Methods, systems, and computer program products for delivering time-sensitive content

• US 20050144246A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,158 B2
• 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: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A method for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient includes receiving the time-sensitive message, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message. The rule set is extracted from the time-sensitive message. The rule set specifies a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message. The time-sensitive message is provided to the recipient based on the starting time. A determination is made if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time. An extension message is sent to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient, comprising:

receiving the time-sensitive message, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message;

extracting the rule set, from the time-sensitive message, the rule set specifying a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message;

determining whether to provide the time-sensitive message to the recipient based on the starting time;

determining if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time and sending an extension message to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the time-sensitive message includes a link to time-sensitive content on a server and the method further comprises providing time-sensitive content to the recipient by pulling the time-sensitive content from the server.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time or archiving the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the extension message includes an identification of the time-sensitive message and the expiration time.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message requires payment of a fee.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message includes receiving an updated time-sensitive message including an updated expiration time.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message includes altering the expiration time for the time-sensitive message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message is embedded in a header of time-sensitive message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-sensitive message is a time sensitive advertising message associated with time-sensitive advertising content.

11. A system for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient, comprising:

a message server receiving the time-sensitive message, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message;

a recipient device in communication with the message server;

the message server extracting the rule set, from the time-sensitive message, the rule set specifying a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message;

the message server determining whether to provide the time-sensitive message to the recipient device based on the starting time;

the message server determining if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time and sending an extension message to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the time-sensitive message includes a link to time-sensitive content on a server and the message server providing time-sensitive content to the recipient device by pulling the time-sensitive content from the server.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the message server deletes the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time or archives the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the extension message includes an identification of the time-sensitive message and the expiration time.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the message server extends the expiration time of the time-sensitive message.

16. A computer program product for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising;

receiving the time-sensitive message, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message;

extracting the rule set, from the time-sensitive message, the rule set specifying a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message;

determining whether to provide the time-sensitive message to the recipient based on the starting time;

determining if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time and sending an extension message to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the time-sensitive message includes a link to time-sensitive content on a server and instructions for execution by the processing circuit for providing time-sensitive content to the recipient by pulling the time-sensitive content from the server.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising instructions for execution by the processing circuit for deleting the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time or archiving the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the extension message includes an identification of the time-sensitive message and the expiration time.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising instructions for execution by the processing circuit for extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message.