Patent · US Expired

System, method, and computer program product for providing a multi-user e-mail system

US7421472B1 · kind B1 · utility

47Cited by
17References
15Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 20, 2000
Grant dateSep 2, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 24, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06Q10/107
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for providing a multi-user shared e-mail system on a single computer is described. The system enables multiple users to use a single computer to provide for each user, one at a time, access to a personal secure e-mail account environment for that user. The e-mail account environment can include an inbox, an outbox and one or more folders to store received e-mail. The multiple e-mail account environments are all stored on the single computer. The single computer can be standalone, or can include an interface to a network, such as the Internet, for delivery of e-mail to users whose e-mail accounts do not reside on the single computer. The multi-user e-mail account system on a shared single computer provides cost efficient access for a large number of users which do not each need their own computer. The e-mail system includes a prioritization indicator to determine which of the multiple users of the shared e-mail system can get access first. Priority can reflect, e.g., receipt of new e-mail by an account and the urgency of received e-mail.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.