METHOD FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED ELECTRONIC MAIL RETURN RECEIPTS

• US 20100324710A1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: DeLaCruz, Cedric G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• 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 an electronic mail message originator and an electronic mail message recipient, comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message which requires an audio enhanced electronic mail message return receipt when received by the electronic mail message recipient;

activating an audio capturing device upon detecting that the electronic mail message recipient has opened the electronic mail message, wherein the audio capturing device captures an audio of the electronic mail message recipient; and

returning the audio enhanced electronic mail message return receipt containing the audio of the electronic mail message recipient to the electronic mail message originator.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio 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 the audio enhanced electronic mail message return receipt comprises an audio file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the electronic mail message recipient starts reading the electronic mail message; and

determining when the electronic mail message recipient stops reading the electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

ending a capture of the audio when the electronic mail message recipient stops reading the electronic mail message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic mail message is tagged as requiring the audio enhanced electronic mail message return receipt by the 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 an audio recording 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 audio recording of the electronic mail message recipient back to an originator of the electronic mail message who specified the electronic mail message return receipt requirement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the 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 the 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 the 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 the taking of the audio recording after a predetermined time limit.

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

providing a signal to an audio recording device to begin the taking of the audio recording.

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 an electronic mail message receiver;

determining when the electronic mail message receiver opens the electronic mail message;

capturing of an audio recording of the electronic mail message receiver upon opening of the electronic mail message by the 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 audio recording of the electronic mail message receiver reading the electronic mail message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the capturing comprises providing a signal to an audio recording device upon determining the electronic mail message receiver has opened the electronic mail message.

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

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the audio recording is saved in at least one of:

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

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 audio recording is provided as a link to an audio file.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

halting the capturing of the audio recording after a predetermined time limit.