Method, system and software for dynamically extracting content for integration with electronic mail

• US 20070083602A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrapmail Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wrapmail Incorporated
• Inventors: Selin, Sergei, Heggenhougen, Rolv
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content

Abstract

The invention is a system and method, with implementing computer program code, that automatically and dynamically formats an electronic mail (e-mail) message by extracting selected text and graphical components of a web page and “wrapping” the extracted computer data about the e-mail message. Thus the extracted data forms a border about the e-mail message. The invention provides for the use of company designs and trademarks in e-mail messages without the addition of local software components resident on the user'"'"'s computer, and without compromising the functionality of standard e-mail software programs. The invention wraps the e-mail received through a gateway server and sends out the wrapped e-mail to the destination (recipient) designated by the sender in the original, unwrapped message.

Claims

1. A method of wrapping an e-mail, comprising the steps of:

receiving the e-mail, the e-mail having a message body and a header;

the header having a plurality of header elements;

separating at least one of the header elements from the message body;

selecting a template to wrap the e-mail, the template being selected from a data source, the data source also having a content;

dynamically populating the template with the content from the data source to create a populated template;

reassembling the message body, the populated template and the header to create a wrapped e-mail;

sending the wrapped e-mail to a recipient.

2. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a template further comprises the step of:

selecting the template to form a border on at least one side of the message body.

3. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 1, wherein a server receives the e-mail, the server being installed on an internal network.

4. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 1, wherein a server receives the e-mail, the server being installed on an external network.

5. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the template further comprises the steps of:

a user creating a plurality of profiles in an e-mail client, each profile having an e-mail address unique to that profile;

the user selecting the profile for use in determining the template.

6. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the template further comprises the steps of:

creating a template list;

the template list having a plurality of template names;

creating a sender list;

the sender list having a plurality of sender e-mail addresses;

assigning the sender e-mail addresses from the sender list to a template name in the template list.

7. The method of wrapping e-mail in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating a report based on the e-mail;

writing the report to a file on a computer;

storing the report in a database;

sending the report to a manager.

8. The method of wrapping e-mail in claim 1, wherein the message body and the header are received in a RAW image format and a MIME standard.

9. The method of wrapping e-mail in claim 1, wherein the message body, the header and the populated template are sent using a RAW image format and a MIME standard.

10. A method of wrapping an e-mail, comprising the steps of:

receiving the e-mail, the e-mail having a message body and a header;

the header having a plurality of header elements;

separating at least one of the header elements from the message body;

selecting a template to wrap the e-mail, the template being selected from a data source;

extracting a set of content from a website;

populating the template with the set of content from the website to create a populated template;

assembling the message body, the populated template and the header to create a wrapped e-mail;

sending the wrapped e-mail to a recipient.

11. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting a template further comprises the step of:

selecting the template to form a border on at least one side of the message body.

12. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 10, wherein a server receives the e-mail, the server being installed on an internal network.

13. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 10, wherein a server receives the e-mail, the server being installed on an external network.

14. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting the template further comprises the steps of:

a user creating a plurality of profiles in an e-mail client, each profile having an e-mail address unique to that profile;

the user selecting the profile for use in determining the template.

15. The method of wrapping e-mail of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting the template further comprises the steps of:

creating a template list;

the template list having a plurality of template names;

creating a sender list;

the sender list having a plurality of sender e-mail addresses;

assigning the sender e-mail addresses from the sender list to a template name in the template list.

16. The method of wrapping e-mail in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

creating a report based on the e-mail;

writing the report to a file on a computer;

storing the report in a database;

sending the report to a manager.

17. The method of wrapping e-mail in claim 10, wherein the message body and the header are received in a RAW image format and a MIME standard.

18. The method of wrapping e-mail in claim 10, wherein the message body, the header and the populated template are sent using a RAW image format and a MIME standard.

19. A web based application system for wrapping an e-mail, comprising:

a user interface, the user interface having a customer control panel;

the customer control panel having an e-mail composer, a template manager, and a plurality of settings to configure a message processor;

the message processor applying the settings of the customer control panel to the e-mail;

the template manager having at least one template, the template having a set of content, the content being stored in a data source.

20. The web based application system of claim 19, wherein the customer control panel further comprises a dynamic content control for dynamically populating the content set of the template from a second data source.

21. The web based application system of claim 19, wherein the customer control panel further comprises a means for dynamically populating the content set of the template from a second data source.

22. The web based application system of claim 19, wherein the customer control panel further comprises a website control for populating the content set of the template in the template manager from a web site.

23. The web based application system of claim 19, wherein the customer control panel further comprises a means for populating the content set of the template in the template manager from a web site.

24. The web based application system of claim 19 wherein the customer control panel further comprises a bill paying module to pay an invoice online.

25. The web based application system of claim 19 wherein the customer control panel further comprises a means for bill paying.

26. The web based application system of claim 19 wherein the customer control panel further comprises a means for reporting a history of e-mail transactions.