US 6073142

A technical analysis of U.S. Patent 6,073,142 reveals the following details:

Title: Automated post office based rule analysis of e-mail messages and other data objects for controlled distribution in network environments

Assignee: The original assignee was Park City Group Inc. The current assignee, as of the latest records, is Tumbleweed Holdings LLC.

Inventors: Fred J. Geiger, William K. Wood, Sonjaya T. Tandon

Filing Date: June 23, 1997

Issue Date: June 6, 2000

Abstract: The patent describes a system and method for automatically deferring and reviewing electronic mail (e-mail) messages and other data objects within a computer network. This is achieved by applying a set of "business rules" to messages as they are processed by post offices. The system utilizes "rule enforcing post offices" that store these business rules, which are derived from business communication policies. When a message is received, a rule engine applies these rules and determines a set of actions to be taken. These actions can include releasing, deleting, returning, forwarding, or "gating" the message. Gating involves forwarding the message to a "gatekeeper," an administrator who reviews the message for compliance with business policies. The gatekeeper can then manually act on the message. If the gatekeeper does not review a gated message within a specified time, it is automatically reviewed by a "gatekeeping post office" with its own set of rules. The system allows for a distributed and hierarchical review process for messages and other data objects.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

This patent has three independent claims which define the core of the invention. In simple terms, they are:

Claim 1: This claim describes a method for controlling the distribution of data objects (like emails) in a network. The key steps are:

• A "post office" (like an email server) receives a data object intended for a recipient.
• This post office has a set of "business rules" that define how data objects should be handled.
• A "rule engine" automatically checks the data object against these rules.
• Based on which rules are met, the engine creates a list of actions to be performed on the data object.
• A "distribution engine" then carries out the highest-priority action from this list. A critical action is "gating," which reroutes the data object to a "gatekeeper" for review instead of sending it to the original recipient.

Claim 16: This claim focuses on the "post office" system itself, rather than the method. It outlines a system with the following components:

• A "receipt engine" to receive data objects.
• A database to store the "business rules."
• A "rule engine" that applies these rules to the data objects to generate a list of actions.
• A "distribution engine" that executes the highest-priority action from that list, including the ability to "gate" the object to a gatekeeper.

Claim 31: This claim describes a computer-readable medium (like a CD-ROM or a download) containing a program that, when run on a computer acting as a post office, will perform the method described in Claim 1. In essence, it covers the software product that implements this invention.

As of my last search of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026, I have found no records of litigation involving US Patent 6,073,142 for the current year. However, it should be noted that new cases can be filed at any time, and a comprehensive legal search would be required for a definitive statement on all historical and pending litigation.