SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPPORTUNISTIC IMAGE SHARING

• US 20080216092A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Serlet, Bertrand Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A system for requesting data from another includes means for automatically appending a request for certain information to an outgoing message. In one embodiment, an e-mail editor provides the sender-user with an option for causing the email to include a request for missing or desired contact information, such as a picture. The appended request may be in the form of an added e-mail header, e.g. “I need your picture.” On the receiving side of the email, the incoming messages may be parsed for such requests. Any requests that are found in incoming email may be remembered by the receiving system using a dedicated data structure or some indications (e.g. flags) in an existing data structure. When email is composed on the receiving system, the “remembered” request information may be used to facilitate responses to pending requests. In this manner, email correspondents may opportunistically use their email traffic to maintain updated information regarding each other.

Claims

1. A process for obtaining certain data comprising:

displaying a request for user input concerning appending a request for certain data to an outgoing electronic communication; and

appending, in response to user selection, a pre-selected request for the data to the outgoing communication.

6. A process as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining whether the intended recipient of the outgoing electronic communication has a pending request for data from the user.

7. A process as recited in claim 6 further comprising automatically adding the requested data to the outgoing electronic communication if the intended recipient of the outgoing electronic communication has a pending request for data from the user.

8. A process as recited in claim 6 further comprising prompting the user to add the requested data to the outgoing electronic communication if the intended recipient of the outgoing electronic communication has a pending request for data from the user.

9. A process as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining whether data associated with the intended recipient of the outgoing electronic communication is stored in a data repository accessible by the user.

10. A process as recited in claim 9 further comprising determining whether certain data associated with the intended recipient of the outgoing electronic communication is missing from data stored in a data repository accessible by the user.

11. A process as recited in claim 10 further comprising automatically adding a request for missing data to the outgoing electronic communication.

12. A process as recited in claim 10 further comprising prompting the user to add a request for missing data to the outgoing electronic communication.

13. A process as recited in claim 9 further comprising determining whether certain data associated with the intended recipient of the outgoing electronic communication and stored in a data repository accessible by the user has been stored for more than a pre-selected time interval.

14. A process as recited in claim 13 further comprising automatically adding a request for data that has been stored for more than a pre-selected time interval to the outgoing electronic communication.

15. A process as recited in claim 13 further comprising prompting the user to add a request for data that has been stored for more than a pre-selected time interval to the outgoing electronic communication.

16. A process as recited in claim 15 further comprising adding a pre-selected request for data to the outgoing electronic communication in response to user action.

17. A process as recited in claim 16 wherein the pre-selected request is in the form of an e-mail header.

18. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein prompting the user comprises displaying a dialog box on a display device.

19. A process as recited in claim 16 wherein the pre-selected request is determined by the type of data that has been stored for more than a pre-selected time interval.

20. A process for obtaining data associated with a certain person comprising:

receiving an electronic communication;

determining whether the electronic communication was sent by a person to whom a previous request for data has been sent;

parsing the electronic communication for the requested data; and

storing the requested data in a data repository.

21. A process as recited in claim 20 further comprising associating a date with the requested data and storing the associated date in the data repository.

22. A process as recited in claim 21 wherein the date is the date of receipt.

23. A process as recited in claim 20 further comprising determining whether the electronic communication contains data other than the requested data.

24. A process as recited in claim 23 further comprising automatically deleting the communication if the electronic communication does not contain data other than the data previously requested from the sender.

25. A process as recited in claim 20 further comprising automatically sending an acknowledgment of receipt to the sender of the electronic communication if the electronic communication contains data previously requested from the sender.

26. A process as recited in claim 20 further comprising determining whether the electronic communication contains a request for certain data and retaining a record of the request associated with a requester.

2. A process as recited in claim 1 wherein the electronic communication is e-mail.

3. A process as recited in claim 1 wherein the requested data is image data.

4. A process as recited in claim 3 wherein the image data is a photograph of the intended recipient of the outgoing electronic communication.

5. A process as recited in claim 2 wherein the pre-selected request is contained in a header added to the e-mail communication.

27. A process as recited in claim 26 wherein the step of retaining a record, comprises the sub step of populating a data structure.

28. A process as recited in claim 26 wherein the step of retaining a record, comprises the sub step of setting a flag.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the option is a button.

30. The method of claim 26 where in the information request is included in an email header.

26-1. A method for requesting data comprising the steps of:

providing an option for sender-user composing an email, the option allowing the sender-user to cause an information request to be included with the email;

automatically including the information request in the email, in response to an indication by the sender-user; and

sending the email to a recipient indicated by the sender-user.

27-2. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of examining local data store in order to determine missing information regarding the recipient.

28-3. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of examining local data store in order to determine desirable information regarding the recipient.

31. A method for providing data comprising the steps of:

receiving a first electronic communication from a sender;

determining if the electronic communication comprises a request for certain information;

if a request for certain information is found, storing an indication regarding the request for certain information;

composing a second electronic communication addressed to the sender;

using the stored indication to determine whether the sender has a pending request;

if the sender has a pending request, adding the certain information to the second electronic communication;

sending the second electronic communication; and

altering the indication regarding the request for certain information.

32. A medium for storing instructions for a microprocessor operating in a computer, the instructions causing implementation of the method of claim 31.