METHODS FOR USING THE ADDRESSING, PROTOCOLS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF EMAIL TO SUPPORT NEAR REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION

• US 20100198988A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebelvox LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: RANNEY, Matthew J., PANTTAJA, James T., PANTTAJA, Mary G., KATIS, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US12/419,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198988A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A method of implementing late binding of time-based media that can be rendered in near real-time by a recipient when transmitted over a communication network. The method involves addressing a message to a recipient using an address associated with the recipient and progressively creating time-based media associated with the message. When the address of the recipient is defined, the method uses the address to define an active delivery route for the delivery of time-based media associated with the message in near real-time to the recipient. When the active delivery route is discovered and is available, the method further involves progressively and simultaneously transmitting to the recipient the created time-based media associated with the message as the time-based media is being created.

Claims

1. A method of implementing late binding of time-based media that can be rendered in near real-time by a recipient when transmitted over a communication network, comprising:

addressing a message to a recipient using an address associated with the recipient;

progressively creating time-based media associated with the message;

discovering an active delivery route over the communication network to progressively and simultaneously deliver the time-based media associated with the message to the recipient using the address associated with the recipient; and

progressively and simultaneously transmitting the time-based media associated with the message to the recipient as the time-based media is being created when the active delivery route is discovered and is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the active delivery route and progressively and simultaneously transmitting the time-based media of the message occur at substantially the same time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the active delivery route occurs after the creation of the time-based media of the message has started.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

progressively storing the time-based media as the time-based media is created; and

progressively and simultaneously transmitting from storage the created time-based media stored before the discovery and availability of the active discovery route.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the active delivery route further comprises defining one or more hops on the communication network between a sender of the message and the recipient.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein defining the one or more hops further comprises using a first lookup result of the address associated with the recipient at each of the one or more hops respectively.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first lookup result of the address is a DNS lookup result of an email address associated with the recipient, the first lookup result ascertaining if the address of the recipient is in a domain capable of supporting a near real-time communication protocol and the next hop on the network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using a second lookup result of the address of the recipient if the result of the first lookup is negative, the second lookup result determining if the recipient is in a domain capable of supporting email services and a delivery route to the next hop for delivering email messages to the recipient.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, when the second lookup result is positive, the following:

encapsulating the time-based media associated with the message into a file;

attaching the file to an email message; and

transmitting the email message with the attached file to the recipient using the determined email delivery route.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein progressively and simultaneously transmitting the time-based media associated with the message further comprises using a communication protocol that allows the communication of time-based media in near real-time, but does not require the recipient to review the time-based media in a near real-time mode.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

progressively and simultaneously delivering the time-based media of the message at a communication device associated with the recipient; and

enabling the recipient to progressively and simultaneously rendering the time-based media of the message at the communication device of the recipient as the time-based media is progressively and simultaneously is delivered.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the time-based media of the message at a communication device associated with the recipient;

enabling the storage of the time-based media of the message at the communication device associated with the recipient; and

providing the recipient with the option to review the time-based media of the message at an arbitrary later time by retrieving the time-based media from storage.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein enabling the storage of the time-based media of the message at the communication device associated with the recipient further comprises:

(i) enabling the storage of the time-based media on a computer or phone associated with the recipient;

(ii) enabling the storage of the time-based media on a server on the network accessible by the recipient;

or

(iii) both (i) and (ii).

14. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more one hops may comprise one of the following:

(i) a server to server hop;

(ii) a client to server hop;

or

(iii) server to client hop.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein progressively and simultaneously transmitting the time-based media associated with the message further comprises using one of the following:

VoIP, SIP, RTP, Skype, progressive emails, a communication protocol that allows the communication of time-based media in near real-time, or any combination thereof.