DYNAMIC CONTENT GENERATION IN EMAIL MESSAGES

• US 20130117380A1
• Filed: 11/03/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Pomazanov, Igor, Konkin, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/288,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20130117380A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Certain embodiments enable improved email communications by including a dynamic-content section in an email where the dynamic-content section is updated with current values when the email is opened by a user. Both the user and the dynamic content may be selected based on network behavior of the user as well as other characteristics of the network.

Claims

1. A method of providing dynamic email content, comprising:

configuring a dynamic-content section in an email message to access dynamic content over a network when the email message is opened at a client machine in the network, the dynamic-content section including a network command to request the dynamic content when the email is opened and at least one display parameter to control a display of the dynamic content in the email message at the client machine;

sending the email message to a user in the network;

receiving a dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message at the client machine;

in response to receiving the dynamic-content request, determining current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the current values of the dynamic content to the client machine for display in the email message at the client machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a first user and the method further comprises:

accessing network information that includes network behavior of a plurality of users, the network behavior including at least one of sites visited, sites not visited, searches requested or searches not requested;

specifying at least one behavioral condition that defines a segment of users by restricting the network behavior relative to the plurality of users; and

selecting the first user from the segment of users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a search criterion for determining the dynamic content; and

determining the current values of the dynamic content by executing a search according to the search criterion in the network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing network information that includes network behavior of the user, the network behavior including at least one of a site visited, a site not visited, a search requested or a search not requested;

using the network behavior of the user to identify web content; and

including values for the identified web content in the current values of the dynamic content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing network information that includes contextual identifiers of a plurality of network sites, the contextual identifiers including at least one of geographical context, demographic context or categorical context;

selecting a first contextual identifier from the plurality of contextual identifiers; and

restricting the current values of the dynamic content to values that correspond to the first contextual identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic-content request is a first dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message a first time, and the method further comprises:

in response to receiving the first dynamic-content request, saving a first access record in a storage system, the first access record including at least one of a user identifier, one or more of the current values of the dynamic content, and a request time when the dynamic-content request was received;

receiving a second dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message a second time at the client machine;

in response to receiving the second dynamic-content request, accessing the first access record and using the first access record to determine second current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the second current values of the dynamic content to the client machine for display in the email message at the client machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic-content request is a first dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message a first time, and the method further comprises:

in response to receiving the first dynamic-content request, saving a first access record in a storage system, the first access record including at least one of a user identifier, one or more of the current values of the dynamic content, and a request time when the dynamic-content request was received;

receiving a second dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message at a second client machine;

in response to receiving the second dynamic-content request, accessing the first access record and using the first access record to determine second current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the second current values of the dynamic content to the second client machine for display in the email message at the second client machine.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations to provide dynamic email content, the operations comprising:

configuring a dynamic-content section in an email message to access dynamic content over a network when the email message is opened at a client machine in the network, the dynamic-content section including a network command to request the dynamic content when the email is opened and at least one display parameter to control a display of the dynamic content in the email message at the client machine;

sending the email message to a user in the network;

receiving a dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message at the client machine;

in response to receiving the dynamic-content request, determining current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the current values of the dynamic content to the client machine for display in the email message at the client machine.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the user is a first user and the set of instructions further includes instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing network information that includes network behavior of a plurality of users, the network behavior including at least one of sites visited, sites not visited, searches requested or searches not requested;

specifying at least one behavioral condition that defines a segment of users by restricting the network behavior relative to the plurality of users; and

selecting the first user from the segment of users.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions further includes instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

specifying a search criterion for determining the dynamic content; and

determining the current values of the dynamic content by executing a search according to the search criterion in the network.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions further includes instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing network information that includes network behavior of the user, the network behavior including at least one of a site visited, a site not visited, a search requested or a search not requested;

using the network behavior of the user to identify web content; and

including values for the identified web content in the current values of the dynamic content.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions further includes instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing network information that includes contextual identifiers of a plurality of network sites, the contextual identifiers including at least one of geographical context, demographic context or categorical context;

selecting a first contextual identifier from the plurality of contextual identifiers; and

restricting the current values of the dynamic content to values that correspond to the first contextual identifier.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions further includes instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

in response to receiving the first dynamic-content request, saving a first access record in a storage system, the first access record including at least one of a user identifier, one or more of the current values of the dynamic content, and a request time when the dynamic-content request was received;

receiving a second dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message a second time at the client machine;

in response to receiving the second dynamic-content request, accessing the first access record and using the first access record to determine second current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the second current values of the dynamic content to the client machine for display in the email message at the client machine.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions further includes instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

in response to receiving the first dynamic-content request, saving a first access record in a storage system, the first access record including at least one of a user identifier, one or more of the current values of the dynamic content, and a request time when the dynamic-content request was received;

receiving a second dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message at a second client machine;

in response to receiving the second dynamic-content request, accessing the first access record and using the first access record to determine second current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the second current values of the dynamic content to the second client machine for display in the email message at the second client machine.

15. An apparatus configured to provide dynamic email content, the apparatus comprising at least one computer to perform operations for:

a configuration module to configure a dynamic-content section in an email message to access dynamic content over a network when the email message is opened at a client machine in the network, the dynamic-content section including a network command to request the dynamic content when the email is opened and at least one display parameter to control a display of the dynamic content in the email message at the client machine;

an email-sending module to send the email message to a user in the network;

a request-receiving module to receive a dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message at the client machine;

a dynamic-content module to determine current values of the dynamic content in response to receiving the dynamic-content request; and

a content-sending module to send the current values of the dynamic content to the client machine for display in the email message at the client machine.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the email-sending module further provides operations for:

accessing network information that includes network behavior of a plurality of users, the network behavior including at least one of sites visited, sites not visited, searches requested or searches not requested;

specifying at least one behavioral condition that defines a segment of users by restricting the network behavior relative to the plurality of users; and

selecting the first user from the segment of users.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the configuration module further provides operations for specifying a search criterion for determining the dynamic content;

and

the dynamic-content module further provides operations for determining the current values of the dynamic content by executing a search according to the search criterion in the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dynamic-content module further provides operations for:

accessing network information that includes network behavior of the user, the network behavior including at least one of a site visited, a site not visited, a search requested or a search not requested;

using the network behavior of the user to identify web content; and

including values for the identified web content in the current values of the dynamic content.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dynamic-content module further provides operations for:

accessing network information that includes contextual identifiers of a plurality of network sites, the contextual identifiers including at least one of geographical context, demographic context or categorical context;

selecting a first contextual identifier from the plurality of contextual identifiers; and

restricting the current values of the dynamic content to values that correspond to the first contextual identifier.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dynamic-content request is a first dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message a first time, and the dynamic-content module further provides operations for:

in response to receiving the first dynamic-content request, saving a first access record in a storage system, the first access record including at least one of a user identifier, one or more of the current values of the dynamic content, and a request time when the dynamic-content request was received;

receiving a second dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message a second time at the client machine;

in response to receiving the second dynamic-content request, accessing the first access record and using the first access record to determine second current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the second current values of the dynamic content to the client machine for display in the email message at the client machine.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dynamic-content request is a first dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message a first time, and the dynamic-content module further provides operations for:

in response to receiving the first dynamic-content request, saving a first access record in a storage system, the first access record including at least one of a user identifier, one or more of the current values of the dynamic content, and a request time when the dynamic-content request was received;

receiving a second dynamic-content request that corresponds to opening the email message at a second client machine;

in response to receiving the second dynamic-content request, accessing the first access record and using the first access record to determine second current values of the dynamic content; and

sending the second current values of the dynamic content to the second client machine for display in the email message at the second client machine.