MESSAGE ATTACHMENT MANAGEMENT

• US 20150350133A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Baray, Cristobal, Blanchard, Terence D., Murphy, Evan S., Lindsay, Christopher J., Anderson, Ian W., Jhaveri, Neil V.
• Granted Patent: US 10,164,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

A method and system for exchanging email attachments is disclosed. An attachment can be sent to one or more recipients using a file hosting service. In this way, instead of including the attachment with the email, the attachment is sent and stored on a file server. The attachment can later be retrieved by the email'"'"'s recipients using a link that is included in the email. The link can be embedded in the email'"'"'s header or body. In one case, the attachment is automatically retrieved from the file server using the link. In another case, a recipient can manually retrieve the attachment from the file server using the link. A link can be associated with an expiration date such that when a link expires, the link can no longer be used to retrieve the attachment.

Claims

1. A method for sending an email attachment, the method comprising at a client device:

selecting the email attachment;

determining to send the email attachment to a first server;

sending the email attachment to the first server;

receiving a link from the first server, the link identifying a location of the email attachment stored at the first server;

embedding the link in an email; and

sending the email to a second server different from the first server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is embedded in a header of the email.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is embedded in a body of the email.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the email attachment is an image file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sending the email comprises including a thumbnail of the image file in the email.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the link includes a decryption key.

7. The method of claim 1, where determining to send the email attachment to the first server is based on a file size of the email attachment.

8. A client device, comprising:

a network interface;

a display screen;

a processor; and

a storage device configured to store instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the client device to perform the steps of;

receiving an email having attachment information from a first server, the attachment information identifying a file that is stored at a second server different from the first server;

receiving the file from the second server different from the first server;

storing the file at the client device; and

associating the file with the received email.

9. The client device of claim 8, wherein the attachment information comprises a link to the file stored on the second server.

10. The client device of claim 8, wherein the attachment information comprises a link embedded in a header of the email.

11. The client device of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the client device to perform the steps of:

displaying, on the display screen, an identifier that identifies the file; and

receiving input from a user, wherein receiving the file from the second server is in response to receiving the input.

12. The client device of claim 11, wherein the file is an image file and the identifier is a thumbnail of the image file.

13. The client device of claim 12, wherein the input comprises an action performed on the thumbnail.

14. The client device of claim 11, wherein the identifier is a link to the file stored on the second server.

15. The client device of claim 8, wherein the first server is a file server and the second server is a mail server.

16. The client device of claim 8, wherein receiving the file from the second server occurs automatically.

17. A method for storing an email attachment, the method comprising at a server:

receiving a file from a client device;

storing the file at the server;

associating the file with a first link, the first link enabling one or more client devices to retrieve the file stored at the server;

sending the first link to the client device; and

sending the file to the one or more client devices.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

associating a first expiration date with the first link; and

disassociating the file with the first link in accordance with the first expiration date.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

subsequent to storing the file at the server;

receiving an indication, from the client device, that the file is desired to be included in an email attachment;

determining the file is stored at the server;

associating the file with a second link different from the first link; and

sending the second link to the client device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an encryption key from the client device; and

embedding a decryption key in the first link.