J A Server and a Method of Operating a Server This invention relates to a
server and to a method of operating a server each for use in an email system. It also relates to a computer program that is for 5 execution by a server.
Two conventional forms of email retrieval system are an email retrieved system based on local client software and an email retrieval system involving web-based retrieval.
A conventional local client software-based email retrieval system 100 is shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. This system includes a remote user's computer 110 and a server 120, each arranged to communicate with the other over a suitable connection, for example a local area network or the 15 Internet. The server 120 includes specialised email software 130 stored and running thereon (for example in the form of a POPS server) and a user's mailbox 140. The remote user's computer 110 has running thereon local client software 115, such as OUTLOOK EXPRESS from MICROSOFT. Email for the remote user is received by the user's mailbox 140. The local client software 20 115 is operable to interact with the email software 130 running on the server 120 via the connection thereto and to thereby retrieve and manage the email
received in the remote user's mailbox 140.
A conventional web-based email retrieval system 200 is shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. An example of such a system is the HOTMAIL 5 system provided by MICROSOFT. This system 200 also includes a remote user's computer 210 and a server 220, each arranged to communicate with the other. However, it is conventional for the connection to be over the Internet, rather than over a local area network. The server 220 of this system also includes email software 230 and a remote user's mailbox 240, but additionally 10 includes a web server 250 and server software 260. The remote user's computer 210 has Internet browser software 215 running thereon, operable to access a web page and to enter authentication information therein and to submit that page to the web server 250 of the server 220. The web server 250 is operable to invoke the server software 260 which is in turn operable to manage a 15 connection with the email software 230 and the user's mailbox 240. The server software 230 is further operable to communicate email received in the mailbox 240 to the remote user's computer 210 by generating HTML-based content, i.e. webpages. 20 A problem associated with conventional email retrieval systems is that unwanted email may be received. Where such email is what is conventionally
1 - termed "junk" email, the receipt thereof is merely a matter of inconvenience and annoyance to a remote user. However, where the user is a child, or another vulnerable person, and the email has content that would generally be thought unsuitable for that user, receipt of that email by that user may be considered 5 dangerous. It is an object of this invention to address this problems.
According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided a method of 10 operating a server to provide email access to a remote user, the method including the steps of: a) the server receiving emails for the remote user from remote senders; b) the server receiving identification information from the remote user identifying that user; 15 c) the server filtering the emails received for the remote user so that only those emails received from a remote sender or remote senders recognised by the server are accessible by the user; and d) providing the remote user with access to the emails from the recognised remote sender or remote senders.
Carrying out filtering of emails on a server that is remote from the user's
1, computer is advantageous in that the likelihood of that user being able to interfere with the intended operation of the filtering is minimal. Furthermore, no modification need be made to the computer of the remote user or the software running thereon. It is envisaged that only conventional Internet 5 browser software would be required. It therefore follows that the user may gain access to his email from any similarly arranged computer.
The filtering in step (c) may include deleting the or each email that is not from a remote sender recognised by the server. The filtering in step (c) may include 10 the step of forwarding or sending the or each email that is not from a remote sender recognised by the server to the email address of a remote guardian, and may include attaching an explanatory message to that email or each of those emails to the effect that it is not from a remote sender recognised by the server. Where the user is a child, the remote guardian may be a parent of, or some such other person with responsibility for, that child. Where the user is an employee, the remote guardian may be an administrator of a computer network by which the employee accesses his email.
The server may include a database containing information that is indicative of
the email address of the or each of the remote senders recognised by the server for that remote user. Step (c) may be preceded by the step of the server using the identification information for the remote user to access the email address of the or each of the remote senders that is recognised by the server for that user, 5 for use in the filtering of step (c). The identification information may be a name and/or a password.
The server may include a mailbox for the remote user arranged to receive the emails for the remote user and step (a) may include receiving those emails in 10 the mail box.
The server may include a web server, the web server being arranged to receive the identification information from the remote user and step (b) may include the web server receiving the identification information. Preferably the web 15 server is arranged to receive the identification information as HTML-based content in the form of at least one web page. Preferably the server is arranged such that the web page is received over the Internet.
The server may include server software, the server software being arranged to 20 receive the identification information from the web server and to use this to access the database and to obtain therefrom the information indicative of the or
/ each email address that is recognised for the remote user. Step (b) may be followed by the step of the server software receiving the identification information from the web server and using this to access the database and obtain therefrom the information indicative of the or each email address that is 5 recognised for the remote user. Preferably, the server is arranged to provide email access to a plurality of remote users, there being respective identification information identifying individually each user and there being respective information stored in or accessible by the server for each remote user indicative of the or each email address which is recognised for that user.
The server may also include email software stored and running thereon, for example in the form of a POPS server. The email software is preferably arranged and operable to interact with the mailbox to carry out one or more of retrieving emails therefore, deleting emails therefrom and sending emails 15 therefrom. The server software is preferably further arranged to interact with the email software to control the email software's interaction with the mail box and to receive retrieved emails from the email software. The server software is 20 preferably still further arranged to operate the email software to send the or each email, or a copy thereof, received from an email address that is not
recognised for the remote user to the remote guardian. Step (c) may include the step of the server software operating the email software to send the or each such email, or a copy, thereof in this way. The server software is preferably arranged to delete the or each email that is not received from an email address 5 that is recognised for the remote user. Step (c) may include the step of the server software deleting the or each such email. The server software may also be arranged to make available to the web server the or each email that is from an email address that is recognised for the remote user. Step (c) may include the step of the server software making available to the web server the or each 10 email that is from an email address that is recognised for the remote user.
The web server may display the or each email that is from an email address that is recognised for the remote user in a or a respective webpage accessible and viewable by the remote user, preferably by the remote user directing 15 Internet browser software of a personal computer to that webpage. Step (d) may include the step of the web server displaying any such email in this way.
The server may be arranged to receive further identification information from the remote guardian identifying that remote guardian. The method may include 20 the step of receiving the further identification information from the remote guardian. The further identification information is preferably receivable by the
server in the same way as the said identification information. The server is preferably also arranged to receive from the remote guardian information indicative of the remote sender or remote senders that are thereafter recognised by the server. The method may include the step of receiving information from 5 the remote guardian indicative of the or each remote sender that is thereafter recognised by the server. Preferably the server includes information stored therein and/or accessible thereby that is indicative of one or more remote users for which the remote guardian is responsible, and the server is preferably arranged to store information or respective information indicative of the 10 remote sender or senders that is to be recognised by the server for the or each remote user for which the remote guardian is responsible.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a server arranged and programmed to be operable to: receive emails for a remote user 15 from remote senders; receive identification information from the remote user identifying that user; filter the emails received for the remote user so that only those emails received from a remote sender or remote senders recognised by the server are accessible by the user; and providing the user with access to the emails from the recognised remote sender or remote senders.
According to a further aspect of this invention there is provided a computer
program comprising code portions that when loaded and run on computer means including the server causes the server to execute the method of the first aspect of the invention.
5 According to a still further aspect of this invention, there is provided a record carrier including information recorded thereon or therein that is executable by computer means that includes the server to cause the server to carry out the method of the first aspect of the invention.
10 Advantages of the first aspect of the invention also result from the other, the further and the still further aspects of the invention.
The phrases "remote user" and "remote sender" are used above as it is envisaged that this invention is preferably for use by users and senders that are 15 not part of a network, such as a local area network, of which the sender is also part. Instead, it is envisaged that both the users and senders would communicate with the server remotely, over the Internet. It is, however, envisaged that the invention may be used in a server that is for use in a network, such as a local area network, and that the users and/or the senders 20 would not then be remote from the server.
A specific embodiment of this invention is now described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a conventional email-retrieval system; 5 Figure 2 shows another conventional email-retrieval system; Figure 3 shows a server and a remote user's computer of an email retrieval system, the server being in accordance with a specific embodiment of this invention; and Figure 4 shows the server and a remote guardian's computer.
Figure 3 shows an email retrieval system 10 including a server 20 and a remote user's computer 30 that is remote therefrom. The remote user's computer 30 is a conventional personal computer and includes conventional Internet browser software running thereon. The server 20 includes serverbased software that is 15 stored on and executable by the server 20. The server-based software includes a web server 40, a database server 50, server software 60, email software in the form of a POPS server 70 and a number of users' mailboxes, only one 80 of which is shown.
20 The web server 40 is arranged to receive and to send HTML based content in the form of webpages over the Internet, and is also arranged to communicate
with the server software 60. The database server 50 is arranged to contain, for each of a plurality of users of the email retrieval system 10, a respective list of email addresses which are considered as email addresses of recognised senders, or hereinafter "recognised email addresses". The database server 70 is also 5 arranged for communication with the server software 60. The POP3 server 70 is substantially the same as a conventional POP3 server and is arranged for communication with the server software 60 and with each user's mailbox 80.
Each user's mailbox 80 is substantially the same as a conventional POP3 mailbox, being arranged to receive email from and send email to remote 10 senders and remote recipients respectively, neither of which are shown in Figure 3.
Operation of the system 10 by and for a representative user (not shown) will now be described. It is envisaged, in this embodiment, that the representative 15 user is a child. The user directs the Internet browser of his remote user's computer 30 to a selected webpage, that webpage being one hosted by the server 20 or one communicably associated therewith. The webpage is arranged to receive identification information in the form of a name and a password entered by the user into his remote user's computer 30. The user enters the 20 identification information and submits the webpage to the web server 40. The webpage may be submitted to the web server 40 either directly or via an
intermediary (not shown).
The server software 60 then receives the identification information from the web server 40 and accesses the database server 50 to verify that the 5 identification information is that of a recognised user of the email system 10, the database 50 including information amounting to a list of recognised users.
If the identification information is that of a recognised user, the database 50 supplies to the server software 60 a POP3 user name and password for the user. The database 50 also supplies the email address of a remote guardian for 10 the user.
The server software 60 then users the user's POP3 user name and password to connect to the user's mailbox 80 via the POP3 server 70 and so as to access the emails in that mailbox 80. A process of filtering those emails then commences.
15 Filtering is achieved by the server software 60 determining, for each email received in the mailbox 80, the address of the sender of that email and then querying the database 50 to see if that address matches any of those in the list of recognised email addresses. If the email under consideration is not from a recognised email address, the server software 60 operates the POP3 server and 20 the mailbox 80 to forward that email to the remote guardian, the address of whom was previously supplied by the database 50. It is envisaged that the
email that is to be forwarded may be so forwarded with, or as an attachment to, an email explaining that the message has been so forwarded because it was not sent from a recognised email address for the user. The server software then operates the POP3 server 70 to delete the message from the mailbox 80. This S filtering process is repeated for each email in the mailbox 80.
When each email in the mailbox 80 has been subject to filtering as described above, the server software 60 provides the user, via the Internet browser running on his remote user's computer 30, the Internet, the web server 40, the 10 server software 60 and the POP3 server 70, with access to those emails remaining in the mailbox 80, i.e. those emails received from recognised email addresses. Access is provided by establishing a conventional web-based interface for managing email and such that it allows the user to read, reply to, forward, and/or delete the remaining emails.
Figure 4 shows a remote guardian's computer 90 and the server 20. The remote guardian's computer 90 is a conventional personal computer and includes a conventional Internet browser running thereon.
20 In operation, a guardian, for example a parent of the child who is the representative user referred to above, directs the Internet browser of his remote
guardian's computer 90 to the selected webpage. He enters in the webpage further identification information, before submitting the webpage to the web server 40 of the server 30, in a manner similar to that described previously in respect of the user and with reference to Figure 3.
The server software 60 is then operable to receive the further identification information from the web server 40 and access the database server 50 to verify that the further identification information is that of a recognised guardian of the email system 10, the database 50 including information amounting to a list of 10 recognised guardians. If the further identification information is that of a recognised guardian, the server software 60 provides the guardian with access to the respective list of recognised email addresses for the user which corresponds to the guardian. The guardian is able, via the Internet browser on his remote guardian's computer 90, the web server 40 and the server software IS 60, to add email addresses to the list of recognised email addresses for the user, to remove email addresses from the list and to amend the addresses in the list. Thus, the guardian is able to ensure that only email from email addresses that have been approved by the guardian can be read by the user.
20 In an alternative embodiment, it is envisaged that the guardian would be able to add to the list of recognised email addresses that is stored on the database
server 50 in respect of the user, information indicative of a selected level of notification which the guardian wishes to receive. Three levels of notification are envisaged. These would be: 1) each email that is from an address other than one of the recognised email S addresses is returned to its sender and not forwarded to the guardian; 2) each email that is from an address other than one of the recognised email addresses is forwarded to the guardian, but without its original email header that indicates the original sender of the email; and 3) each email that is from an address other than one of the recognised email 10 addresses is forwarded to the guardian, together with its original email header that indicates the original sender of the email.
It will be appreciated that amendments would have to be made to the server software 60 described above with reference to Figures 3 and 4 in order to IS incorporate and to give effect to these three levels of notification in the system 10 that includes that server software 60.
It is further envisaged that the web server 40 may include the APACHE webserver incorporating an integrated PHP module, and is written in HTML 20 and PHP. Also, it is envisaged that the server-based software in implemented on a LINUX platform and that the server-side scripting is implemented in PHP.
The database server 50 is envisaged as preferably being the MYSQL online database. Thus, database connectivity and functionality is achieved using PHP's in-built database support features. Connectivity to the POP3 server 70 is achieved by PHP's in-built "socket support", and interaction with the POP3 5 server 70 is achieved by the use of PHP scripting implementing parts of the POP3 protocol. This arrangement would facilitate incorporation of the server 20 into an existing web-based email server that supports PHP scripting. It is, however, envisaged that the same functionality may be achieved by using other scripting languages such as PERL or C.