Selective multi-step email message marketing

• US 20030212745A1
• Filed: 05/08/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GoodContacts.com
• Original Assignee: GoodContacts.com
• Inventors: Caughey, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/140,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212745A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Here is disclosed a selective multi-step email message method for propagating same. A user interface allows the use of email messages for mass-advertisement while respecting private profiles of a receiving party. The method for automatically filtering email messages and allowing a recipient to pre-determine criteria according to interests for receiving multi-steps email messages. The interface allows the user to generate a propagating profile for use in automatically forwarding received multi-step email messages.

Claims

1. A method of propagating an email message comprising the steps of:

providing an email message comprising;

a message content including text information for being read by the recipient,

contact data including at least an email address of a recipient, and

content data including data for indicating a domain of interest within which the message content falls and for being interpreted automatically by a process available for execution by the recipient to allow automated filtering of the email message in dependence thereon; and

,

sending the email message in accordance with the contact data.

2. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 1, wherein the content data is content data determined in accordance with a standard known set of content data for automatic interpretation by the process available for execution.

3. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 2, wherein the content data is content data uniquely identifies a domain of interest of the message content from a plurality of uniquely identifiable domains of interest.

4. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 2, wherein the content data is content data uniquely identifies a domain of interest within a hierarchical domain of interest classification structure.

5. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 2, wherein the content data is other than text data relating to the domain of interest.

6. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 1, including the step of:

providing a list of domains of interest, the list of domains of interest provided to a user for selection therefrom;

selecting from the list of domains of interest a domain of interest for use in determining content data uniquely identifying a domain of interest; and

determining the content data from the selected domain of interest.

7. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 6, including the step of:

wherein the list of domains of interest includes a hierarchical list of domains of interest within a higher hierarchical domain of interest classification structure provided to a user for selection therefrom, and

wherein the content data is determined from the selected domain of interest and the classification structure.

8. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 6, wherein the contact data includes an identifier indicative of sender.

9. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 8, wherein the contact data includes email address of sender.

10. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 9, wherein the contact data includes data relating to a remuneration structure.

11. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 6, wherein the contact data includes an identifier indicative of sender, and wherein the contact data includes data relating to a remuneration structure.

12. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 1, including the step of:

inserting within the email message data indicative of a prompt, the prompt for prompting the recipient to download a recipient interface for generating a recipient user profile.

13. A messaging system comprising:

a recipient interface for receiving a message for being transmitted via electronic mail, data relating to a domain of interest of the message, and at least an electronic address of a recipient for whom the message is destined,

a processor for generating an email message destined for the recipient and including the message and having encoded therein, data other than text data relating to the domain of interest, the data for automated extraction by a process available for execution by the recipient for filtering of the email message in dependence upon the domain of interest indicated.

14. A method of propagating an email message comprising the steps of:

receiving an email message comprising content data,

determining from a recipient user profile whether the content data is indicative of a domain of interest of the recipient for automatically forwarding email messages,

when the content data is indicative of a domain of interest of the recipient, transmitting the email message to another recipient; and

,

when the content data is indicative of other than a domain of interest of the recipient other than transmitting the email message to the other recipient.

15. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 14 wherein the step of transmitting the email message to another recipient comprises the step of inserting data indicative of an email address of the recipient.

16. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 15 wherein the step of inserting data indicative of an email address of the recipient comprises the step of encoding the email address of the recipient.

17. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 14 wherein the step of receiving an email message comprises the step of displaying within the email message a prompt for prompting the recipient to download a recipient interface for generating a recipient user profile.

18. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 17 wherein the step of displaying within the email message a prompt prompting the recipient to download a recipient interface comprises the step of providing a link for loading the recipient interface when not detected.

19. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 14 wherein the step automatically forwarding the email message comprises the step of automatically retrieving a recipient address list and forwarding the email message to at least one recipient address within the recipient address list.

20. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 19 wherein the step of automatically retrieving and forwarding comprises the steps of:

providing a recipient address list; and

,

selecting at least a contact within the recipient address list to whom to forward the email message.

21. A messaging system comprising:

a recipient interface for receiving and transmitting an email message having;

a message for being read by a recipient, and

a tag indicative of a content data of the message, the tag for being automatically deciphered by the recipient interface;

a storage medium for storing data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient and a forwarding profile; and

,

a processor for upon receipt of an email message, automatically comparing the tag against at least one of the stored data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient and the forwarding profile to determine a comparison result and for one of automatically forwarding the email message and other than automatically forwarding the email message in dependence upon the comparison result;

when a result of the comparison indicates a match between the tag and the stored data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient, the email message is stored for provision to the recipient; and

,

when a result of the comparison indicates other than a match between the tag and the stored data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient, the email message is other than stored for provision to the recipient.

22. A messaging system according to claim 21, wherein the tag is other than a subject line of the message.

23. A messaging system according to claim 21, wherein the forwarding profile includes contact specific forwarding data relating to at least a selected contact within an address list of the recipient.

24. A messaging system comprising:

a recipient interface for receiving and transmitting an email message having;

a message for being read by a recipient, and

a tag indicative of a content data of the message, the tag for being automatically deciphered by the recipient interface;

a storage medium for storing data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient and a forwarding profile; and

,

a processor for upon receipt of an email message, automatically comparing the tag against at least one of the stored data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient and the forwarding profile to determine a comparison result and for one of automatically forwarding the email message and other than automatically forwarding the email message in dependence upon the comparison result.

25. A messaging system according to claim 24, wherein the tag is other than a subject line of the message.

26. A messaging system according to claim 24, wherein the forwarding profile includes contact specific forwarding data relating to at least a selected contact within an address list of the recipient.

27. A method of propagating an email message comprising the steps of:

receiving on a recipient system an email message comprising content data,

determining from a recipient user profile whether the content data is indicative of a domain of interest of the recipient,

when the content data is indicative of a domain of interest of the recipient, providing the email message to the recipient; and

,

when the content data is indicative of other than a domain of interest of the recipient other than providing the email message to the recipient.

28. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 27, wherein the step of receiving an email message comprises the step of providing an option to the recipient to load a recipient interface for generating a recipient user profile.

29. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 28, wherein the step of providing an option to the recipient comprises the step of providing a link for loading the recipient interface from an address on a public network when the interface is not detected in execution on the recipient system.

30. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 28, wherein the step of determining from a recipient user profile whether the content data is indicative of a domain of interest of the recipient comprises the step of retrieving the recipient user profile.

31. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 30, wherein the step of retrieving the recipient user profile comprises the step of providing a plurality of options for use in generating the recipient'"'"'s preferences relating to domain of interests, the options provided via the recipient interface.

32. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 27, wherein the content data is content data determined in accordance with a standard known set of content data for automatic interpretation by a process available for execution.

33. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 32, wherein the content data is content data uniquely identifies a domain of interest of the message content from a plurality of uniquely identifiable domains of interest.

34. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 32, wherein the content data is content data uniquely identifies a domain of interest within a hierarchical domain of interest classification structure.

35. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 32, wherein the content data is other than text data relating to the domain of interest.

36. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 27, including the step of:

providing a list of domains of interest, the list of domains of interest provided to a user for selection therefrom;

selecting from the list of domains of interest a domain of interest for use in determining content data uniquely identifying a domain of interest; and

determining the content data from the selected domain of interest.

37. A method of propagating an email message according to claim 36, including the step of:

wherein the list of domains of interest includes a hierarchical list of domains of interest within a higher hierarchical domain of interest classification structure provided to a user for selection therefrom, and

wherein the content data is determined from the selected domain of interest and the classification structure.

38. A messaging system comprising:

a recipient interface for receiving and transmitting an email message having

a message for being read by a recipient,

a tag other than a subject line of the email message and indicative of a content data of the message, the tag for being automatically deciphered by the recipient interface;

a storage medium for storing data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient;

a processor for upon receipt of an email message, automatically comparing the tag against the stored data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient; and

,

when a result of the comparison indicates a match between the tag and the stored data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient, the email message is stored for provision to the recipient; and

when a result of the comparison indicates other than a match between the tag and the stored data indicative of domain of interests of the recipient, the email message is other than stored for provision to the recipient.

39. A method of propagating an email message comprising the steps of:

providing a message including data encoded therein indicative of a domain of interest for a product, the data encoded for detection by a known process;

transmitting the message to at least a known recipient;

providing to the at least a known recipient an option of exercising control over domains of interest within which to automatically forward email messages; and

automatically forwarding of the message by a system of the at least a known recipient and absent intervention by the at least a known recipient to other recipients, the forwarding performed in dependence upon the encoded data and data indicative of recipients known to the at least a known recipient.