Hybrid electronic e-mail server system and method6836895Abstract A system for receiving, reviewing, processing, forwarding, posting and accessing e-mail messages which comprises a Hybrid e-mail server, an API interface locator on the Hybrid e-mail server and a web application server all communicatingly connected to each other. The system is capable of utilizing the web application server as a scripting engine and providing access to all of the Internet's resources for use in formulating and posting the responses to e-mail messages without any need for human intervention. Claims What is claimed is: Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWINGS
10 The inventive system and method for receiving,
sending and accessing e-mail via a web application server
100 Hybrid Email Server (Hereinafter "HEMS")
101 Client Computer
104 First communications interface
105 External network
106 second communications interface
110 SMTP server
112 Template Memory Device
116 General Storage Facility or data management system
120 API interface
130 Post Server
140 POP3 Server
200 Web Application Server
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to FIG. 3, which is a schematic of the present invention, the present inventive system and method for receiving, sending and accessing electronic mail using a Web Application Server is generally depicted at 10. Specifically, the system 10 comprises a Hybrid Email Server 100 (hereinafter "HEMS") communicatingly connected to a Web Application Server 200 (hereinafter "WAS") through an API interface 120. The HEMS 100 in turn comprises an SMTP server 110 which is communicatingly connected to the API interface 120, a Post server 130 communicatingly connected to the API interface 120 and having access to remote POP3 Servers in remote prior art Email servers, a POP3 server 140 and a template memory device 112. As seen in FIG. 3, the HEMS 100 interfaces with a client computer 101 via a first communications interface 104 located on said computer 101, an external network 105, and a second communications interface 106 located onto said HEMS 100. The client computer 101 is the source or generator of e-mail messages sent to the HEMS 100 and may comprise any combination of hardware or software that can interact with the HEMS 100; including a conventional commercially available personal computer. The communications interface 104 is any device, such as a modem, which allows the client computer 101 to communicate with other computers and particularly allows the client computer 101 to communicate with the HEMS 100. The external network 105 may be the telephone network, a proprietary wide area network, or the Internet. The second communications interface 106 is any device, such as a modem, network interface unit or network card that allows communication between computers. When the client computer 101 interfaces with the HEMS 100, it specifically communicates with the SMTP server 110 using the SMTP protocol. It is the HEMS's SMTP server that receives all e-mail communications. The HEMS' template memory device 112 comprises a plurality of templates i.e customized operating programs, which are the present invention's protocols for receiving and transmitting mail. Which templates are actually used will depend on the protocol employed by the client computer 101. Thus, if the client computer uses Simple Message Transfer Protocol (SMTP), then the SMTP 110 employs the "HELO", "MAIL", "RCPT" and "DATA" templates. If the client computer uses Post Office Protocol (POP), then the HEMS' POP3 server 140 employs the "USER", "PASS", and "QUIT" templates. It is particularly noted that, unlike prior art Email servers, the HEMS comprises no scripting engine capable of running HEMS' template memory device. On the other hand, it does have an API interface 120 which is the communications interface between the SMTP 110 and the Web Application Server (hereinafter "WAS") 200. It is this API interface that (i) enables the SMTP 110 to reach outside of and beyond the HEMS' boundaries to utilize the WAS as the scripting engine to run the template memory device; (ii) eliminates all need for human intervention in the response to e-mail messages; (iii) provides access to the all of the Internet's resources for use in the formulations of the responses to the e-mail messages, at a speed that defies imagination; and (iv) for the first time allows an Email server to communicate with and gather information from the Internet, via a Web Application Server. The WAS 200 is designed to enable the serving of dynamic content on the HEMS. Dynamic content can be linked to database queries or other types of dynamic data. The WAS is designed with at least three standard APIs that allow it to interface with the HEMS' API Interface 120. It is the WAS that will now process the mail, via supplied templates, open the mail, read it, gather the information requested using the appropriate search protocols to search the Internet and formulate a response. It will then send the e-mail response back to the HEMS' SMTP server through the API interface 120 for further processing and posting. A general storage facility or database management system 116 can be connected to the WAS 200 to provide the SMTP server 110 with the proper operational tools. The database management system 116 is any system that organizes and stores data related to the operation of the e-mail system, such as authenticating profiles of users and recipients, messages and billing information. Furthermore it can be modified at the option of the client so that all e-mail messages can be stored therein until deleted. The POST server 130 functions to forward e-mail responses remote recipient's domain, after the SMTP server processes the response and determines that in fact the recipient's domain does not exist on the HEMS. The POP3 server of the HEMS functions identically to the POP3 servers of the prior art Email servers. To check the e-mail response the e-mail client connects to the POP3 server of the HEMS, provides an account and password, and opens the client's text file to gain access. Although FIG. 3 illustrates a single client computer 101, one skilled in the art would appreciate that the present invention can be employed with either a plurality of input computers linked separately or in a network, or with at least one SMTP server from a prior art Email Server. FIG. 4 illustrates the receipt and processing of electronic mail by the HEMS's SMTP server 110. The electronic mail may originate either directly from a client computer 101 or from another traditional prior art SMTP server on a remote prior art Email server, using SMTP protocol. Specifically the receipt and processing of e-mail comprises the following steps: STEP 201: connecting to the SMTP server 110 using conventional SMTP protocol; STEP 202: The SMTP Server 110 responds by transmitting a preamble text or standard protocol code connection message to either the client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server; STEP 203: The client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server responds by sending to the SMTP server 110 the "HELO" or "EHLO" protocol message, which includes the user identification information; STEP 204: The SMTP server 110 responds by retrieving and executing the "HELO" code template via the WAS 200. Depending on the response from the "HELO" code template execution, the client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server may continue processing to the next step, be disconnected, or prompted to reenter the information; STEP 205: If the client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server is prompted to continue, it responds by sending to the SMTP server 110 the "MAIL:" protocol message, which includes the address of the sender; STEP 206: The SMTP server 110 responds by retrieving and executing the "MAIL" Code templates via the WAS 200. Depending upon the response from the template execution, the client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server may continue processing to the next step, be disconnected or prompted to reenter the information. STEP 207: If the client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server is prompted to continue, it responds by sending to the SMTP server 110 one or more "RCPT TO" protocol messages, which include the address of the recipient(s); STEP 208: The SMTP server 110 receives said "RCPT TO" messages and retrieves and executes the "RCPT" Code template for each RCPT message received, via the WAS. Depending upon the response from the template execution, the client computer 101 may continue processing to the next step, be disconnected or prompted to reenter the information; STEP 209: If the client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server is prompted to continue it then responds by sending to the modified SMTP server 110 a "DATA" protocol message; STEP 210: The SMTP server 110 receives said "DATA" message in its entirety and stores it in a temporary file. It then retrieves the "DATA" Code template, and any other templates it needs to read the message and collect the variables relevant and material to a search, and executes the template via the WAS 200 and through the API interface. The WAS will now process the mail, open the mail, read the mail, gather whatever information is necessary from the Internet (it is noted that there will be responses that no Internet information is necessary to formulate an answer) formulate an answer and send the answer back to the SMTP through the API interface. The SMTP is equipped with a parser which receives and evaluates the response, including whether the recipient is a valid recipient. WAS indicates a valid recipient with the expression RCPT=ACCEPT. At that point, the SMTP uses the response to determine if the recipient is local. If the recipient is local it will post the response to the local HEMS POP3 server. On the other hand, if the recipient is not local it will channel the response to the POST server which in turn will communicate with the remote prior art Email server and post said response to the remote prior art Email server's POP3 server for access by the recipient. Depending upon the response from the template execution, the client computer 101 or prior art SMTP server may continue processing to the next step, be disconnected or prompted to reenter the information.; STEP 211: If the client computer 101 or the prior art SMTP server is prompted to continue it then responds by sending to the SMTP server 110 either a "RSET" protocol message to indicate that additional mail is being sent or the "QUIT" protocol message to disconnect the system. FIG. 5 illustrates how e-mail is retrieved from the HEMS' POP 3 server 140. Specifically such process comprises the following steps: STEP 301: The client computer 101 establishes a connection to the POP3 Server 140; STEP 302: The POP3 server 140 transmits a preamble text or connection message to the client computer 101; STEP 303: The client computer 101 receives the preamble text and transmits the "USER" protocol message to the POP3 server 140; STEP 304: The POP3 server 140 receives the "USER" protocol message and retrieves and executes the "USER" template using the scripting engine 114. Depending upon the response from the execution of the "USER" template, the client computer 101 may continue processing to the next step, be disconnected or prompted to reenter the information. STEP 305: If the client computer 101 is prompted to continue it then responds by sending to the modified POP3 server 140 a "PASS" protocol message, which includes the user's mailbox password, from the client computer 101; STEP 306: The POP3 server 140 receives the "PASS" protocol message and retrieves and executes the "PASS" template using the scripting engine 114. Depending upon the response from the execution of the "PASS" protocol message, the client computer 101 may continue processing to the next step, be disconnected or prompted to reenter the information. The "PASS" template will also supply a list of waiting mail to the POP3 server 140. STEP 307 If the computer 101 is prompted to continue it then responds by either sending to the modified POP3 server 140 one or more protocol messages to retrieve the mail or by sending the "QUIT" protocol message. The "QUIT" protocol message can also be sent after the e-mail has been retrieved; STEP 308 The POP3 server 140 receives the "QUIT" protocol message and executes the "QUIT" code template using the scripting engine 114 and shutting down the system. The inventive system and process set forth above as well as the HEMS can serve thousands of email messages per day dependent upon several factors: System CPU (type and quantity), memory disk subsystem as well as internet connection speed available bandwith. The following are the minimum system requirements that would provide a serviceable HEMS: Hardware Pentium 100 (Pentium ii/300 or higher recommended) 64 MB MEMORY (128 MB or higher recommended) 5 MB disk space for software 5 MB or more disk space per user Network interface card (100 Mhz PCI recommended) Software Microsoft Window NT, 95 or 98 or any other equivalent software Allaire Coldfusion Professional or Enterprise OR InLine iHTML OR Active State Perl (ISAPI version) Microsoft Access It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of construction differing from the types described above. While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a system and method for receiving and delivering electronic mail and electronic messages using the Internet and more particularly, as a system and method comprising a Hybrid Email Server (hereinafter "HEMS"), which utilizes standard Web Application Servers (hereinafter "WAS") for all functionality, it is not limited to the details show, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventions.
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