Detection and modification of obsolete messages

• US 10,218,668 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karp, Samuel Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kennedy, Lesa M
• Application Number:
  US13/744,642
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments relating to the creation, tracking, and modification of electronic messages that may become obsolete or irrelevant to the message recipient after a specific time or occurrence of an event. Upon detection of an event, the message may be altered so that the message recipient is not burdened by obsolete or irrelevant messages. The alteration may include moving to another folder, changing the appearance, deletion, and/or any other alteration that would reflect that the message is longer valid.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device;

an email updater service executable in the at least one computing device, wherein, when executed, the email updater service causes the at least one computing device to at least;

receive an email message from an email server, a content of the email message including displayable information about an occurrence of an event that is active during a first predefined period of time, the displayable information configured to be presented on a rendered version of the email message on a display of the at least one computing device;

send a first instruction to a client email application to alter an appearance of the email message prior to a start of the first predefined period of time as displayed on a user interface associated with an email folder including the email message; and

send a second instruction to the client email application to alter the appearance of the email message following an end of the first predefined period of time; and

the client email application executable in the at least one computing device, wherein when, executed, the client email application causes the at least one computing device to at least;

render the user interface such that the email message is displayed in an original form prior to the first predefined period of time;

modify the user interface in response to receiving the first instruction, the user interface being modified such that the email message is displayed in at least one of;

a different color, a different shade, or a different pattern;

determine that the first predefined period of time has lapsed in response to receiving the second instruction; and

modify, after a second predefined period of time following an ending of the first predefined period of time, the user interface such that the email message is displayed in the original form.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the email message is configured to include a header comprising a message identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein upon the occurrence of the event, the displayable information becomes obsolete with respect to a recipient of the email message.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the email updater service further causes the at least one computing device to at least:

receive an event notification, the event notification including the message identifier; and

determine that the event has occurred based at least in part on the event notification.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the email updater service further causes the at least one computing device to at least:

periodically monitor whether an expiration date associated with the email message has occurred; and

determine that the event has occurred based at least in part on whether the expiration date has occurred.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the event is determined to have occurred upon a predetermined time following an expiration date associated with the email message.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, when executed,

the email updater service further causes the at least one computing device to instruct the client email application to move the email message to an expired messages folder.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein, when executed, the email updater service further causes the at least one computing device to instruct the client email application to delete the email message.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the event comprises at least one of an item delivery or an item shipment.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the message identifier comprises at least one of a timestamp, a destination address, or a source address.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by at least one computing device, a first message from a third-party client device associated with a third-party entity;

determining, by the at least one computing device, a list of recipients associated with the third-party client device;

generating, by the at least one computing device, a plurality of second messages based at least in part on the first message, individual second messages of the plurality of second messages corresponding to a respective recipient within the list of recipients associated with the third-party entity, the individual second messages being encoded with displayable information detailing an event that is to occur during a particular time period, the displayable information being configured to be presented on a rendered version of a respective second message via a display on a respective recipient client device associated with the respective recipient, and the individual second messages being relevant only during the particular time period of the event;

transmitting, by the at least one computing device, the plurality of second messages to a plurality of recipient client devices;

sending, by the at least one computing device, executable code to the plurality of recipient client devices, the executable code being configured to;

interact with a communication application on the respective recipient client device; and

modify an appearance of the rendered version of a respective second message following a predefined period of time, the appearance of the rendered version being modified by changing at least one of a color, a pattern, or a shade;

detecting, by the at least one computing device, that the event associated with the plurality of second messages has occurred based at least in part on the particular time period;

generating, by the at least one computing device, an update notification including information indicating that the event has occurred and a message identifier; and

transmitting, by the computing device, the update notification to the plurality of recipient client devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the update notification includes a message identifier.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the event is based at least in part upon an expiration date associated with the plurality of second messages.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the event further comprises receiving, by the at least one computing device, an event notification from a third-party client device relating to the occurrence of the event.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of second messages are generated to include a message identifier.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating, by the at least one computing device, the message identifier based at least in part on a timestamp.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the message identifier is unique to the plurality of second messages.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting that the event has occurred is based at least in part on determining that the particular time period has elapsed.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the message identifier comprises at least one of a destination address or a source address.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the plurality of second messages comprises merging the first message with a list of email messages associated with the list of recipients.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program executable in at least one computing device, wherein, when executed, the program causes the at least one computing device to at least:

receive a first message from a third-party client device associated with a third-party entity;

determine a list of recipients associated with the third-party client device;

generate a plurality of second messages based at least in part on the first message, individual second messages of the plurality of second messages corresponding to a respective recipient within the list of recipients associated with the third-party entity, the individual second messages being encoded with displayable information detailing an event that is to occur during a particular time period, the displayable information being configured to be presented on a rendered version of a respective second message via a display on a respective recipient client device associated with the respective recipient, and the individual second messages being relevant only during the particular time period of the event;

transmit the plurality of second messages to a plurality of recipient client devices;

send executable code to the plurality of recipient client devices, the executable code being configured to;

interact with a communication application on the respective recipient client device; and

modify an appearance of the rendered version of a respective second message following a predefined period of time, the appearance of the rendered version being modified by changing at least one of a color, a pattern, or a shade;

detect that the event associated with the plurality of second messages has occurred based at least in part on the particular time period;

generate an update notification including information indicating that the event has occurred and a message identifier; and

transmit the update notification to the plurality of recipient client devices.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein generating the plurality of second messages comprises merging the first message with a list of email messages associated with the list of recipients.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein detecting that the event has occurred is based at least in part on determining that the particular time period has elapsed.