Delivering messages to message servers

• US 20040015505A1
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Michael, Vogel, Inna, Quick, Ryan, Lockert, Thorsten, Quaintance, Chris, Musick, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 7,334,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A message database server receives a message request from an application program and returns a confirmation or error status to the application program after attempting to store the message information contained in the request to a data store. The data store may be maintained by the message database server or by a queuing system. A message server obtains the message information from the data store for transmission through either a pull or push methodology. In one aspect the message data store contains a set of personalization tags and an identifier for a message template that contains the text of the message to be sent. The message server creates the message by retrieving the message template specified by the identifier and filling in variables in the text in the template with the appropriate personalization tags.

Claims

1. A computerized method for delivering messages to message servers for transmission comprising:

receiving a message request from an application;

storing message information in the request in a data store for access by a message server; and

returning a status to the application.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein storing the message information comprises:

sending the message information in a certified message to a queuing system that manages the data store.

3. The computerized method of claim 2 further comprising:

deleting the message information from the data store after a pre-defined period of time.

4. The computerized method of claim 2 further comprising:

deleting the message information from the data store upon successful transmission by the message server.

5. The computerized method of claim 2, wherein storing the message information further comprises:

storing the message information in a secondary data store; and

deleting the message information from the secondary data store when the message information is successfully delivered to the queuing system.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein storing the message information comprises:

publishing the message information by category for access by a message server subscribing to the category.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the status comprises:

confirmation that the message information has been stored.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the message information comprises:

an identifier for a message template in a message template database, the message template comprising a plurality of variables; and

a value for at least one of the plurality of variables.

9. The computerized method of claim 8, wherein the identifier comprises multiple fields.

10. The computerized method of claim 8, wherein the message template further comprises:

a plurality of sub-templates; and

a command to select one of the plurality of sub-templates on parameters included in the message request by the application.

11. A computer-readable medium having executable instructions to cause a computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving a message request from an application;

storing message information in the request in a data store for access by a message server; and

returning a status to the application.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein storing the message information comprises:

sending the message information in a certified message to a queuing system that manages the data store.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

deleting the message information from the data store after a pre-defined period of time.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

deleting the message information from the data store upon successful transmission by the message server.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein storing the message information further comprises:

storing the message information in a secondary data store; and

deleting the message information from the secondary data store when the message information is successfully delivered to the queuing system.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein storing the message information comprises:

publishing the message information by category for access by a message server subscribing to the category.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the status comprises:

confirmation that the message information has been stored.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the message information comprises:

an identifier for a message template in a message template database, the message template comprising a plurality of variables; and

a value for at least one of the plurality of variables.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the identifier comprises multiple fields.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the message template further comprises:

a plurality of sub-templates; and

a command to select one of the plurality of sub-templates based on parameters included in the message request by the application.

21. A system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus;

a data store coupled to the processor through the bus; and

a message process executed by the processor from the memory to cause the processor to receive a message request from an application, store message information in the request in the data store for access by a message server, and return a status to the application.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a network interface coupled to the processor through the bus, the network interface to couple to a queuing system that manages the data store, and wherein the message process further causes the processor to send the message information in a certified message to the queuing system to store the message information.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising a secondary data store coupled to the processor through the bus, and wherein the message process further causes the processor to store the message information in the secondary data store, and delete the message information from the secondary data store when the message information is successfully delivered to the queuing system.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the message process further causes the processor to categorize the message information for publication by the queuing system.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the message information comprises:

an identifier for a message template in a message template database, the message template comprising a plurality of variables; and

a value for at least one of the plurality of variables.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the identifier comprises multiple fields.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the message template further comprises:

a plurality of sub-templates; and

a command to select one of the plurality of sub-templates based on parameters included in the message request by the application.

28. A messaging system comprising:

a message database server coupled to a queuing system through a certified message bus, wherein the message database server sends message information received in a message request from an application to the queuing system in a certified message, and the queuing system stores the message information in the certified message in a data store; and

a message server coupled to the queuing system through a message bus to access the message information in the data store for transmission.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the queuing system publishes the message information in a category and the message server accesses the message information by subscribing to the category.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the message database server further stores the message information in a secondary data store coupled to the message database server and deletes the message information from the secondary data store when the certified message is successfully delivered to the queuing system.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the queuing system deletes the message information from the data store after a pre-defined period of time.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the queuing system deletes the message information from the data store upon successful transmission by the message server.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the message data base server returns a status to the application.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the status comprises:

confirmation that the message information has been stored.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the message information comprises:

an identifier for a message template in a message template database coupled to the message database server and the message server, the message template comprising a plurality of variables; and

a value for at least one of the plurality of variables.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the identifier comprises multiple fields.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the message template further comprises:

a plurality of sub-templates; and

a command to select one of the plurality of sub-templates based on parameters included in the message request by the application.