Dial back-mail system using binary protocol

Abstract

A sender prepares a message, then transmits an e-mail notice to the receiver and the e-mail message to a forwarding server. The “e-mail notice” is a short message, including a message ID and specifically does not include the complete prepared message. The “e-mail message” is in binary format and also includes the message ID of the corresponding e-mail notice. The receiving user receives the e-mail notice, then contacts the forwarding server to receive the e-mail message corresponding to the message ID within the received e-mail notice.

1 . A method for mail-messaging on a global information network having a source computer, a forwarding server and a destination computer, in which a source address corresponds to the source computer, a destination address corresponds to the destination computer, and a message identifier corresponds to a user-prepared massage, while excluding the user-prepared message, and in which a mail message includes the source address, the destination address, the message identifier and the corresponding user-prepared message, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving the source address and the message identifier at the destination computer;    attempting to establish a first communication path between the destination computer and the source computer;    attempting to establish a second communication path between the destination computer and the forwarding server;    determining which of the first communication path and the second communication path is established first; and    commencing receipt of the mail message at the destination computer along a first established communication path of said first communication path and said second communication path.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising after attempting to establish a first communication path between the destination computer and the source computer, the step of: 
 receiving contact at the source computer from the destination computer;    responsive to receiving contact at the source computer, determining whether a transmission of the mail message from the source computer to the forwarding server is incomplete; and    for a determination that the transmission is incomplete, discontinuing the transmission.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: 
 resuming the transmission upon a communication failure of the first communication path.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: 
 upon a successful completion of receipt of the mail message at the destination computer, aborting the transmission.    
     
     
         5 . A mail-messaging system interacting with a global information network having a source computer, a forwarding server and a destination computer, in which a source address corresponds to the source computer, a destination address corresponds to the destination computer, and a message identifier corresponds to a user-prepared massage, while excluding the user-prepared message, and in which a mail message includes the source address, the destination address, the message identifier and the corresponding user-prepared message, the system comprising: 
 means at the destination computer for receiving the source address and the message identifier;    means at the destination computer for attempting to establish a first communication path between the destination computer and the source computer;    means at the destination computer for attempting to establish a second communication path between the destination computer and the forwarding server;    means at the destination computer for determining which of the first communication path and the second communication path is established first; and    means at the destination computer for commencing receipt of the mail message at the destination computer along a first established communication path of said first communication path and said second communication path.    
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 means at the source computer for acknowledging establishment of the first communication path;    means at the source computer for determining whether a transmission of the mail message from the source computer to the forwarding server is incomplete; and    means for discontinuing the transmission after both acknowledgement of the first communication path and determination that the transmission is incomplete.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 means for resuming the second transmission upon a communication failure of the first communication path.    
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 means for aborting the transmission upon a successful completion of receipt of the mail message at the destination computer.    
     
     
         9 . A method for mail-messaging on a global information network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 generating a prepared message at a source location;    commencing a first transmission from the source location, the first transmission comprising a source address corresponding to the source location, a destination address and a message identifier, the message identifier comprising a code for identifying the prepared message, the first transmission excluding the prepared message;    packaging at the source location the prepared message, and the source address, destination address, and message identifier for said prepared message into a mail message;    commencing a second transmission from the source location, the second transmission comprising the mail message, wherein the second transmission is independent of the first transmission;    receiving the source address and message identifier at the destination address;    commencing receipt of the mail message at a forwarding server;    after the step of receiving, attempting to establish a first communication path between the destination address and the source location and attempting to establish a second communication path between the destination address and the forwarding server;    determining which of the first communication path and the second communication path is established first; and    commencing receipt of the mail message at the destination address along a first established communication path of said first communication path and said second communication path.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising after attempting to establish a first communication path between the destination address and the source location, the step of: 
 receiving contact at the source address from the destination address;    responsive to receiving contact at the source address, determining whether the second transmission is incomplete; and    for a determination that the second transmission is incomplete, discontinuing the second transmission.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of: 
 resuming the second transmission upon a communication failure of the first communication path.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: 
 upon a successful completion of receipt of the mail message from the source location to the destination address, aborting the second transmission.