U.S. patent application number 14/320023 was filed with the patent office on 2014-10-23 for messaging stamp authority.
The applicant listed for this patent is Facebook, Inc.. Invention is credited to Barry Appelman.
Application Number | 20140317211 14/320023 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40525207 |
Filed Date | 2014-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140317211 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Appelman; Barry |
October 23, 2014 |
MESSAGING STAMP AUTHORITY
Abstract
Electronic messages may be processed using a stamp authority by
receiving an electronic message, identifying a stamp associated the
message, determining if the stamp is valid, and, if the stamp is
determined to be valid, distinguishing the message from messages
with which a valid stamp is not identified.
Inventors: |
Appelman; Barry; (New York,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Facebook, Inc. |
Menlo Park |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
40525207 |
Appl. No.: |
14/320023 |
Filed: |
June 30, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13618737 |
Sep 14, 2012 |
8768851 |
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14320023 |
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13212103 |
Aug 17, 2011 |
8429083 |
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13618737 |
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12401965 |
Mar 11, 2009 |
8015607 |
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13212103 |
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10976180 |
Oct 29, 2004 |
7519559 |
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12401965 |
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60515420 |
Oct 30, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/206 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 63/08 20130101;
H04L 2463/121 20130101; H04L 2463/102 20130101; H04L 51/12
20130101; H04L 9/32 20130101; H04L 45/308 20130101; G06Q 40/12
20131203 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/206 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/58 20060101
H04L012/58; H04L 9/32 20060101 H04L009/32 |
Claims
1. A method of processing electronic messages using a stamp
authority, the method comprising: receiving an electronic message;
identifying a stamp associated with the electronic message;
determining if the stamp is valid; and if the stamp is determined
to be valid, distinguishing the electronic message from electronic
messages with which a valid stamp is not identified.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the electronic message
includes receiving a first message with communications intended for
receipt by a user and a second message with the stamp that is
associated with the first message, wherein the first message and
the second message are separate and distinct communications.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the electronic message
includes receiving the electronic message with the stamp included
in the message.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the stamp includes
performing a cryptographic operation to authenticate the stamp with
a key management system.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if the stamp is valid
includes determining if the stamp has been used previously.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing a stamp
transaction indicating the stamp has been used.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein executing the stamp transaction
includes canceling the stamp from being used in the future.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein executing the stamp transaction
includes adjusting a counter indicating a number of times the stamp
may be used.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if the stamp is valid
includes polling a stamp authority to determine that the stamp was
validly issued.
10. A method of exchanging electronic messages using a stamp
authority, the method comprising: receiving an electronic message
for transmission; receiving a request to associate a stamp with the
electronic message; determining an identity associated with a user
generating the electronic message for transmission; determining a
stamp availability for the identity; and associating the stamp with
the electronic message when the stamp availability indicates the
identity has available stamp resources.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving an electronic message
for transmission includes receiving an electronic mail message sent
by the user associated with the identity.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving the request to
associate the stamp with the electronic message includes using a
messaging gateway to automatically process mail transmitted by a
user and automatically requesting to associate the stamp if the
stamp is available.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein associating the stamp with the
electronic message includes enabling the stamp to be processed upon
receipt by a sender with a mailing address appearing in the
electronic message.
14. A system configured to process electronic messages using a
stamp authority, the method comprising: a communications interface
structured and arranged to receive an electronic message; an
association code segment structured and arranged to identify a
stamp associated with the electronic message; a validation code
segment structured and arranged to determine if the stamp is valid;
and if the stamp is determined to be valid, distinguishing the
electronic message from electronic messages with which a valid
stamp is not identified.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the validation code segment is
structured and arranged to determine if the stamp has been used
previously.
16. The system of claim 14 further comprising an execution code
segment structured and arranged to execute a stamp transaction
indicating the stamp has been used.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/618,737, filed Sep. 14, 2012, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/212,103, filed
Aug. 17, 2011 now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,429,083, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/401,965, filed
Mar. 11, 2009 now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,015,607, which is a
continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/976,180, filed Oct.
29, 2004 now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,519,559, which claims the
benefit of and priority to U.S. application No. 60/515,420, filed
Oct. 30, 2003 now expired. Each of the aforementioned patent(s) and
application(s) are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates to electronic messaging.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Pervasive communications networks are being used to exchange
ever-increasing numbers of communications. These communications may
include electronic mail messages and instant messages.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary communications
system configured to exchange electronic mail messages using a
stamp authority.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process by
which a stamp authority may be used to process an electronic mail
message.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0006] The low cost of exchanging electronic mail messages allows
an Internet-based messaging system to easily exchange large numbers
of messages to large numbers of users. The ability to send large
numbers of messages at a low cost is used by marketers and others
to send unsolicited and/or unwanted electronic mail messages (e.g.,
SPAM). Many users receive a tremendous amount of SPAM. In fact, a
user often may receive so much SPAM that that a user is required to
dedicate significant amounts of time deleting the SPAM in order to
manage the user's `inbox.` When barraged by SPAM, users therefore
often experience frustration and otherwise perceive a poor user
experience. The poor user experience may lead a user to frequently
change Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and/or online identities
(e.g., screen names or electronic mail addresses), and/or to reduce
reliance upon electronic mail messaging.
[0007] The above and other issues may be avoided by reducing the
volume of unwanted electronic mail messages using a stamp authority
designed to impose a transaction cost to be borne by senders of
electronic mail messages. One implementation of the stamp authority
includes a receiving host that rejects or distinguishes received
electronic mail messages that do not include a valid stamp. Thus, a
transmitting party is incentivized to include a stamp with its
electronic mail messages, thus ensuring that the receiving host
will process its electronic mail messages and make them accessible
to a destination client. The stamp authority effectively increases
the transaction cost associated with effectively sending an
electronic mail message, leading to a decrease in the volume of
SPAM. Transmitting parties may continue to send electronic mail
messages without stamps, but the receiving host may reject or
otherwise distinguish/label/characterize unstamped electronic mail
messages.
[0008] A stamp authority may limit (e.g., rate limit or volume
limit) a number of stamps allocated to a party seeking to send
electronic mail messages (e.g., a transmitting client). Thereafter,
the party seeking to send an electronic mail message may associate
a stamp with each message or each group of messages. For example,
stamp identification information may be appended to the header of
the electronic mail message. A host receiving the electronic mail
message may receive the electronic mail message and identify a
stamp associated with the electronic mail message. The receiving
host determines if the stamp is valid, for example, by polling a
stamp authority. When the stamp is valid, the electronic mail
message is made available in a user's inbox. When the stamp is
invalid or when a stamp is not included in an electronic mail
message, the electronic mail message may be rejected, or otherwise
visually or logically distinguished from "stamped" messages (e.g.,
the unstamped message may be placed in a folder for messages that
are unstamped and may include SPAM).
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a
communications system 100 configured to exchange electronic mail
messages using a stamp authority. In particular, a transmitting
client 110 may generate electronic mail messages that are sent by
the transmitting host 120. The electronic mail messages may be
associated with stamps issued or regulated by the stamp authority
140. The transmitting host 120 is configured to exchange the
electronic mail messages across the network 130 with the receiving
host 150. The receiving host 150 is configured to process and
receive electronic mail messages using the stamp authority 140 so
that the receiving client 160 may receive the electronic mail
messages.
[0010] Generally, each of the systems shown in communications
system 100, such as the transmitting client 110, the transmitting
host 120, the stamp authority 140, the receiving host 150, and the
receiving client 160 may be implemented by a computer system
configured to execute instructions in a predetermined manner.
[0011] Each of these systems may be implemented by, for example, a
general-purpose computer capable of responding to and executing
instructions in a defined manner, a personal computer, a
special-purpose computer, a workstation, a server, a device, a
component, other equipment or some combination thereof capable of
responding to and executing instructions. These systems may be
structured and arranged to receive instructions from, for example,
a software application, a program, a piece of code, a device, a
computer, a computer system, or a combination thereof, which
independently or collectively direct operations, as described
herein. The instructions may be embodied permanently or temporarily
in any type of machine, component, equipment, storage medium, or
propagated signal that is capable of being delivered to these
systems.
[0012] The transmitting client 110 includes a device configured to
allow a user to generate an electronic mail message. The
transmitting client 110 may include one or more messaging
applications that allow a user to operate an electronic mailbox
used to administer a system for sending and receiving electronic
mail messages. Examples of the messaging applications may include a
messaging application integrated into an online service provider
client such as the AOL client. Other examples of the messaging
application may include a web browser configured to enable access
to an electronic mailbox accessible through a web server, a
messaging application (e.g., Microsoft Outlook), or a server (e.g.,
an Exchange server).
[0013] The messaging application may include a stamp agent
configured to associate a stamp with electronic mail messages. For
example, the messaging application may include an "insert stamp"
button in a messaging graphical user interface (GUI). When the
transmitting client 110 receives an insert stamp instruction (e.g.,
when an "insert stamp" button is pressed), a stamp transaction may
be executed. Fr example, a stamp may be associated with the
electronic mail message. In one implementation, a stamp counter
indicating a number of electronic mail messages that may be
exchanged is decremented each time a message is sent. In another
example, the transmitting client 110 may initiate a transaction
that assesses a financial cost against a user account each time a
message is sent.
[0014] A user of the messaging application on the transmitting
client 110 need not be aware that a stamp has been included, or
even whether a stamp system is being used. For example, the
messaging application may seamlessly interface with a stamp
authority 140 to associate a stamp with an electronic mail message
if a stamp is available.
[0015] The transmitting host 120 includes a messaging device
configured to receive instructions to transmit electronic mail
messages from a transmitting client 110, and to transmit an
electronic mail message as specified by the transmitting host 120.
For example, the transmitting host 120 may receive a message from
the transmitting client 110 generated in a messaging application
and transmit the message using the network 130 to a receiving host
150 using SMTP ("Simple Mail Transfer Protocol") packets.
[0016] The transmitting host 120 may be configured to associate a
stamp with an electronic mail message. In one implementation, the
transmitting host 120 is configured to retrieve a stamp identifier
from the stamp authority 140 and to associate the stamp identifier
with the electronic mail message. In another implementation, the
transmitting host 120 is configured to upload information related
to the electronic mail message to the stamp authority 140 so that
the receiving host 150 may reference the uploaded information in
determining if the stamp for a received electronic mail message is
valid.
[0017] The network 130 includes hardware and/or software capable of
enabling direct or indirect communications between the transmitting
host 120, the stamp authority 140, and the receiving host 150. As
such, the network 120 may include a direct link between these
systems, or it may include one or more networks or subnetworks
between them (not shown). Each network or subnetwork may include,
for example, a wired or wireless data pathway capable of carrying
and receiving data. Examples of the network include the Internet,
the World Wide Web, a WAN ("Wide Area Network"), a LAN ("Local Area
Network"), analog or digital wired and wireless telephone networks,
radio, television, cable, satellite, and/or any other delivery
mechanism for carrying data.
[0018] The stamp authority 140 includes a device configured to
generate, enable access to, associate, and validate one or more
stamps used in exchanging electronic mail messages. The stamp
authority 140 may enable a transmitting client 110 and/or the
transmitting host 120 to associate a stamp with an electronic mail
message that will be sent. In one implementation, the stamp
authority 140 is configured to associate a stamp using information
related to the electronic mail message, the identity of the user
transmitting the electronic mail message (e.g., legal name, screen
name, electronic mail address, or domain name of the transmitting
host), the identity of one or more intended recipients, or the
identity of one or more organizations associated with the
transmitting client 110. There may be competing but interoperable
stamp authorities that exchange information to allow electronic
mail messages associated with stamps from the different stamp
authorities to be exchanged.
[0019] The stamp authority 140 may be configured to associate a
stamp in a secure manner. For example, the stamp may be encrypted
using a public key system that limits the ability of the stamp to
be read to those stamp authorities possessing the related private
key.
[0020] The stamp authority 140 may be configured to maintain a
stamp accounting system that tracks how a stamp has been used. For
example, the stamp authority 140 may maintain a list of user
identities or e-mail servers or domains with which the stamp
authority has a relationship. The stamp authority 140 may include a
meter that tracks the usage per user identity. The meter may work
in conjunction with usage restrictions that regulate how the stamp
authority may provide stamp services in support of the user
identity. For example, a user identity may receive a daily
allotment of stamps (e.g., five stamps) enabling an electronic mail
message account associated with the user identity to send up to the
daily allotment of "stamped" electronic mail messages. When the
daily allotment has been exhausted, the messaging application in
the stamp authority 140 may be configured to allow the user
identity to acquire additional stamps. For example, the user
identity may purchase additional stamps, or to receive additional
stamps given by another user identity. In another example, the
stamp authority 140 may generate an interrogation request for the
transmitting host 120 to analyze the profile of the electronic mail
messages sent by the user identity. If the profile reveals that the
electronic mail messages are not likely to be SPAM, the stamp
authority 140 may provide additional stamps.
[0021] The stamp authority 140 may provide stamp services for an
organization such as an online service provider or a company. The
stamp authority 140 may be configured to allocate a limited number
of stamps across multiple user identities supported by the stamp
authority. Thus, a company may be allocated a specified number of
stamps per month. A first user may be allowed more than their
proportional share of stamps so long as the company has stamps
available.
[0022] The stamp authority 140 may form part of a hierarchical
stamp authority structure or may be operated in a distributed stamp
authority environment. In a hierarchical stamp authority structure,
a stamp authority may be configured to provide stamp authority
services for a limited portion of the organization. A "junior"
stamp authority may answer stamp authority requests received from a
"senior" stamp authority. The senior stamp authority may be
configured to act as a stamp authority 140 with respect to external
systems. To validate a stamp, the senior stamp authority receives
the request and routes the validation request "downwards" to the
appropriate junior stamp authority. The junior stamp authority then
responds to the request and reports the result to the senior stamp
authority, which in turn responds to the request.
[0023] In a distributed stamp authority environment, different and
independent stamp authorities may be configured to issue stamps to
subscriber user identities and/or organizations. When an electronic
mail message is exchanged with a receiving host 150 using a
different stamp authority, a first stamp authority used by the
receiving host 150 may interface with a second stamp authority used
by the transmitting host 120. In one implementation, the first
stamp authority is configured to query the second stamp authority
to determine if the stamp is valid. In a second implementation, the
first stamp authority is configured to maintain a balance of stamp
transactions. For example, the first stamp authority may be
configured to track the number of stamp transactions that have been
processed for other stamp authorities and the number of stamp
transactions that other stamp authorities have provided on behalf
of the first stamp authority. In the event that an imbalance is
maintained over an extended period of time, the first stamp
authority may be configured to settle the balance as a financial
transaction. When the stamp services have been provided on behalf
of the first stamp authority, the first stamp authority may
reimburse the other stamp authorities. The first stamp authority
may receive credits for the stamp services provided for other stamp
authorities.
[0024] The receiving host 150 may include an electronic mail
messaging system configured to receive electronic mail messages
from a transmitting host 120. The receiving host 150 then may store
the received electronic mail messages in an inbox or file system
accessible to the receiving client 160.
[0025] The receiving host 150 may be configured to interface with a
stamp authority 140 in deciding whether to receive an electronic
mail message. The receiving host 150 may be configured to identify
a stamp associated with an electronic mail message and poll the
stamp authority 140 to determine if the stamp is valid. The
receiving host 150 then may be configured to process electronic
mail messages determined to be valid, while rejecting electronic
mail messages determined to be invalid.
[0026] The receiving client 160 may include a device used to manage
and administer an electronic mailbox used to send and receive
electronic mail messages. The receiving client 160 may include the
electronic mail messaging applications described previously with
respect to the transmitting client 110. In fact, the transmitting
client 110 and the receiving client 160 may include identical or
different electronic mail messaging software. However, the
receiving client 160 may receive electronic mail messages using a
different feature set than the feature set used in transmitting an
electronic mail message. For example, the receiving client 160 may
be used to administer an electronic mail messaging system with two
different inboxes. One of the inboxes may include electronic mail
messages associated with valid stamps. The other inbox may include
electronic mail messages not associated with valid stamps, which
may include messages associated with invalid stamps or electronic
mail messages not associated with a stamp.
[0027] The receiving client 160 may be used to specify preferences
in receiving electronic mail messages. Thus, the receiving client
160 may be configured to reject (not store or process) any
electronic mail messages unless the user administering the
receiving client 160 has previously transmitted an electronic mail
message to the party sending the unstamped electronic mail
message.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, a flow chart 200 illustrates an
exemplary process by which a stamp authority may be used to process
an electronic mail message. Particular components described with
respect to FIG. 1 may perform the process 200. However, similar
methodologies may be applied in other implementations where
different components are used to define the structure of the
system, or where the functionality is distributed differently among
the components shown by FIG. 1.
[0029] Initially, a transmitting client 201 transmits an electronic
mail message (206). For example, the transmitting client 201 may
use an electronic mail messaging application to generate a message
window, use an address book to specify a recipient, and click a
`send message` button to transmit the electronic mail message.
[0030] A transmitting host 202 receives the electronic mail message
(210). The transmitting host 202 also receives a request to
associate a stamp with the electronic mail message (215). Receiving
the request does not require that a user select an "insert stamp"
button that generates an automated request. In response to the
request, the transmitting host may poll the stamp authority 140 to
determine if a stamp may be associated with the electronic mail
message.
[0031] The transmitting host 202 determines the identity associated
with a user generating the message for transmission (220) and the
stamp availability for the identity (225). For example, the
transmitting host 202 may use the sending address for an electronic
mail message and may communicate with a stamp authority 203 to
determine whether the account associated with the sending address
is allowed to associate stamps with an electronic mail message. In
one example, the stamp authority 203 determines whether a counter
tracking the number of electronic mail messages that may be
exchanged indicates that the identity has stamps available to use.
In another example, the stamp authority 203 meters stamps based on
the amount of the content exchanged in the electronic mail message.
Thus, an identity may be allowed to send a specified amount of
content (as measured in megabytes), irrespective of the number of
messages across which the content is distributed. Thus, an
electronic mail message that consumes more memory (e.g., a video
file generally consumes more memory than a plain text message)
would reduce the amount of messages the identity may send.
[0032] The stamp authority may meter the content using a
combination of the message count and file size considerations. For
example, an identity may be allowed to transmit a specified number
of electronic mail messages per period of time, where the
electronic mail messages are less than a predetermined size.
Additional stamps or costs may be incurred if the identity is
transmitting a larger amount of content in the electronic mail
message. In one example, the number of stamps available to the
identity may be reduced based on the size of a message sent. In
another example, the identity incurs additional financial costs to
process the electronic mail message with the larger amount of
content.
[0033] When there is a stamp available (230), a stamp is associated
with the electronic mail message (235). In one example, associating
the stamp with the electronic mail message includes modifying or
appending stamp information into the electronic mail message. In
another example, associating the stamp with the electronic mail
message records a message identifier at the stamp authority 203.
Recording the message identifier may include recording an
indication of a stamp that was associated, a message number or
hash, the identity of the addressees, the time and date of the
electronic mail message, and/or other information used to identify
electronic mail message.
[0034] With or without an associated stamp, the transmitting host
202 transmits the electronic mail message (240) to a receiving host
204, which receives the electronic mail message (245). The
receiving host 204 determines if there is a stamp associated with
the electronic mail message (250).
[0035] If there is not a stamp associated with the electronic mail
message, the receiving host 204 processes the electronic mail
message as an unstamped electronic mail message (255). Processing
the electronic mail message as an unstamped electronic mail message
may include rejecting the electronic mail message (280), storing
the electronic mail message as an unstamped folder (not shown), or
performing additional processing to better determine if the
electronic mail message is unsolicited (not shown). Generally, an
electronic mail message is unsolicited if there is no prior
relationship between the transmitting user and the receiving user.
Rejecting the electronic mail message may include transmitting an
electronic mail message in reply indicating that the receiving host
204, a receiving client 205, or the receiving user does not accept
unstamped electronic mail messages. The response messages may
include a code segment (e.g., an HTML link) allowing a stamp to be
associated in a retransmission, or allowing the transmitting user
to purchase a stamp.
[0036] If a stamp is associated with the electronic mail message,
it is identified (260). In one example, identifying a stamp
associated with the electronic mail message includes reading a
stamp included in or appended to the electronic mail message. The
stamp may include a label used to identify a transaction on the
stamp authority 203. The label may be used to retrieve additional
information. In another example, the stamp is not included in or
appended to an electronic mail message. Instead, the receiving host
204 may reference a message number or a transmitting address used
to transmit both stamped and unstamped electronic mail messages to
access the stamp stored on a stamp authority 140. The message
number may be used to retrieve a stamp used to transmit the
electronic mail message.
[0037] The receiving host 204 determines if the stamp is valid
(265). Determining if the stamp is valid generally includes
determining if an accredited stamp was used and consumed in
transmitting the electronic mail message. Determining if the stamp
is valid may include determining if the stamp was previously used,
determining if an accredited authority issued the stamp,
determining that adequate stamp resources were expended to transmit
the message (e.g., to support larger file sizes), determining that
the transmitting party had adequate stamps to transmit the
electronic mail message, and/or determining that fraud was not used
in associating a stamp and sending the electronic mail message.
[0038] When the stamp is deemed valid (265), the receiving host 204
places the electronic mail message in a stamp-related folder in an
inbox (270). The receiving client 205 then may receive the
electronic mail message (275). When the stamp is invalid, the
electronic mail message may be rejected (280).
[0039] Although determining the stamp validity is shown as being
performed by the receiving host 204, determining the stamp validity
also may be performed by other devices, such as the stamp authority
203 or the receiving client 205. Furthermore, although flow chart
200 illustrates the transmitting host 202 associating a stamp with
the electronic mail messages, the stamp may be associated by other
devices (e.g., the transmitting client 201) and in other manners
(e.g., as the message is being transmitted from the transmitting
client 201).
[0040] Moreover, other implementations are within the scope of the
following claims. For example, the stamps may be used per recipient
or per message (where a message includes multiple recipients). And,
although the systems and operations were described with respect to
electronic mail messages, other messaging systems and operations
may be used. For example, a stamp authority may be used in
exchanging instant messages, wireless telephone messages (e.g.,
Short Message Service (SMS), MMS (Multimedia Message Service)),
flash messages, or other messaging formats.
[0041] There may be more than one type of stamp. In addition to
varying the type of stamp with the type or size of content
exchanged, the stamp type also may be varied to offer tiered or
differentiated services. For example, a first stamp type may
indicate that reimbursement takes place immediately upon processing
the electronic mail message while a second stamp type indicates
that reimbursement takes place after a balance of payments has been
determined to account for a creditor/debtor status based on the
aggregate of messages exchanged.
[0042] Other types of stamps may be associated with a particular
stamp authority. For example, one class of stamps may be associated
with a trusted provider while another class of stamps may be
associated with a stamp authority that is frequently used by mass
e-mailers (e.g., spammers) or with a reputation of not rigorously
administering the stamping system.
[0043] The receiving host and/or receiving client may use the type
of stamp in deciding whether or how to process an electronic mail
message. For example, a receiving host may reject electronic mail
messages from a stamp authority that has been identified or
associated with mass e-mailers or issuing too many stamps. In
another example, a receiving client may route stamped electronic
mail messages from disreputable stamp providers into an unstamped
or SPAM folder. Other examples may feature different folders or
triggering criteria associated with an electronic mail message. For
example, a service provider acting as a stamp authority may offer
three tiers of stamps. The first tier of stamps may feature a basic
level of service that allows the sent electronic mail message to be
placed in a `stamped` inbox. The second tier of stamps may offer
one or more premium features. The premium features may route the
electronic mail message to a higher priority folder, or include
specific delivery options. In a first example, the specific
delivery options may be used to confirm receipt of the electronic
mail message. In a second example, the second-tier electronic mail
message may be routed to an administrative assistant specified by
the recipient that will receive a copy of the electronic mail
message. A third tier of stamps may feature robust delivery
options. For example, the electronic mail message may be forwarded
to additional devices associated with the intended recipient such
as a wireless phone or pager, or other electronic mail message
accounts associated with the intended recipient. Thus, a
transmitting user may pay a premium to forward the electronic mail
message to a user who is on vacation but accessing a special
account to receive priority electronic mail messages. In another
example, rejected third tier messages are forwarded to a human
operator that attempts to work with an administrator for the
receiving system to resolve delivery issues.
* * * * *