Patent ID: 8682981

Claim:
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.