US 10,313,286 B2 · Qualified email headers

Abstract

A method and system provide qualifiers for electronic message header fields. The electronic messages may be email, text, or other messages sent via a wireless or wired communications networks. The qualifiers may facilitate (1) indicating the persistent nature of an electronic message header field; (2) electronic message originator identification; (3) user-defined rules being persistently applied to electronic messages by various entities as the electronic messages travel along; (4) user opt out of electronic message strings or groups; (5) the closing electronic message threads; (6) the ordering of electronic message header fields; (7) electronic message tracing; and/or (8) electronic message tracking. In one aspect, the qualifiers may be of a persistent or indexed nature. The qualifiers and associated qualified electronic message header fields may be generated, operated on, relayed, and/or handled by mobile devices, networks, servers, and/or communications systems to facilitate electronic message-related functionality being achieved either locally or remotely.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A computing device for electronic messaging, the computing device comprising:

a processor configured to:
receive an electronic mail (email) message generated by an originating entity comprising a mail user agent (MUA), the email message comprising a header field comprising a qualifier and a thread identification (ID);
preserve the header field of the email message in an unmodified state if the qualifier within the header field is a persistent qualifier, wherein the persistent qualifier facilitates user opt out of an electronic message thread or an exchange of emails among a group of MUAs;
increment an index value in the header field if the qualifier within the header field is an index qualifier;
transmit the email message, along with the unmodified header field or the incremented indexed value in the header field, to another entity to facilitate electronic message-related functionality;
receive an opt out message comprising the thread ID, wherein the opt out message is received from a user that has received at least one email message comprising the header field;
and
responsive to receiving the opt out message, drop all messages addressed to the user that comprise the thread ID.

5 more elements

A method of electronic messaging, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first entity, an electronic mail (email) message generated by an originating entity comprising a mail user agent (MUA), the email message having a header field comprising a qualifier and a thread identification (ID) within the header field;
preserving, at the first entity, all content of the header field in an unmodified state responsive to recognizing that the qualifier within the header field is a persistent qualifier;
transmitting the email message along with the persistent qualifier within the unmodified header field from the first entity to a second entity to facilitate electronic message-related functionality,
wherein the electronic message-related functionality enabled by the persistent qualifier comprises user opt out of electronic message strings or groups;
receiving an opt out message comprising the thread ID, wherein the opt out message is received from a user that has received at least one email message comprising the header field;
responsive to receiving the opt out message, drop all messages addressed to the user that comprise the thread ID;
and
receiving, at the first entity, a reply email message from the second entity, wherein the reply email message comprises all content of the header field in the unmodified state.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Qualified email headers

Life of this patent

Qualified email headers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16