IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,284,223
Granted Patent B2
US 12,284,223 · App. 18/679,347 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Hosted email authentication

Inventor: Peter Martin Goldstein (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: ValiMail Inc.
H04L63/20G06F21/56G06F21/6218H04L51/04H04L61/4511H04L63/0236H04L63/08H04L63/126H04L63/14H04L63/145H04L63/1483
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,284,223
App. No.
18/679,347
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A DNS server receives from a receiving email system, a DNS query for an email domain stored at the DNS server, the DNS query including identifying information of a sender of an email. The DNS server extracts the identifying information of the email sender from the DNS query and identifies one of a plurality of delivering organizations from the information. The DNS server determines whether the identified delivering organization is authorized to deliver email on behalf of the email domain. In response to determining that the identified delivering organization is authorized to deliver email on behalf of the email domain, the DNS server generates a target validation record based on the identity of the authorized delivering organization and the email domain, the target validation record including one or more rules indicating to the receiving email system whether the delivering organization is an authorized sender of email for the email domain.

Claims (40)

1. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a domain owner, one or more inputs indicating that a first email system transmits emails on behalf of the domain owner, wherein the domain owner is associated with a first domain; and

receive, from the domain owner, one or more settings that specify how emails of the domain owner are handled;

generate a domain name system (DNS) record based on the one or more settings, the DNS record being a record that provides information on how emails associated with the domain owner should be handled;

publish the DNS record, on behalf of the domain owner, at a DNS location associated with the domain owner, wherein the DNS location is managed by a party different from the domain owner;

receive a DNS query from a second email system that receives an email from an email address associated with the first domain, wherein the DNS query is directed to the DNS location; and

return, on behalf of the domain owner, the DNS record to the second email system, wherein the DNS record provides the information to the second email system on how the email should be handled.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the DNS location has a name that includes the first domain as part of the name.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the DNS location is referenced, via an include directive, in DNS information associated with the first domain.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information in the DNS record includes one of IP addresses associated with the first email system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the information in the DNS record includes another IP address associated with a third email system that also handles emails on behalf of the domain owner.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information in the DNS record includes a directive that points to another DNS record.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein DNS query includes one or more values, the one or more values being part of the first domain, and wherein the DNS record is generated based on at least one of the values.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the DNS query is a second DNS query by the second email system, and wherein the second email system generates a first DNS query directed to the first domain and, based on DNS information returned in response to the first DNS query, the second email system generates the second DNS query.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inputs received from the domain owner are received via a graphical user interface managed by the party that is different from the domain owner.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inputs comprises a list of email systems that handle emails on behalf of the domain owner.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from a domain owner, one or more inputs indicating that a first email system transmits emails on behalf of the domain owner, wherein the domain owner is associated with a first domain; and

receiving, from the domain owner, one or more settings that specify how emails of the domain owner are handled;

generating a domain name system (DNS) record based on the one or more settings, the DNS record being a record that provides information on how emails associated with the domain owner should be handled;

publishing the DNS record, on behalf of the domain owner, at a DNS location associated with the domain owner, wherein the DNS location is managed by a party different from the domain owner;

receiving a DNS query from a second email system that receives an email from an email address associated with the first domain, wherein the DNS query is directed to the DNS location; and

returning, on behalf of the domain owner, the DNS record to the second email system, wherein the DNS record provides the information to the second email system on how the email should be handled.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the DNS location has a name that includes the first domain as part of the name.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the DNS location is referenced, via an include directive, in DNS information associated with the first domain.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the information in the DNS record includes one of IP addresses associated with the first email system.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the information in the DNS record includes another IP address associated with a third email system that also handles emails on behalf of the domain owner.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the information in the DNS record includes a directive that points to another DNS record.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein DNS query includes one or more values, the one or more values being part of the first domain, and wherein the DNS record is generated based on at least one of the values.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the DNS query is a second DNS query by the second email system, and wherein the second email system generates a first DNS query directed to the first domain and, based on DNS information returned in response to the first DNS query, the second email system generates the second DNS query.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more inputs received from the domain owner are received via a graphical user interface managed by the party that is different from the domain owner.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors, individually or distributedly, to:

receive, from a domain owner, one or more inputs indicating that a first email system transmits emails on behalf of the domain owner, wherein the domain owner is associated with a first domain; and

receive, from the domain owner, one or more settings that specify how emails of the domain owner are handled;

generate a domain name system (DNS) record based on the one or more settings, the DNS record being a record that provides information on how emails associated with the domain owner should be handled;

publish the DNS record, on behalf of the domain owner, at a DNS location associated with the domain owner, wherein the DNS location is managed by a party different from the domain owner;

receive a DNS query from a second email system that receives an email from an email address associated with the first domain, wherein the DNS query is directed to the DNS location; and

return, on behalf of the domain owner, the DNS record to the second email system, wherein the DNS record provides the information to the second email system on how the email should be handled.

Assignments (3)
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 9, 2026
From: VALIMAIL INC.
To: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074281/0239 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 10, 2025
From: VALIMAIL INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073910/0374 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2024
From: GOLDSTEIN, PETER MARTIN
To: VALIMAIL INC.
Reel/Frame 067793/0589 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 18380306 · Oct 16, 2023
Continuation 18107945 · Feb 9, 2023
Continuation 17360322 · Jun 28, 2021
Continuation 17128008 · Dec 19, 2020
Continuation 16296121 · Mar 7, 2019
Continuation 15663771 · Jul 30, 2017
Continuation 15175031 · Jun 6, 2016
Continuation PCTUS2016015796 · Jan 29, 2016
Provisional Application 62116409 · Feb 14, 2015
Related Publication 20250071148A1 · Feb 27, 2025
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