Managing the transfer of e-mail attachments to rendering devices other than an original e-mail recipient

• US 6,360,252 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FusionOne Incorporated (Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jellinek, Herbert D., Rudy, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/652,761
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/203, 709/229, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A server machine transfers a version of an e-mail for presentation by a client machine. The version includes a user-understandable descriptor of an attachment to the e-mail but does not include the attachment. The server receives a request from the client to transfer the attachment for rendering. In response, the server obtains an output version of the attachment and transfers the output version to a rendering device, causing the rendering device to produce a rendered version of the attachment. The client machine can have a display, and the user-understandable descriptor can be visible on the display. The descriptor can be a selectable item; in response to selection of the descriptor, the server can transfer options to the client, including options that involve rendering an attachment. For an image attachment, the rendering options can include printing, sending to a copy shop, and sending to a fax machine. For a text attachment, the rendering options can include, in addition to the options for an image attachment, converting to audio. For an audio attachment, the rendering options can include listening to the attachment. If the client includes a rendering device and the server determines that the attachment can be rendered by the client'"'"'s rendering device, the server can transfer an option describing transfer to the client'"'"'s rendering device; for example, the client could be a wireless telephone that can render audio attachments.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of presenting e-mail attachments for users who have client machines:

(A) transferring a client version of an e-mail item to a user'"'"'s client machine for presentation by the client machine, the e-mail item including an attachment, the client version including a user-understandable descriptor of the attachment but not including the entire attachment;

(B) receiving a request from the user'"'"'s client machine to transfer the attachment for rendering; and

(C) in response to the request, obtaining an output version of the attachment and transferring the output version to a rendering device, the output version causing the rendering device to produce a rendered version of the attachment,

wherein the rendering device is not the client machine and the client machine has not received the attachment at completion of transferring the output version to the rendering device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of transferring a client version of the e-mail item to the user'"'"'s client machine is performed in response to determining that said user'"'"'s client machine is not able to render said attachment; and

the method further comprises the steps of;

receiving a second e-mail item that has a second attachment that is a different type of attachment than said attachment;

determining that said user'"'"'s client machine is able to render said second attachment; and

sending said second e-mail with the entire second attachment to said user'"'"'s client machine.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the client machine has a display and in which the client version is transferred to the user'"'"'s client machine for presentation on the display, the user-understandable descriptor being visible when the client version is presented on the display.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the client version of the e-mail message includes a first list of one or more selectable items, the user-understandable descriptor being a selectable item in the first list.

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

transferring to the user'"'"'s client machine a rendering option list of one or more selectable items, each selectable item in the rendering option list indicating a rendering option; and

wherein (B) includes receiving a signal from the user'"'"'s client machine indicating selection of one of the selectable item'"'"'s in the rendering option list.

6. The method of claim 5 where the step of transferring the rendering option list is performed in response to receiving a signal from the user'"'"'s client machine indicating selection of the user-understandable descriptor.

7. The method of claim 5 in which the selectable item selected in the list identifies the rendering device.

8. The method of claim 5 in which the selectable item selected in the rendering option list identifies a type of rendering device.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the attachment has a correct rendering that would be obtained if the attachment were correctly rendered and in which (C) comprises:

(C1) obtaining information about the rendering device'"'"'s type; and

(C2) using the information from (C1), converting the attachment to a form that, when transferred to the rendering device, causes the rendering device to produce a rendered version of the attachment that approximates the correct rendering.

10. The method of claim 9 in which (C1) comprises receiving a signal from the user'"'"'s client machine indicating the rendering device'"'"'s type.

11. The method of claim 1 in which the request to transfer the attachment for rendering includes information about the rendering device and in which (C) comprises using the information about the rendering device to transfer the output version to the rendering device.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the information about the rendering device indicates a type of rendering device, in which the attachment has a correct rendering that would be obtained if the attachment were correctly rendered, and in which the step of using the information about the rendering device to transfer the output version to the rendering device comprises:

determining whether rendering devices of the indicated type can produce a rendered version of the attachment that approximates the correct rendering; and

if rendering devices of the indicated type can produce a rendered version of the attachment that approximates the correct rendering, then converting the attachment to obtain the output version.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the information about the rendering device indicates a type of printer.

14. The method of claim 12 in which the information about the rendering device indicates a type of facsimile machine.

15. The method of claim 11 in which the information about the rendering device includes connection information for establishing a connection with the rendering device and in which the step of using the information about the rendering device to transfer the output version the rendering device comprises using the connection information to transfer the output version to the rendering device.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the connection information includes an Internet Protocol address of the rendering device.

17. The method of claim 15 in which the connection information includes a telephone number of the rendering device.

18. The method of claim 11 in which the user'"'"'s client machine is near a rendering location at which the rendering device is located and in which (C) comprises:

obtaining information about the location of the user'"'"'s client machine;

using the information about the location of the user'"'"'s client machine, selecting the rendering location based on nearness to the user'"'"'s client machine; and

transferring the output version to be rendered on the rendering device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of providing the rendering location to the user'"'"'s client machine for presentation to the user.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the rendering location is a shop, and the step of transferring the output version to be rendered on the rendering device is performed by transferring the output version to be rendered by said shop.

21. The method of claim 1 in which the user'"'"'s client machine includes a client rendering device and in which (C) comprises:

in response to the request to transfer the attachment for rendering, determining whether the attachment can be rendered by the client rendering device;

if the attachment can be rendered by the client rendering device, then transferring a third list of one or more selectable items to the client machine for presentation on the client machine'"'"'s display, the third list including a client rendering item describing transfer to the client rendering device;

receiving a signal indicating selection of the client rendering item; and

in response to the signal, obtaining the output version of the attachment in a form appropriate for the client rendering device and transferring the output version to the client machine for rendering by the client rendering device.

22. The method of claim 21 in which the attachment is an audio attachment and the client rendering device is an audio output device that provides audible output in response to audio files;

the output version of the attachment being an audio file.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the user-understandable descriptor includes some but not all content of said attachment.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

the attachment includes text; and

the user-understandable descriptor includes some but not all of the text of the attachment.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein:

the attachment includes a digital image; and

the user-understandable descriptor includes a thumbnail of said digital image.

26. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions for presenting e-mail attachments for users who have client machines, the instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

(A) transferring a client version of an e-mail item to a user'"'"'s client machine for presentation by the client machine, the e-mail item including an attachment, the client version including a user-understandable descriptor of the attachment but not including the entire attachment;

(B) receiving a request from the user'"'"'s client machine to transfer the attachment for rendering; and

(C) in response to the request, obtaining an output version of the attachment and transferring the output version to a rendering device, the output version causing the rendering device to produce a rendered version of the attachment,

wherein the rendering device is not the client machine and the client machine has not received the attachment at completion of transferring the output version to the rendering device.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 in which the client machine has a display and in which the client version is transferred to the user'"'"'s client machine for presentation on the display, the user-understandable descriptor being visible when the client version is presented on the display.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 in which the client version of the e-mail message includes a first list of one or more selectable items, the user-understandable descriptor being a selectable item in the first list.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

transferring to the user'"'"'s client machine a rendering option list of one or more selectable items, each selectable item in the rendering option list indicating a rendering option; and

wherein (B) includes receiving a signal from the user'"'"'s client machine indicating selection of one of the selectable item'"'"'s in the rendering option list.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 where the step of transferring the rendering option list is performed in response to receiving a signal from the user'"'"'s client machine indicating selection of the user-understandable descriptor.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 in which the selectable item selected in the list identifies the rendering device.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 in which the selectable item selected in the rendering option list identifies a type of rendering device.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 in which the attachment has a correct rendering that would be obtained if the attachment were correctly rendered and in which (C) comprises:

(C1) obtaining information about the rendering device'"'"'s type; and

(C2) using the information from (C1), converting the attachment to a form that, when transferred to the rendering device, causes the rendering device to produce a rendered version of the attachment that approximates the correct rendering.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 in which (C1) comprises receiving a signal from the user'"'"'s client machine indicating the rendering device'"'"'s type.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 in which the request to transfer the attachment for rendering includes information about the rendering device and in which (C) comprises using the information about the rendering device to transfer the output version to the rendering device.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 in which the information about the rendering device indicates a type of rendering device, in which the attachment has a correct rendering that would be obtained if the attachment were correctly rendered, and in which the step of using the information about the rendering device to transfer the output version to the rendering device comprises:

determining whether rendering devices of the indicated type can produce a rendered version of the attachment that approximates the correct rendering; and

if rendering devices of the indicated type can produce a rendered version of the attachment that approximates the correct rendering, then converting the attachment to obtain the output version.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 in which the information about the rendering device indicates a type of printer.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36 in which the information about the rendering device indicates a type of facsimile machine.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 in which the information about the rendering device includes connection information for establishing a connection with the rendering device and in which the step of using the information about the rendering device to transfer the output version to the rendering device comprises using the connection information to transfer the output version to the rendering device.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39 in which the connection information includes an Internet Protocol address of the rendering device.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39 in which the connection information includes a telephone number of the rendering device.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 in which the user'"'"'s client machine is near a rendering location at which the rendering device is located and in which (C) comprises:

obtaining information about the location of the user'"'"'s client machine;

using the information about the location of the user'"'"'s client machine, selecting the rendering location based on nearness to the user'"'"'s client machine; and

transferring the output version to be rendered on the rendering device.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42 further comprising the step of providing the rendering location to the user'"'"'s client machine for presentation to the user.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 42 wherein the rendering location is a shop, and the step of transferring the output version to be rendered on the rendering device is performed by transferring the output version to be rendered by said shop.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 in which the user'"'"'s client machine includes a client rendering device and in which (C) comprises:

in response to the request to transfer the attachment for rendering, determining whether the attachment can be rendered by the client rendering device;

if the attachment can be rendered by the client rendering device, then transferring a third list of one or more selectable items to the client machine for presentation on the client machine'"'"'s display, the third list including a client rendering item describing transfer to the client rendering device;

receiving a signal indicating selection of the client rendering item; and

in response to the signal, obtaining the output version of the attachment in a form appropriate for the client rendering device and transferring the output version to the client machine for rendering by the client rendering device.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 in which the attachment is an audio attachment and the client rendering device is an audio output device that provides audible output in response to audio files;

the output version of the attachment being an audio file.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein the user-understandable descriptor includes some but not all content of said attachment.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47 wherein:

the attachment includes text; and

the user-understandable descriptor includes some but not all of the text of the attachment.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 47 wherein:

the attachment includes a digital image; and

the user-understandable descriptor includes a thumbnail of said digital image.

50. A computer-implemented method of presenting an e-mail attachment, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) transferring a client version of an e-mail to a client machine, wherein the e-mail includes an attachment and the client version of the e-mail includes a descriptor of the attachment and the client version of the e-mail does not include the attachment;

(B) receiving a request from the client machine to transfer the attachment to a rendering device, wherein the rendering device is not the client machine;

(C) in response to the request received in said step (B), obtaining an output version of the attachment; and

(D) transferring the output version to the rendering device, wherein the output version causes the rendering device to produce a rendered version of the attachment,

wherein said client machine has not received said attachment at completion of said step (D).

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said rendering device is a device in a set of devices consisting of a facsimile machine, printer, and audio output device.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein said step (A) is performed in response to determining that said client machine is not able to render said attachment, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

(E) receiving a second e-mail having a second attachment that is a different type of attachment than the attachment;

(F) determining that the client machine is able to render the second attachment; and

(G) sending the second e-mail to the client machine, wherein the second e-mail item includes the second attachment.

53. The method of claim 50 further including the steps of:

(H) transferring to the client machine a rendering option list of one or more selectable items, wherein each selectable item in the rendering option list identifies a rendering option,

wherein said step (B) includes the step of;

(1) receiving a signal from the client machine indicating a selection of a selectable item in the rendering option list, wherein the selectable item identifies the rendering device.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein said step (C) includes the steps of:

(1) obtaining information about a type of the rendering device; and

(2) converting the attachment to a form based on the information obtained in said step (C)(1).

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said step (C)(1) includes the step of receiving a signal from the client machine indicating the type.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the type is a type from a set of types consisting of a printer type and facsimile machine type.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein said step (C) includes the steps of:

(3) obtaining information about a location of the client machine; and

(4) using the information about the location of the client machine to select a rendering location based on nearness of the rendering location to the client machine.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein said step (D) includes the step of:

(1) transferring the output version to the rendering device at the rendering location.

59. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied on said computer-readable medium, said computer-readable code for programming a computer to perform a method for presenting an e-mail attachment, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) transferring a client version of an e-mail to a client machine, wherein the e-mail includes an attachment and the client version of the e-mail includes a descriptor of the attachment and the client version of the e-mail does not include the attachment;

(B) receiving a request from the client machine to transfer the attachment to a rendering device, wherein the rendering device is not the client machine;

(C) in response to the request received in said step (B), obtaining an output version of the attachment; and

(D) transferring the output version to the rendering device, wherein the output version causes the rendering device to produce a rendered version of the attachment,

wherein said client machine has not received said attachment at completion of said step (D).

60. The computer readable medium of claim 59, wherein said rendering device is a device in a set of devices consisting of a facsimile machine, printer, and audio output device.

61. The computer readable medium of claim 59, wherein said step (A) is performed in response to determining that said client machine is not able to render said attachment, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

(E) receiving a second e-mail having a second attachment that is a different type of attachment than the attachment;

(F) determining that the client machine is able to render the second attachment; and

(G) sending the second e-mail to the client machine, wherein the second e-mail item includes the second attachment.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

(H) transferring to the client machine a rendering option list of one or more selectable items, wherein each selectable item in the rendering option list identifies a rendering option,

wherein said step (B) includes the step of;

(1) receiving a signal from the client machine indicating a selection of a selectable item in the rendering option list, wherein the selectable item identifies the rendering device.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, wherein said step (C) includes the steps of:

(1) obtaining information about a type of the rendering device; and

(2) converting the attachment to a form based on the information obtained in said step (C)(1).

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 63, wherein said step (C)(1) includes the step of receiving a signal from the client machine indicating the type.

65. The computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein the type is a type from a set of types consisting of a printer type and facsimile machine type.

66. The computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein said step (C) includes the steps of:

(3) obtaining information about a location of the client machine; and

(4) using the information about the location of the client machine to select a rendering location based on nearness of the rendering location to the client machine.

67. The computer readable medium of claim 66, wherein said step (D) includes the step of:

(1) transferring the output version to the rendering device at the rendering location.