System and method for e-mail notification

1. A method for delivering a notification of receipt of an e-mail, the method comprising:

receiving from a set-top box device, at a notification server comprising a registration module and located remotely from the set-top box device, an e-mail notification request comprising a set-top box identifier associated with the set-top box device;

accessing, by the notification server, stored information that comprises a plurality of set-top box identifiers and that links respective set-top box identifiers with corresponding e-mail accounts;

determining, based on the stored information and the set-top box identifier, an e-mail account of a first user maintained at a mail server different from the notification server and external to an internet protocol television network;

determining, by the notification server, whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account at the mail server;

in response to determining that the e-mail has been received for the e-mail account:

generating an e-mail delivery notification; and

transmitting, by the notification server, the e-mail delivery notification to the set-top box device associated with the e-mail notification request;

receiving, by the notification server, from the set-top box device, a registration request to register a second e-mail account of a second user by associating the set-top box identifier with the second e-mail account; and

in response to the registration request, registering, by the registration module of the notification server, the second e-mail account by associating the second e-mail account with the set-top box identifier;

wherein the set-top box identifier is linked to an internet protocol television account identifier, and wherein determining the e-mail account of the first user includes associating the internet protocol television account identifier with the e-mail account.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating and transmitting a second e-mail notification request to the mail server, the second e-mail notification request instructing the mail server to determine whether the e-mail has been received for the e-mail account; and

receiving information from the mail server to indicate that the e-mail has been received for the e-mail account.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the e-mail account of the first user comprises obtaining an e-mail account identifier for the e-mail account.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second e-mail notification request comprises the e-mail account identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the e-mail account of the first user comprises obtaining an e-mail account virtual password.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second e-mail notification request comprises the e-mail account virtual password.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising authenticating that the e-mail notification request is a valid request and is received from a valid set-top box device.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving a second registration request from the first user to associate the e-mail account with the set-top box device.

9. A notification server to deliver a notification of receipt of an e-mail, the notification server comprising a memory, the notification server further comprising a registration module and a controller configured to:

receive from a set-top box device located remote from the notification server, an e-mail notification request comprising a set-top box identifier associated with the set-top box device;

access stored information that comprises a plurality of set-top box identifiers and that links respective set-top box identifiers with corresponding e-mail accounts;

determine, based on the stored information and the set-top box identifier, an e-mail account of a first user maintained at a mail server different from the notification server and external to an internet protocol television network;

determine whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account at the mail server;

generate an e-mail delivery notification in response to determining that the e-mail has been received for the e-mail account;

transmit the e-mail delivery notification to the set-top box device associated with the e-mail notification request;

receive, from the set-top box device, a registration request to register a second e-mail account of a second user by associating the set-top box identifier with the second e-mail account; and

register the second e-mail account by associating the second e-mail account with the set-top box identifier in response to the registration request;

wherein the set-top box identifier is linked to an internet protocol television account identifier, and wherein the controller is adapted to determine the e-mail account of the first user by associating the internet protocol television account identifier with the e-mail account.

10. The notification server of claim 9 , wherein the controller is adapted to:

generate and transmit a second e-mail notification request to the mail server external to the internet protocol television network, the second e-mail notification request instructing the mail server to determine whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account; and

receive information from the mail server to indicate that an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account.

11. The notification server of claim 10 , wherein the controller is adapted to obtain an e-mail account identifier for the e-mail account.

12. The notification server of claim 11 , wherein the controller is adapted to generate the second e-mail notification request by including the e-mail account identifier in the second e-mail notification request.

13. The notification server of claim 12 , wherein the controller is adapted to generate an e-mail account virtual password.

14. The notification server of claim 13 , wherein the controller is adapted to generate the second e-mail notification request by including the e-mail account virtual password in the e-mail notification request.

15. The notification server of claim 14 , wherein the mail server is adapted to authenticate that the e-mail notification request is a valid request generated for a valid set-top box device.

16. The notification server of claim 9 , wherein the controller is adapted to receive a second registration request from the first user, the second registration request associating the e-mail account with the set-top box device.

17. A system to deliver a notification of receipt of an e-mail, the system comprising:

a memory;

a mail server external to an internet protocol television network, the mail server being configured to receive e-mails; and

a notification server different from the mail server, the notification server comprising a registration module and being configured to:

receive an e-mail notification request comprising a set-top box identifier associated with a set-top box device, wherein the e-mail notification request is received from the set-top box device located remotely from the notification server;

access stored information that comprises a plurality of set-top box identifiers and that links respective set-top box identifiers with correspond e-mail accounts;

determine, based on the stored information and the set-top box identifier, an e-mail account of a first user maintained at the mail server;

determine whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account at the mail server;

generate an e-mail delivery notification in response to determining that the e-mail has been received for the e-mail account;

transmit the e-mail delivery notification to the set-top box device associated with the e-mail notification request;

receive, from the set-top box device, a registration request to register a second e-mail account of a second user by associating the set-top box identifier with the second e-mail account; and

register the second e-mail account by associating the second e-mail account with the set-top box identifier in response to the registration request;

wherein the set-top box identifier is linked to an internet protocol television account identifier, and wherein the notification server is adapted to determine the e-mail account of the first user by associating the internet protocol television account identifier with the e-mail account.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the notification server is adapted to:

generate a second e-mail notification request to be transmitted to the mail server to instruct the mail server to determine whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account; and

receive information from the mail server to indicate that an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account;

and wherein the mail server is adapted to:

receive the second e-mail notification request;

and provide information to the notification server to indicate that an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the notification server is adapted to obtain an e-mail account identifier for the e-mail account.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the notification server is adapted to generate the second e-mail notification request by including the e-mail account identifier in the second e-mail notification request.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the notification server is adapted to generate an e-mail account virtual password.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the notification server is adapted to generate the second e-mail notification request by including the e-mail account virtual password in the second e-mail notification request.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the mail server is adapted to determine whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account by extracting the e-mail account identifier and the e-mail account virtual password from the second e-mail notification request.

24. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon, that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receive from a set-top box device identified by a set-top box identifier and located remotely from a computer, an email notification request comprising a set-top box identifier associated with a set-top box device;

access stored information that comprises a plurality of set-top box identifiers and links respective set-top box identifiers with corresponding email accounts;

determine, based on the stored information and the set-top box identifier, an e-mail account of a first user maintained at a mail server different from the computer and external to an Internet Protocol Television network, wherein the set-top box device forms part of the Internet Protocol Television network;

determine whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account at the mail server;

in response to determining that the e-mail has been received for the e-mail account, generate an e-mail delivery notification and transmit the e-mail delivery notification to the set-top box device associated with the email notification request;

receive, from the set-top box device, a registration request to register a second e-mail account of a second user by associating the set-top box identifier with the second e-mail account; and

in response to the registration request, register the second e-mail account by associating the second e-mail account with the set-top box identifier;

wherein the set-top box identifier is linked to an Internet Protocol Television account identifier, and wherein the controller is adapted to determine the e-mail account of the first user by associating the Internet Protocol Television account identifier with the e-mail account.