EMAIL CLIENT CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING NEAR REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION

• US 20100198925A1
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebelvox LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: PANTTAJA, James T., RANNEY, Matthew R., PANTTAJA, Mary G., KATIS, Thomas E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,789 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]

Abstract

An email client capable of supporting real-time communication of time-based media. The email client includes a session element configured to establish a session with a server when an email address addressing a recipient within a domain is defined. As soon as the email address is defined, a transmitting element of the email client is configured to progressively and simultaneously transmit time-based media as the time-based media is being created to the recipient via a route at least partially discovered by a lookup of the domain of the email address. By at least partially discovering the route to the recipient as soon as the email address of the recipient is defined, the transmitting element may progressively deliver the time-based media to the recipient.

Claims

1. An email client capable of supporting real-time communication of time-based media, comprising:

a session element configured to establish a session with a server when an email address addressing a recipient within a domain is defined; and

a transmitting element configured to progressively and simultaneously transmit time-based media as the time-based media is being created to the recipient via a route at least partially discovered by a lookup of the domain of the email address of the recipient.

2. The email client of claim 1, wherein the session element is further configured to establish an email protocol session with the server.

3. The email client of claim 2, wherein the email protocol session uses one of the following:

(i) SMTP;

(ii) Microsoft Exchange;

(iii) IMAP;

or

iv POP.

4. The email client of claim 1, wherein the session element and the transmitting element further cooperate so that the session with the server is established before the creation of the time-based media is complete.

5. The email client of claim 1, further configured to persistently and progressively store the time-based media as it is being created.

6. The email client of claim 1, further comprising an addressing element configured to enable a user of the email client with the ability to define the email address of the recipient.

7. The email client of claim 6, wherein the addressing element is configured to allow a user of the email client to define the address of the recipient using one or more of the following:

(i) selecting the recipient from a list of contacts, the email address of the recipient being retrieved from a storage location in response to the selection;

(ii) manually entering the email address associated with the recipient into the email client;

or

(iii) implementing a reply function in response to receiving a previous message sent by the recipient, the implementation of the reply function resulting in the defining of the email address of the recipient.

8. The email client of claim 1, further comprising a header element configured to present to a user of the email client an email header.

9. The email client of claim 1, wherein the email header includes one of the following:

(i) a “

To”

field to define one or more recipients of the time-based media;

(ii) a Copy or “

CC”

field to define one or more recipients of the time-based media;

(iii) a Blind Copy or “

BCC”

field to define one or more recipients of the time-based media;

(iv) a subject field for defining a subject of a message associated with the time-based media;

(v) a globally unique message identifier;

(vi) a start date and time;

(vii) an end date and time;

or

(viii) any combination of (i) through (vii).

10. The email client of claim 1, further comprising an encapsulation element configured to encapsulate the time-based media created for the recipient into a media file if the recipient is incapable of progressively receiving and rendering the time-based media as it is being transmitted by the transmitting element.

11. The email client of claim 10, wherein the transmitting element is further configured to transmit an email with the media file attached to the recipient using the defined email address if the recipient is incapable of progressively receiving and rendering the time-based media as it is being transmitted by the transmitting element.

12. The email client of claim 1, further comprising an outbox configured to store one or more messages containing time-based media sent by the user of the email client.

13. The email client of claim 1, further comprising an inbox configured to contain one or more received messages containing time-based media received from one or more senders.

14. The email client of claim 1, further comprising a receiving element configured to receive time-based media contained in a message sent to the email client from a sender.

15. The email client of claim 14, further comprising a rendering element configured to enable a user of the email client to render the time-based media contained in the message from the sender.

16. The email client of claim 15, wherein the rendering element is further configured to enable the rendering of the time-based media of the message from the sender in one of the following rendering options:

(i) in a near real-time mode by progressively and simultaneously rendering the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is received;

or

(ii) in a time shifted mode by retrieving and rendering the time-based media of the message out of storage.

17. The email client of claim 16, wherein the rendering element is further configured to seamlessly transition the rendering of the time-based media of the received message between the (i) near real-time mode and the (ii) time shifted mode.

18. The email client of claim 16, wherein the rendering element further comprises one or more of the following rendering options:

(i) play;

(ii) play faster;

(iii) play slower;

(iv) jump forward;

(v) jump backward;

(vi) pause;

or

(vii) Catch Up To Live (CTL) wherein the time-based media of the message is rendered at a rate faster than it was originally encoded in the time-shifted mode and then merges into the near real-time mode when the rendering of the time-based has caught up to the live point of the message.

19. The email client of claim 1, further comprising a communication device, the email client residing on the communication device.

20. The email client of claim 19, wherein the communication device consists of one of the following:

a land-line phone, a wireless phone, a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a computer, a radio, a satellite phone, a satellite radio, a tactical radio, or a tactical phone.

21. The email client of claim 1, further comprising a communication server, the email client residing on the communication server and accessible through a web page over a network.

22. The email client of claim 1, wherein the email address of the recipient is a globally addressable email address associated with the recipient.

23. The email client of claim 1, wherein the route at least partially discovered by the server using the email address of the recipient is discovered using a DNS lookup of the email address of the recipient to determine if the recipient receives a real-time communication service.

24. The email client of claim 23, wherein the real-time communication service relies on one of the following protocols:

(i) VoIP;

(ii) SIP;

(iii) RTP;

(iv) Skype;

(v) a communication protocol that enables the real-time rendering of media as it is received, but allows the media to be rendered in a time-shifted mode;

or

(vi) any combination of (i) through (v).

25. The email client of claim 11, wherein the email with the media file attached is sent to the recipient using a route at least partially defined using a DNS lookup of the email address of the recipient.

26. The email client of claim 1, further comprising an error message generator configured to generate an error message in the event the time-based media cannot be transmitted to the recipient.

27. The email client of claim 1, wherein the email client is further configured to cooperate with an access protocol that supports the progressive delivery of the time-based media contained in the one or more received messages.

28. The email client of claim 27, wherein the access protocol is either POP or IMAP modified to remove any requirement that the full size of the received one or more messages be known before the time-based media of the messages can be downloaded to the email client respectively.