Method and system for process interaction among a group

• US 6,691,153 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MetricStream, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zaplet, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Axe, Brian, Hanson, Michael, Miller, Graham, Evans, Steven Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/483,508
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204,205
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• 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 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A method and system are described that can be used to support a process interaction among a group of participants connected to a network. A participant completes an electronic form specifying the subject matter of the process interaction and a list of network addresses corresponding to other participants in the interaction. A server receives the form and includes resources for delivering an electronic mail message associated with an electronic medium associated with the interaction. When the participant opens the message, the electronic medium is produced by the server that includes static and dynamic regions. The participant can add comments to the interaction or direct the process interaction using an interaction region. The dynamic regions are asynchronously updated in the server and indicate the current content of the electronic medium that can be accessed by other participants.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating a process interaction among participants in a group, comprising:

a data store comprising one or more stored electronic media, each electronic medium having dynamic content associated therewith and stored in the data store, each electronic medium comprising one or more process interaction elements;

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the data store;

a memory that is communicatively coupled to the data store and comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

generating and sending a first electronic message to one or more selected participants among the group, wherein the first electronic message is associated with a first electronic medium in the data store by one or more dynamic content elements in the first electronic message;

asynchronously receiving, from one or more of the selected participants, one or more information updates relating to the process interaction elements of the first electronic medium;

dynamically updating the dynamic content of the first electronic medium based on the one or more information updates;

receiving information specifying a first open action from a first participant among the selected participants who has received the first electronic message; and

serving the dynamic content, including all then-current updates thereto, to the first participant in response to the first open action;

the apparatus further comprising one or more templates stored in the data store, wherein each of the templates defines a format of one of the electronic media; and

instructions in the memory which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

retrieving a first template from the data store;

receiving user input providing one or more network addresses of recipients and one or more dynamic content items for association with the first template;

creating and storing a second electronic medium in the data store based on the first template and the user input; and

sending a second electronic message to each of the recipients, wherein the second electronic message references the second electronic medium.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first electronic message comprises a name field that identifies network addresses of the selected participants;

a subject field that identifies a subject of the electronic medium;

a plurality of static content elements; and

a plurality of dynamic content elements that reference dynamic content of the electronic medium.

3. An apparatus for facilitating a process interaction among participants in a group, comprising:

a data store comprising one or more stored electronic media, each electronic medium having dynamic content associated therewith and stored in the data store, each electronic medium comprising one or more process interaction elements;

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the data store;

a memory that is communicatively coupled to the data store and comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

generating and sending a first electronic message to one or more selected participants among the group, wherein the first electronic message is associated with a first electronic medium in the data store by one or more dynamic content elements in the first electronic message;

asynchronously receiving from one or more of the selected participants, one or more information updates relating to the process interaction elements of the first electronic medium;

dynamically updating the dynamic content of the first electronic medium based on the one or more information updates;

receiving information specifying a first open action from a first participant among the selected participants who has received the first electronic message; and

serving the dynamic content, including all then-current updates thereto, to the first participant in response to the first open action;

a template stored in the data store, wherein the template defines a format of the first electronic medium and comprises one or more data fields; and

a cookie stored in a computer system external to the data store, wherein the cookie defines one or more data values of fields in the template that automatically partially complete the template.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3,

wherein the first electronic message further comprises one or more headers, wherein one or more of the headers specifies the first electronic message as a multipart/alternative type, and further comprising instructions in the memory that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

parsing the headers;

selecting one message format from among a plurality of message formats specified by the multipart/alternative type in the header that a participant is configured to display;

displaying the first electronic message according to the selected message format.

5. An apparatus as recited in claims 3,

wherein the steps of generating, sending, receiving, updating, and serving are carried out using SNMP requests and responses.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the process interaction comprises a process interaction selected from among the set consisting of discussion, tracking, purchase, collection, approval, and negotiation.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the dynamic content comprises a plurality of sets of text corresponding to the one or more information updates.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of generating, as part of the electronic medium, a tag associated with a universal resource locator that identifies a location of the dynamic content.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:

asynchronously receiving one or more second information updates from a data source that is external to the data store and the processor;

dynamically updating the dynamic content of the first electronic medium based on the one or more second information updates.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein each electronic message further comprises one or more static content regions that define associated static content stored in the data store.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of receiving information specifying a first open action from a first participant among the selected participants comprises the step of receiving a request from an electronic mail client application program requesting to open the first electronic message.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the first electronic message comprises one or more instructions in hypertext markup language (HTML).

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein each of the dynamic content regions is defined by an IFRAME HTML tag or an ILAYER HTML tag.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the first electronic message comprises one or more instructions in Extensible Mark-up Language (XML).

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the first electronic message comprises one or more instructions in Standard Generalized Mark-up Language (SGML).

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the first electronic message comprises a transport envelope, a plurality of static content regions;

a plurality of dynamic content regions that reference dynamic content of the electronic medium; and

a plurality of MIME elements that delimit the static content regions and dynamic content regions.

17. An apparatus for facilitating a process interaction among participants in a group, comprising:

a data store comprising one or more stored electronic media, each electronic medium having dynamic content associated therewith and stored in the data store, each electronic medium comprising one or more process interaction elements;

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the data store;

a memory that is communicatively coupled to the data store and comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

generating and sending a first electronic message to one or more selected participants among the group, wherein the first electronic message is associated with a first electronic medium in the data store by one or more dynamic content elements in the first electronic message;

asynchronously receiving, from one or more of the selected participants, one or more information updates relating to the process interaction elements of the first electronic medium;

dynamically updating the dynamic content of the first electronic medium based on the one or more information updates;

receiving information specifying a first open action from a first participant among the selected participants who has received the first electronic message; and

serving the dynamic content, including all then-current updates thereto, to the first participant in response to the first open action; and

the apparatus further comprising an electronic form stored in the data store, wherein the electronic form defines a format of the first electronic medium and comprises a name field, a network address filed that includes network addresses of participants who will receive dynamic content from an electronic medium based on the electronic form, a subject field, and one or more question, choice, or comment fields.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising a cookie stored in a computer system external to the data store, wherein the cookie defines one or more data values of fields in the electronic form that automatically partially complete the electronic form.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising instructions in the memory which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:

retrieving the electronic form from the data store;

receiving user input providing one or more network addresses of recipients and one or more dynamic content items for association with the electronic form;

creating and storing a second electronic medium in the data store based on the electronic form and the user input; and

sending a second electronic message to each of the recipients, wherein the second electronic message references the second electronic medium.

20. An apparatus for facilitating a process interaction among participants in a group, comprising:

a data store comprising one or more stored electronic media, each electronic medium having dynamic content associated therewith and stored in the data store, each electronic medium comprising one or more process interaction elements;

a processor that is communicatively coupled to the data store;

a memory that is communicatively coupled to the data store and comprising one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

generating and sending a first electronic message to one or more selected participants among the group, wherein the first electronic message is associated with a first electronic medium in the data store by one or more dynamic content elements in the first electronic message;

asynchronously receiving, from one or more of the selected participants, one or more information updates relating to the process interaction elements of the first electronic medium;

dynamically updating the dynamic content of the first electronic medium based on the one or more information updates;

receiving information specifying a first open action from a first participant among the selected participants who has received the first electronic message; and

serving the dynamic content, including all then-current updates thereto, to the first participant in response to the first open action;

the apparatus further comprising;

means for receiving one or more responses in the interaction region from a participant who is not connected to a network to which the processor, data store, and other participants are connected;

means for storing the responses in a second data store that is local to the participant and associated with the electronic message; and

means for dynamically updating the dynamic content in the server based on the one or more responses after the participant is re-connected to the network.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein each of the means is a set of instructions in the memory which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the function of the means:

is a set of instructions in the memory which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein each of the means is a mail server communicatively coupled to the processor and data store and comprising instructions in the memory which, when executed by the mail server, cause the mail server to carry out the function of the means.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the process interaction comprises a process interaction selected from among the set consisting of discussion, tracking, purchase, collection, approval, and negotiation.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the dynamic content comprises a plurality of sets of text corresponding to the one or more information updates.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of generating, as part of the electronic medium, a tag associated with a universal resource locator that identifies a location of the dynamic content.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:

asynchronously receiving one or more second information updates from a data source that is external to the data store and the processor;

dynamically updating the dynamic content of the first electronic medium based on the one or more second information updates.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein each electronic message further comprises one or more static content regions that define associated static content stored in the data store.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the first electronic message comprises one or more instructions in a markup language selected from the group consisting of hypertext markup language (HTML), Extensible Mark-up Language (XML), and Standard Generalized Mark-up Language (SGML).

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, wherein each of the dynamic content regions is defined by an IFRAME HTML tag or an ILAYER HTML tag.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the first electronic message comprises a name field that identifies network addresses of the selected participants;

a subject field that identifies a subject of the electronic medium;

a plurality of static content elements; and

a plurality of dynamic content elements that reference dynamic content of the electronic medium.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the first electronic message comprises a transport envelope, a plurality of static content regions;

a plurality of dynamic content regions that reference dynamic content of the electronic medium; and

a plurality of MIME elements that delimit the static content regions and dynamic content regions.