Peer-to-peer email

Abstract

A peer-to-peer email system and methods are provided for distributed email distribution, prevention of SPAM, and efficient email storage. Each email client also serves as a node in the peer-to-peer system, relaying email messages and/or attachments. Large attachments may be transmitted directly from sender to receiver, and if the receiver is not online at the time the sender sends the attachment, the receiver can request the attachment from the sender at a later time.

1 . A storage medium, readable by a first processor of a first computer system, having embodied therein a first computer program of commands executable by the first processor, the program being adapted to be executed to:
 transmit a user identifier to a presence manager, the user identifier identifying a user to which an outgoing email message is to be delivered;   receive from the presence manager an indication of whether the user identified by the user identifier is currently online;   where the user is currently online, receive from the presence manager a network address of the user, and transmit the outgoing email message to the network address; and   where the user is not currently online, transmit the outgoing email message to a first cache computer system and transmit to a delivery manager the user identifier, an email identifier uniquely identifying the outgoing email message, and a network address associated with the first cache computer system;   
   
   
       2 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 transmit the user identifier to an identity manager;   receive from the identity manager a public key associated with the user identifier; and   encrypt the outgoing email message with the public key prior to transmitting the outgoing email message.   
   
   
       3 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 determine whether an attachment associated with the outgoing email message has a size that is less than a predetermined size;   where the size of the attachment is less than the predetermined size, transmit the attachment to a second cache computer system and transmit to a delivery manager the email identifier and a network address associated with the second cache computer system;   where the size of the attachment is greater than the predetermined size, provide to the user identified by the user identifier network access to the attachment.   
   
   
       4 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 receive as input an interest identifier identifying an interest;   transmit the interest identifier to the delivery manager; and   receive emails relating to the interest.   
   
   
       5 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 connect to the delivery manager using a secure tunnel protocol; and   transmit email data to the delivery manager for delivery to a user of the first computer system that is currently using a second computer system different than the first computer system to access data on an email store on the first computer system.   
   
   
       6 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 transmit to the delivery manager a request for pending email messages intended for delivery to a first user of the first computer system;   receive an email identifier identifying an incoming email message intended for delivery to the first user;   receive a network address associated with a second cache computer system where the incoming email message is stored;   receive from the second cache system the incoming email message; and   store the incoming email message locally.   
   
   
       7 . The storage medium of  claim 6 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 determine whether the incoming email message includes an associated attachment;   where an attachment associated with the incoming email message has a size that is less than a predetermined size, receive the attachment from a third cache computer system; and   where the attachment associated with the incoming email message has a size that is greater than the predetermined size, receive from the attachment from a computer system from which the incoming email message was sent.   
   
   
       8 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 receive an email message intended for delivery to a second user using a second computer system different from the first computer system, the email message being from a third user of a third computer system different from the first and second computer systems;   receive a request for the email message intended for delivery to the second user; and   transmit the email message intended for delivery to the second user to the second computer system.   
   
   
       9 . A storage medium, readable by a first processor of a first computer system, having embodied therein a first computer program of commands executable by the first processor, the program being adapted to be executed to:
 transmit to a delivery manager a request for pending email messages intended for delivery to a first user of the first computer system;   receive an email identifier identifying an incoming email message intended for delivery to the first user;   receive a network address associated with a first cache computer system where the incoming email message is stored;   receive from the first cache system the incoming email message; and   store the incoming email message locally.   
   
   
       10 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 determine whether the incoming email message includes an associated attachment;   where an attachment associated with the incoming email message has a size that is less than a predetermined size, receive the attachment from a second cache computer system; and   where the attachment associated with the incoming email message has a size that is greater than the predetermined size, receive from the attachment from a computer system from which the incoming email message was sent.   
   
   
       11 . The storage medium of  claim 9 , in which the first computer program is further adapted to be executed to:
 receive an email message intended for delivery to a second user using a second computer system different from the first computer system, the email message being from a third user of a third computer system different from the first and second computer systems;   receive a request for the email message intended for delivery to the second user; and   transmit the email message intended for delivery to the second user to the second computer system.   
   
   
       12 . A peer-to-peer email system comprising first, second and third node computer systems used by first, second and third users, respectively, a delivery manager computer system, and a presence manager computer system:
 wherein the presence manager computer system is configured to:
 receive a request on behalf of the first node for an online status of the second node; 
 transmit to the first node an indication that the second node is not currently online; and 
   wherein the first node is configured to:
 request from the presence manager an indication of whether the second node is currently online; 
 receive an indication that the second node is not currently online; 
 transmit an email message intended for delivery to the second user to the third node; 
 transmit to the delivery manager a user identifier identifying the second user, an email identifier uniquely identifying the email message intended for delivery to the second user, and a network address associated with the third node. 
   
   
   
       13 . The peer-to-peer email system of  claim 12 , wherein the delivery manager computer system is configured to:
 receive the user identifier, email identifier and network address from the first node;   receive a request from the second node for pending email messages intended for delivery to the second user;   transmit the email identifier and the network address to the second node.   
   
   
       14 . The peer-to-peer email system of  claim 12 , further comprising an identity manager configured to:
 receive a request from the first node for a public key associated with the second user;   transmit to the first node the public key associated with the second user;   wherein the first node is further configured to encrypt the email message intended for delivery to the second user prior to transmitting the email message.