Electronic mail system with advertising

• US 6,199,106 B1
• Filed: 09/14/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Juno Online Services Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Juno Online Services Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, David E., Ardai, Charles E., Marsh, Brian D., Moraes, Mark A., Rudolph, Dana B., Mc Auliffe, Jon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/153,145
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/212, 709/213, 709/216, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A system for providing scheduled messages to a remote user in a batch oriented system. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a user creates and/or reads electronic mail locally. While the user creates the electronic mail, a message is displayed to the user on a portion of the local monitor, the message preferably changing in accordance with a local display schedule and stored on a local storage device. The message is preferably targeted to the particular user. When the user is ready to transmit the e-mail created and/or receive e-mail addressed to him, the user'"'"'s local client establishes a connection via a modem with a remote e-mail server system. The remote e-mail server system not only receives the e-mail transmitted by the user and/or transmits e-mail addressed to the user, but also updates the user'"'"'s local messages in accordance with a distribution schedule. After the e-mail and message updates are transmitted, the user'"'"'s local client computer is disconnected from the remote e-mail server system.

Claims

1. In an electronic mail system, a method to output additional content to a user at a local computer when the local computer is off-line, comprising the steps of:

creating an electronic mail message at the local computer;

establishing a communications link between the local computer and a remote system;

receiving the additional content from the remote system;

storing the additional content on a storage device at the local computer;

transferring the electronic mail message from the local computer to the remote system;

terminating the communications link between the local computer and the remote system; and

outputting the additional content at the local computer while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional content comprises at least one of (a) an advertisement, (b) a plurality of additional content portions representing a plurality of advertisements and (c) information other than an electronic mail message sent between a plurality of local computers through the remote system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

at the local computer, recording in a statistics file an indication that the additional content was output; and

storing the statistics file on the storage device at the local computer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of utilizing the statistics file to create a billing account related to the additional content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the local computer initiates the communications link with the remote system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote system is coupled to the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the initial steps of:

receiving, at the remote system, a member profile from the user, the member profile comprising demographic information about the user;

utilizing the member profile to determine the additional content that will be communicated to the user.

8. In an electronic mail system, a method to output additional content to a user at a local computer when the local computer is off-line, comprising the steps of:

establishing a communications link between the local computer and a remote system;

receiving additional content from the remote system;

storing the additional content on a storage device at the local computer;

transferring an electronic mail message from the remote system to the local computer;

storing the electronic mail message on the storage device at the local computer;

terminating the communications link between the local computer and the remote system;

outputting the electronic mail message at the local computer;

concurrently with the previous step, outputting a portion of the additional content at the local computer while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of replacing the output additional content with a second portion of the additional content while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

at the local computer, recording in a statistics file an indication of the additional content that has been output; and

storing the statistics file on the storage device at the local computer.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

creating an electronic mail message at the local computer while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system;

re-establishing the communications link between the local computer and the remote system; and

transferring the statistics file and the second electronic mail message from the local computer to the remote system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a third portion of the additional content is output while the electronic mail message is created.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of utilizing the statistics file to create a billing account related to the additional content.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the local computer initiates the communications link with the remote system.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising the initial steps of:

receiving, at the remote system, a member profile from the user, the member profile comprising demographic information about the user;

utilizing the member profile to determine that additional content to be communicated to the user.

16. In an electronic mail system, a method to output additional content to a user at a local computer when the local computer is off-line, comprising the steps of:

creating a first electronic mail message at the local computer;

concurrently with the previous step, outputting a first portion of the additional content at the local computer while the user is creating the first electronic mail message;

establishing a communications link between the local computer and a remote system;

receiving a second portion of the additional content from the remote system;

storing the second portion of the additional content on a storage device at the local computer;

transferring the first electronic mail message from the local computer to the remote system;

transferring a second electronic mail message from the remote system to the local computer;

storing the second electronic mail message on the storage device at the local computer;

terminating the communications link between the local computer and the remote system;

outputting the second portion of the additional content at the local computer while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system; and

concurrently with the previous step, displaying the second electronic mail message at the local computer while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first portion of the additional content is stored on the storage device of the local computer.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of outputting the first portion of the additional content in place of the second portion of the additional content while the second electronic mail message is displayed and while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

at the local computer, recording in a statistics file an indication that the additional content was output; and

transferring the statistics file from the local computer to the remote system when the communications link is established between the local computer and the remote system.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of utilizing the statistics file at the remote system to create a billing account related to the additional content.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the local computer initiates the communications link with the remote system.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising the initial steps of:

receiving, at the remote system, a member profile from the user, the member profile comprising demographic information about the user; and

utilizing the member profile to determine that additional content to be communicated to the user.

23. A method to operate an e-mail system having a server system and a plurality of user computers, comprising the steps of:

enabling the creation and reading of e-mail messages at user computers while the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system;

transferring e-mail messages between the user computers and the server system while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

transferring additional content from the server system to the user computers while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

storing the transferred additional content locally at the user computers; and

outputting the stored additional content at the user computers when e-mail messages are being created or read and while the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system.

24. A method of operating an e-mail system having a plurality of user computers operated by users and a server system, comprising the steps of:

enabling the creation and reading of e-mail messages at user computers while the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system;

determining, at the server system, additional content that is relevant for each user;

transferring e-mail messages between the user computers and the server system while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

transferring relevant additional content from the server system to the user computers while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

storing the transferred additional content locally at the user computers;

outputting the stored additional content at the user computers when e-mail messages are being created or read while the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system.

25. In an electronic mail system, a method to output additional content to a user at a local computer when the local computer is off-line, comprising the steps of:

coupling the local computer to a remote system;

receiving a first portion of the additional content and a second portion of the additional content from the remote system;

storing the first portion of the additional content and the second portion of the additional content on a storage device at the local computer;

transferring an electronic mail message from the remote system to the local computer;

storing the electronic mail message on the storage device at the local computer;

decoupling the local computer from the remote system;

displaying the electronic mail message at the local computer; and

concurrently with the previous step, (a) displaying the first portion of the additional content at the local computer while the electronic mail message is displayed, and (b) after a predetermined time, displaying the portion of the additional output in place of the first portion of the additional content while the electronic mail message is displayed.

26. In an electronic mail system, a method to output additional content to a user at a local computer when the local computer is off-line, comprising the steps of:

creating a first electronic mail message at the local computer;

concurrently with the previous step, displaying a first portion of the additional content at the local computer while the user is creating the first electronic mail message;

storing, in a statistics file, information to identify that the first portion of the additional content was displayed;

coupling the local computer to a remote system;

receiving a second portion of the additional content from the remote system;

storing the second portion of the additional content on a storage device at the local computer;

transferring the first electronic mail message from the local computer to the remote system;

transferring the statistics file from the local computer to the remote system;

transferring a second electronic mail message from the remote system to the local computer;

storing the second electronic mail message on the storage device at the local computer;

decoupling the local computer from the remote system;

displaying the second portion of the additional content at the local computer while the local computer is communicatively disconnected from the remote system; and

concurrently with the previous step, displaying the second electronic mail message at the local computer while the local computer is off-line with respect to the remote system.

27. A method to operate a network having a server system and a plurality of user computers, comprising the steps of:

enabling the output of digital content to users at user computers while the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system;

transferring digital content from the server system to the user computers while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

transferring additional content from the server system to the user computers while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

storing the transferred additional content locally at the user computers; and

outputting the stored additional content at the user computers when the digital content is output to users at user computers while the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system.

28. An electronic mail system to output additional content to a user, comprising:

a remote system comprising a plurality of mail servers storing additional content and electronic mail messages; and

a local computer having a storage device and a processor program for creating an electronic mail message, establishing a communications link with the remote system, receiving the additional content from the remote system, storing the additional content on the storage device, transferring the electronic mail message to the remote system, terminating the communications link with the remote system, and outputting the additional content while off-line with respect to the remote system.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the local computer further comprises:

means for recording in a statistics file an indication that the additional content was output; and

means for storing the statistics file on the storage device.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the local computer further comprises:

means for creating a member profile comprising demographic information about the user; and

means for transmitting the member profile to the remote system.

31. An e-mail terminal for use in conjunction with a server system having one or more mail servers, comprising:

means for creating an electronic communications link with the server system;

means for transferring additional content from the server system while in electronic communications with the server system;

a storage device for storing additional content received from the server system;

means for terminating the electronic communications link with the server system;

means for enabling the creation and reading of e-mail messages while not in electronic communications with the server system;

means for transferring e-mail messages from at least one of the mail servers of the server system while in electronic communications with the server system; and

an output device for outputting the stored additional content when e-mail messages are being created or read.

32. An e-mail system for use by a plurality of users, comprising:

a server system, including means for determining additional content that is relevant for each user;

means enabling the creation and reading of e-mail messages at remote computers while said remote computers are off-line with respect to the server system;

means for transferring e-mail messages between said remote computers and the server system while said remote computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

means for transferring relevant additional content from the server system to remote computers while said remote computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

means for storing the transferred additional content locally at the remote computers;

means for outputting the stored additional content at the remote computers when e-mail messages are being created or read at the remote computers.

33. A method to operate an e-mail system having a server system and a plurality of user computers, comprising the steps of:

enabling the creation and reading of e-mail messages by users at user computers while the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system;

transferring e-mail messages between the user computers and the server system while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

transferring additional content from the server system to the user computers while the user computers are on-line with respect to the server system;

storing the transferred additional content locally at the user computers; and

outputting, under the control of the user computers and without user intervention, the stored additional content at the user computers when the user computers are off-line with respect to the server system.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of allowing the user to select additional content while the additional content is being output, and thereafter outputting additional information to the user, the additional information stored locally at the user computer along with the additional content that was selected.