Initial R&D:

Method for Integrating Internet SMTP Electronic Messaging with Postal Services

A portfolio of trade secrets and ready to patent Intellectual Property

Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope

This invention is about integrating Internet SMTP electronic messaging to postal services. The invention is a universal Internet standards compliant extension of SMTP messaging that enables the use of any standard email client or web browser. The method covers addressing, authentication and billing for any service provider licensed to use this invention.

The method extends to providing email and facsimile to subscribers that do not have access or do not want access to any technology.

The invention is independent of messaging vendors. Any modern SMTP messaging system with 'hooks' - an Application Programming Interface - can be adopted.

The invention calls for message handling to be on the server side. By virtue of this a standard email client or web-browser can be used without requiring any client modifications.

The addressing rules minimise the length of typing addresses. Addressing integrates with email distribution lists including list servers. All messaging can be integrated into the email inbox.

The invention advances the state of the art by presenting four new methods:

Method for extending SMTP addressing to all types messaging including postal addressing.
Method for authenticating Internet subscribers of the extended SMTP addressing services.
Method for billing any authenticated Internet subscriber of the extended SMTP addressing services.
Method for virtual email, facsimile and mailbag as unique new messaging value added services.

All the methods can be supported by the invention's design for a SMTP handler of all types of messaging services including postal services.

Background -- Field of Invention

Methods are presented for extended Electronic Addressing, Authentication and Billing for a complete solution for Service Providers. A new class postal services is presented for providing electronic mail addresses and facsimile numbers to subscribers that do not have access to any technology or do not want to use any technology.

"The method serves subscribers that do not have or do not want to have access to either email or facsimile. An email address or facsimile number can be allocated and forwarded to a postal recipient. Subscribes can not only receive but also reply to email or facsimile messages without access to technology. The envelopes from the hybrid mail provider have peel-off labels to reverse to and from address labels and reply paid label so that the subscriber can reuse the hybrid mail envelop to send it with her hand-written or typed reply back to the hybrid mail in-bound mailroom processing centre.

The processing centre will scan and perform optical character recognition of the reply and send the reply to the original email address or facsimile number. Similarly, prepaid formatted envelopes will be available for subscribes to send new email or facsimile messages by postal services. Thus, the hybrid mail service provider will free the subscriber from using any technology enabling her all the basic functions for receiving, replying and sending messages.

The reverse of subscribers requesting all communications to be electronic and sent to the email inbox including postal letters is handled by the same service provider in-bound mail room for scanning and optical character recognition. The subscriber activates such a service by forwarding post to the post box of the in-bound mailroom.

Hybrid mails according to subscriber preferences can be either:

printed and delivered on-demand
collated and printed just-in-time for the next postal delivery in a single envelop
collated for a specified period and printed for delivery in a single envelop

Collation is a premium value-added services limited by the hybrid print-mail infrastructure. The algorithm for collation for a given mail run depends on the overall load and scheduling aspects of the print-mail facility.