System and method for customizing electronic messages
First Claim
1. A method for customizing electronic messages, comprising:
- providing a plug-in to an electronic message program;
executing programming instructions from the plug-in to generate a virtual toolbar, independent of a native toolbar of the electronic message program, for display within the electronic message program, the virtual toolbar including at least one virtual button for selecting content for inclusion in an electronic message.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plug-in is provided to existing electronic message programs, such as electronic mail message programs, to provide a virtual toolbar therein. The virtual toolbar includes one or more virtual buttons that allow a user to select multimedia content to be added to an electronic message. The multimedia content may include, without limitation, any one or more of: graphics, audio, animation, video and text selections. The multimedia content may further include customizable templates in which business messages may be generated. The virtual buttons may be each be assigned to one category of related content, such as Backgrounds for providing graphic backgrounds to a message, Holiday Themes for providing multimedia content associated with particular holidays, Animations for including FLASH animations or the like to a message, and Text for including pre-formatted text to a message. The content, appearance and number of virtual buttons may automatically be changed or updated by a content provider from time to time when the installed plug-in accesses a content server over a computer network, such as the Internet.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for customizing electronic messages, comprising:
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providing a plug-in to an electronic message program;
executing programming instructions from the plug-in to generate a virtual toolbar, independent of a native toolbar of the electronic message program, for display within the electronic message program, the virtual toolbar including at least one virtual button for selecting content for inclusion in an electronic message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer-readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method, performed by a computer, for customizing electronic messages, the method comprising:
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providing a plug-in to an electronic message program;
executing programming instructions from the plug-in to generate a virtual toolbar, independent of a native toolbar of the electronic message program, for display within the electronic message program, the virtual toolbar including at least one virtual button for selecting content for inclusion in an electronic message.
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31. An apparatus for customizing electronic messages, comprising:
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means for providing a plug-in to an electronic message program, means for executing programming instructions from the plug-in to generate a virtual toolbar, independent of a native toolbar of the electronic message program, for display within the electronic message program, the virtual toolbar including at least one virtual button for selecting content for inclusion in an electronic message.
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32. An apparatus for customizing electronic messages, comprising:
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a processor; and
a memory in communication with the processor, the memory for storing a plurality of processing instructions directing the processor to;
install a plug-in to an electronic message program; and
execute programming instructions from the plug-in to generate a virtual toolbar, independent of a native toolbar of the electronic message program, for display within the electronic message program, the virtual toolbar including at least one virtual button for selecting content for inclusion in an electronic message.
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33. A method for allowing customization of electronic mail messages, comprising:
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providing executable programming code for including a virtual toolbar in an electronic message program of a user terminal, the executable programming code for displaying the virtual toolbar within a window of the electronic message program, separate from a native toolbar; and
receiving, from a user, a selection of a virtual button of the virtual toolbar, the selected virtual button associated with selectable content for inclusion in an electronic message generated by the user from the electronic message program. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A computer-readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method, performed by a computer, for allowing customization of electronic mail messages, the method comprising:
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providing executable programming code for including a virtual toolbar in an electronic message program of a user terminal, the executable programming code for displaying the virtual toolbar within a window of the electronic message program, separate from a native toolbar; and
receiving, from a user, a selection of a virtual button of the virtual toolbar, the selected virtual button associated with selectable content for inclusion in an electronic message generated by the user from the electronic message program.
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46. An apparatus for allowing customization of electronic mail messages, comprising:
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means for providing executable programming code for including a virtual toolbar in an electronic message program of a user terminal, the executable programming code for displaying the virtual toolbar within a window of the electronic message program, separate from a native toolbar; and
means for receiving, from a user, a selection of a virtual button of the virtual toolbar, the selected virtual button associated with selectable content for inclusion in an electronic message generated by the user from the electronic message program.
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47. An apparatus for allowing customization of electronic mail messages, comprising:
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a processor; and
a memory in communication with the processor, the memory for storing a plurality of processing instructions directing the processor to;
provide, to a user, a virtual toolbar in an electronic message program of a user terminal, separate from a native toolbar; and
receive, from a user, a selection of a virtual button of the virtual toolbar, the selected virtual button associated with selectable content for inclusion in an electronic message generated by the user from the electronic message program.
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48. A method for customizing an electronic mail message, comprising:
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downloading executable code for providing a virtual toolbar within an electronic message program;
opening an electronic message;
selecting, from a virtual button on the virtual toolbar, content for inclusion in the electronic message;
receiving a display of the selected content within the electronic message; and
transmitting the electronic message to a second user, the electronic message including at least one of a call to a network location for the selected content and a data file comprising the selected content transmitted as part of the electronic message.
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Specification