Sender-paid electronic messaging

US6047272A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• AT&T CORP. · US

Inventors

• Alexandros Biliris · Chatham, US
• Gisli Hjalmtysson · Gillette, US
• Hosagrahar Visvesvaraya Jagadish · Berkeley Heights, US
• Mark Jones · Forest, US
• Inderpal Singh Mumick · Berkeley Heights, US
• Euthimios Panagos · Plainfield, US
• Divesh Srivastava · Summit, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 5, 1998
• Grant date: Apr 4, 2000
• Expiry date: Jan 5, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/1091
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is a messaging system, and method of operation thereof, which provides message recipients with control over the delivery of message and charges the cost of a message to the sender of the message. A message is received at a messaging server from a sender system, the message including an indication of a recipient system. A notification message is transmitted to the recipient system, allowing the message recipient to determine whether they desire the message to be delivered. If so, an activation message is received from the recipient system and the message is transmitted to the recipient system. A charge for the message is assessed to the sender of the message. The message is stored in the messaging server until the activation message is received. At least a portion of the assessed charge may be credited or debited to the recipient of the message. The message may include any type of electronic information, such as text, graphics, video and audio information, and may be encrypted or unencrypted.