route customer list, the re-route customer list comprising new e-mail addresses for re-route customers;    forwarding from the re-route server e-mail addressed to re-route customers to the new e-mail addresses; and    passing the e-mail through the re-route server to the old provider if the subscriber is not a re-route customer.    
     
     
         90 . A method for re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 creating a mail exchange re-route directory in a re-route server comprising an entry for a recipient's new e-mail address mapped to an old e-mail address of the recipient;    periodically distributing the re-route directory from the re-route server to providers for forwarding e-mail from the old e-mail address of the recipient to the new e-mail address of the recipient, the e-mail being addressed to the recipient using the user portion and the fully qualified domain name portion of the e-mail address.    
     
     
         91 . A method for re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 creating a mail exchange re-route directory in a re-route server comprising an entry for a recipient's new e-mail address mapped to an old e-mail address of the recipient;    periodically distributing updates to the re-route directory from the re-route server to providers for forwarding e-mail from the old e-mail address of the recipient to the new e-mail address of the recipient, the e-mail being addressed to the recipient using the user portion and the fully qualified domain name portion of the e-mail address.    
     
     
         92 . An apparatus for handling, through a network, an e-mail message addressed by a sender to an address at an old provider, the apparatus comprising: 
 a re-route server connected to the network, the re-route server comprising:    a processor; and    a memory, in addressable communication with the processor, the memory embodying software instructions adapted to enable the processor to perform:    registering, at a re-route server, a request from an e-mail recipient tore-route the recipient's e-mail;    accessing and downloading to the re-route server e-mail for the recipient stored at the old provider; and    forwarding the downloaded e-mail from the re-route server to a new address for the recipient.    
     
     
         93 . The apparatus of  claim 92 , wherein the software instructions are further adapted to enable the processor to perform: 
 transmitting from the re-route server a sender notification to senders of the e-mail being forwarded.    
     
     
         94 . The apparatus of  claim 93 , wherein the sender notification includes the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         95 . The apparatus of  claim 93 , wherein the sender notification includes an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         96 . The apparatus of  claim 93 , wherein the sender notification includes only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         97 . The apparatus of  claim 92 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         98 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 registering, at a re-route server, a request from an e-mail recipient to re-route the recipient's e-mail;    sending the re-route request from the re-route server to an old provider;    receiving at the re-route server e-mail for the recipient that was bounced by the old provider when the recipient no longer has an e-mail address at the old provider;    forwarding the bounced e-mail to a new address for the recipient; and    transmitting from the re-route server a sender notification to senders of the e-mail being forwarded.    
     
     
         99 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 98 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         100 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 98 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         101 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 98 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         102 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 98 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         103 . An apparatus for handling, through a network, an e-mail message addressed by a sender to an address at an old provider, the apparatus comprising: 
 a re-route server connected to the network, the re-route server comprising:    a processor; and    a memory, in addressable communication with the processor, the memory embodying software instructions adapted to enable the processor to perform:    registering, at the re-route server, a request from an e-mail recipient to re-route the recipient's e-mail;    sending the re-route request from the re-route server to the old provider;    receiving at the re-route server e-mail for the recipient that was bounced by the old provider when the recipient no longer has an e-mail address at the old provider;    forwarding the bounced e-mail to a new address for the recipient; and    transmitting from the re-route server a sender notification to senders of the e-mail being forwarded.    
     
     
         104 . The apparatus of  claim 103 , wherein the sender notification includes the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         105 . The apparatus of  claim 103 , wherein the sender notification includes an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         106 . The apparatus of  claim 103 , wherein the sender notification includes only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         107 . The apparatus of  claim 103 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         108 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 receiving at an old provider from a re-route server a re-route request by a recipient to re-route the recipient's e-mail;    the old provider processing the re-route request;    the old provider bouncing mail for the recipient to the re-route server when the recipient no longer has an e-mail address at the old provider for forwarding on by the re-route server to a new address for the recipient; and    transmitting from the old provider a sender notification to senders of the e-mail being forwarded.    
     
     
         109 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 108 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         110 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 108 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         111 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 108 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         112 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 108 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         113 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 108 , further comprising: 
 transmitting from the re-route server a sender notification to the sender.    
     
     
         114 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 113 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         115 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 113 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         116 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 113 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         117 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 108 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         118 . An apparatus for handling, through a network, an e-mail message addressed by a sender to an address at an old provider, the apparatus comprising: 
 a re-route server connected to the network, the re-route server comprising:    a processor; and    a memory, in addressable communication with the processor, the memory embodying software instructions adapted to enable the processor to perform:    receiving at a re-route server an e-mail addressed by the sender to a recipient, the overall e-mail address comprising an old address of the recipient at an old provider and a re-route extension to the e-mail address designating the re-route server;    checking at the re-route server to determine if the recipient is a re-route customer; and    forwarding the e-mail to a new address associated with the recipient if the recipient is a re-route customer.    
     
     
         119 . The apparatus of  claim 118 , wherein the software instructions are further adapted to enable the processor to perform: 
 transmitting from the re-route server a sender notification to the sender.    
     
     
         120 . The apparatus of  claim 119 , wherein the sender notification includes the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         121 . The apparatus of  claim 119 , wherein the sender notification includes an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         122 . The apparatus of  claim 119 , wherein the sender notification includes only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         123 . The apparatus of  claim 118 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         124 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 receiving at a re-route server e-mail forwarded by an old provider;    checking at the old provider if a universal re-route symbol is present in the local part of the e-mail address of the received e-mail, if the recipient is not a subscriber of the old provider;    checking at the re-route server if the recipient of the received e-mail is a registered customer of the re-route server; and    forwarding the received e-mail to a new address associated with the recipient, in the event that a universal re-route symbol is present and that the recipient is a registered customer of the re-route server.    
     
     
         125 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 124 , further comprising: 
 the re-route server transmitting a sender notification to the sender.    
     
     
         126 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 125 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         127 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 125 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         128 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 125 , wherein the sender notification is formed to include only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         129 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 125 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         130 . An apparatus for handling, through a network, an e-mail message addressed by a sender to an address at an old provider, the apparatus comprising: 
 a re-route server connected to the network, the re-route server comprising:    a processor; and    a memory, in addressable communication with the processor, the memory embodying software instructions adapted to enable the processor to perform:    receiving at a re-route server e-mail forwarded by an old provider;    checking at the old provider if a universal re-route symbol is present in the local part of the e-mail address of the received e-mail, if the recipient is not a subscriber of the old provider;    checking at the re-route server if the recipient of the received e-mail is a registered customer of the re-route server; and    forwarding the received e-mail to a new address associated with the recipient, in the event that a universal re-route symbol is present and that the recipient is a registered customer of the re-route server.    
     
     
         131 . The apparatus of  claim 130 , wherein the software instructions are further adapted to enable the processor to perform: 
 transmitting from the re-route server a sender notification to the sender.    
     
     
         132 . The apparatus of  claim 131 , wherein the sender notification includes the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         133 . The apparatus of  claim 131 , wherein the sender notification includes an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sender with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         134 . The apparatus of  claim 131 , wherein the sender notification includes only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         135 . The apparatus of  claim 130 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         136 . A method of re-routing e-mail comprising: 
 sending an e-mail message, via a sending mail client, to an old address at an old provider,    receiving, at the sending mail client, a bounce message from the old provider indicating that the old address is not valid,    prompting a user, at the sending mail client, for a command to re-route the bounced e-mail message,    resending the bounced e-mail message, in the event the user issues the command to re-route, this time addressed to a re-route server for forwarding on to a new address for the recipient in the event that the recipient is a registered customer of the re-route server.    
     
     
         137 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 136 , the method further comprising: 
 receiving, at the sending mail client, a sender notification from the re-route server.    
     
     
         138 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 137 , wherein the sender notification includes the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         139 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 137 , wherein the sender notification includes an embedded link to a web site associated with the re-route server, the web site providing the sending mail client with the recipient's new e-mail address.  
     
     
         140 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 137 , wherein the sender notification is includes only a notification that the recipient's e-mail address has changed.  
     
     
         141 . The method of re-routing e-mail of  claim 136 , wherein the old provider comprises an old ISP.  
     
     
         142 . An apparatus for handling, through a network, an e-mail message addressed to an address at an old provider, the apparatus comprising: 
 a computer connected to the network and implementing a sending mail client, the computer comprising:    a processor; and    a memory, in addressable communication with the processor, the memory embodying software instructions adapted to enable the processor to perform:    sending an e-mail message, via the sending mail client, to an old address at an old provider,    receiving, at the sending mail client, a bounce message from the old provider indicating that the old address is not valid,    prompting a user, at the sending mail client, for a command to re-route the bounced e-mail message,    resending the bounced e-mail message, in the event the user issues the command to re-route, this time addressed to a re-route server for forwarding on to a new address for the recipient in the event that the recipient is a registered customer of the re-route server.    
     
     
         143 . A method for forwarding e-mail from a first e-mail account at a first Internet service provider to a second e-mail account at a second Internet service provider, comprising: 
 logging into said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider;    retrieving an e-mail message from said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider; and    forwarding the retrieved e-mail message to said second e-mail account at said second Internet service provider.    
     
     
         144 . A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for forwarding e-mail from a first e-mail account at a first Internet service provider to a second e-mail account at a second Internet service provider, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following steps: 
 logging into said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider;    retrieving an e-mail message from said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider;    forwarding the retrieved e-mail message to said second e-mail account at said second Internet service provider.    
     
     
         145 . A system for forwarding e-mail from a first e-mail account at a first Internet service provider to a second e-mail account at a second Internet service provider, comprising: 
 means for logging into said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider;    means for retrieving an e-mail message from said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider; and    means for forwarding the retrieved e-mail message to said second e-mail account at said second Internet service provider.    
     
     
         146 . A computer system configured to forward e-mail from a first e-mail account at a first Internet service provider to a second e-mail account at a second Internet service provider, comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory, in addressable communication with said processor, including software instructions adapted to enable said processor to perform the steps of:    logging into said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider;    retrieving an e-mail message from said first e-mail account at said first Internet service provider; and    forwarding the retrieved e-mail message to said second e-mail account at said second Internet service provider.