SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGE INCLUSION IN E-MAIL MESSAGES

• US 20080189370A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: VANDER VEEN, RAYMOND PAUL, ADAMS, NEIL PATRICK
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,684 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 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

While populating an e-mail message with, among other details, an e-mail address for a receiver, an image of the sender is included as part of the e-mail message. Advantageously, at a device in use to execute an e-mail client application on behalf of the receiver, the e-mail client application may automatically add the included image to an address book entry associated with the identity of the sender. Alternatively, the user may be prompted to allow the association of the image with the address book entry of the sender of the message. Later, upon receiving an incoming call from the sender with corresponding CLID information, the call display application may perform a lookup of the CLID information and display the image associated, in the address book, with the sender.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing an electronic message, said method comprising:

receiving an electronic message composed by a sending party;

determining whether said electronic message includes a data-inclusion indicator, said indicator specifying that data specific to said sending party is to be included in said electronic message;

if said electronic message includes a data-inclusion indicator, including said data specific to said sending party in said electronic message; and

transmitting said electronic message, with said data specific to said sending party included in said electronic message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said data specific to said sending party comprises a digital image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said data specific to said sending party comprises an electronic business card.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said electronic business card is formatted according to a vCard standard.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said electronic business card includes a digital image.

6. A mobile device server comprising:

a processor adapted to;

receive an electronic message composed by a sending party;

determine whether said electronic message includes a data-inclusion indicator, said indicator specifying that data specific to said sending party is to be included in said electronic message;

include said data specific to said sending party in said electronic message if said electronic message includes a data-inclusion indicator; and

transmit said electronic message, with said data specific to said sending party included in said electronic message.

7. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when performed by a processor, cause said processor to:

receive an electronic message composed by a sending party;

determine whether said electronic message includes a data-inclusion indicator, said indicator specifying that data specific to said sending party is to be included in said electronic message;

include said data specific to said sending party in said electronic message if said electronic message includes a data-inclusion indicator; and

transmit said electronic message, with said data specific to said sending party included in said electronic message.

8. A method of handling an enhanced electronic message, said method comprising:

receiving an electronic message composed by a sending party, said electronic message specifying a destination address for a receiving party and including data specific to said sending party;

determining whether said data specific to said sending party has previously been transmitted to said destination address for said receiving party;

if said data specific to said sending party has previously been transmitted to said destination address for said receiving party, amending said electronic message to remove said data specific to said sending party, thereby creating an amended electronic message; and

transmitting said amended electronic message toward said destination address for said receiving party.

9. A method of handling an enhanced electronic message, said method comprising:

receiving an electronic message composed by a sending party, said electronic message specifying a destination address for a receiving party and including data specific to said sending party;

determining whether said data specific to said sending party meets criteria specific to a device in use by said receiving party;

if said data specific to said sending party fails to meet said criteria specific to said device in use by said receiving party, amending said data specific to said sending party to meet said criteria specific to said device in use by said receiving party, thereby creating an amended electronic message; and

transmitting said amended electronic message to said device in use by said receiving party.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said data specific to said device in use by said sending party is a digital image.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said criteria specific to said receiving party comprise dimensions of said digital image.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said amending said data specific to said sending party comprises cropping said digital image.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said amending said data specific to said sending party comprises resizing said digital image.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said criteria specific to said device in use by said receiving party comprise descriptions of a first set of fields of a contact record maintained by contact management software executed at said device in use by said receiving party.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said amending said data specific to said sending party comprises remapping data in a second set of fields of said data specific to said sending party to said first set of fields.