METHOD FOR PROVIDING VIDEO ENHANCED ELECTRONIC MAIL RETURN RECEIPTS

• US 20090055495A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: DeLaCruz, Cedric G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A method for providing electronic mail return receipts with video of the electronic mail recipient is disclosed. The electronic mail recipient opens an electronic mail message which initiates recording of the electronic mail recipient. The recording may be terminated when the recipient closes the electronic mail or minimizes the electronic mail message window. Recording may also end after a predetermined amount of time after the electronic mail message is opened.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electronic mail message return receipt between at least one electronic mail message originator and at least one electronic mail message recipient, comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message which requires a video enhanced electronic mail message return receipt when received by the at least one electronic mail message recipient;

activating a video capturing device upon detecting that the at least one electronic mail message recipient has opened the electronic mail message, wherein said video capturing device captures a video of said at least one electronic mail message recipient; and

returning the video enhanced electronic mail message return receipt containing said video of said at least one electronic mail message recipient to the at least one electronic mail message originator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said activating comprises providing a signal to the video capturing device to begin recording the at least one electronic mail message recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video is saved in at least one of:

an AVI format, a QUICKTIME format, a MPEG format, or a REAL VIDEO format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said video enhanced electronic mail message return receipt comprises a video file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the at least one electronic mail message recipient starts reading the electronic mail message; and

determining when the at least one electronic mail message recipient stops reading the electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

ending a capture of said video when the at least one electronic mail message recipient stops reading the electronic mail message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic mail message is tagged as requiring said video enhanced electronic mail message return receipt by the at least one electronic mail message originator.

8. A method for providing an electronic mail message return receipt, comprising:

determining when an electronic mail message recipient has started reading an electronic mail message having an electronic mail message return receipt requirement that requires an electronic mail message return receipt;

taking of a video of the electronic mail message recipient when the electronic mail message recipient has started reading the electronic mail message;

determining when the electronic mail message recipient has stopped reading the electronic mail message; and

providing the video of the electronic mail message recipient back to an originator of said electronic mail message who specified said electronic mail message return receipt requirement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining when the electronic mail message recipient has started reading the electronic mail message comprises:

detecting when the electronic mail message is opened.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining when the electronic mail message recipient has stopped reading the electronic mail message comprises:

detecting when the electronic mail message is closed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining when the electronic mail message recipient has stopped reading the electronic mail message comprises:

detecting when the electronic mail message is minimized.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

halting said taking of said video after a predetermined time limit.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said taking of said video of the electronic mail message recipient comprises:

providing a signal to a video camera to begin taking of said video.

14. A method for providing an electronic mail message return receipt, comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message having a return receipt requirement specified for the electronic mail message by a sender of the electronic mail message;

providing the electronic mail message to at least one electronic mail message receiver;

determining when the at least one electronic mail message receiver opens the electronic mail message;

capturing of a video of the at least one electronic mail message receiver upon opening of the electronic mail message by the at least one electronic mail message receiver; and

providing an electronic mail message return receipt to the sender of the electronic mail message, wherein the electronic mail message return receipt includes the video of the at least one electronic mail message receiver reading the electronic mail message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said capturing comprises providing a signal to a video camera upon determining the at least one electronic mail message receiver has opened the electronic mail message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the video is attached as a file to the electronic mail message return receipt.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the video includes an audio of the at least one electronic mail message receiver.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the at least one electronic mail message receiver with an opportunity to review and cancel the video.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the video is provided as a link to a video file.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

halting said capturing of said video after a predetermined time limit.