System and method for personalizing electronic mail messages

• US 6,779,178 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signaturemail.com LLC
• Original Assignee: Signaturemail.com LLC
• Inventors: Lloyd, Michael, Shepley, Christopher, Browne, H. Lee, Generous, Curtis, Lycas, John, Stidman, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/397,641
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/541, 707/500, 707/505, 707/513, 707/9, 707/104.1, 707/507, 358/402, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 713/176, 713/170, 345/335, 705/76, 382/217, 382/229, 709/203, 709/206, 717/178, 715/513
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide an e-mail customization system that incorporates personalized images, including handwritten signatures, into existing e-mail messages. Specifically, the e-mail customization system generates customized software that integrates with existing e-mail systems that provides the ability to select different hand-written signatures. Once a signature is selected, the signature may be included in all e-mail sent from the user. A recipient capable of displaying HTML e-mail messages, views the e-mail message with the signature. This signature provides a readily discernable visual queue indicating the sender of the e-mail message. In case the recipient'"'"'s e-mail system does not recognize HTML formatted messages, a clean copy of the e-mail message and an alternate text version of the image is added to the top of the HTML message. In addition, methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention include handwritten signatures into web-based e-mail systems and electronic greeting cards.

Claims

1. A method of providing through a network communications that include handwriting integrated within the communications, said method comprising:

installing, at a processor, code that processes images for communications sent through the network from at least one additional processor, wherein installing the code that processes the images for communications comprises installing a plug-in for an application installed at the processor;

receiving a communication from the at least one additional processor through the network, wherein the communication includes text and an image of information that was handwritten by a user;

determining a format for displaying the communication; and

displaying the communication based on the format and the installed code such that the handwritten information appears integrated with the text of the communication.

2. A method of providing through a network communications that include handwriting integrated within the communications, said method comprising:

installing, at a processor, code that processes images for communications sent through the network from at least one additional processor;

receiving a communication from the at least one additional processor through the network, wherein the communication includes text and an image of information that was handwritten by a user; and

determining a format for displaying the communication;

determining a background for the image that will appear transparent within the communication such that the information that was handwritten appears integrated within the communication; and

displaying the communication based on the format and the installed code.

3. A method of providing through a network communications that include handwriting integrated within the communications, said method comprising:

installing, at a processor, code that processes images for communications sent through the network from at least one additional processor;

receiving a communication from the at least one additional processor through the network, wherein the communication includes text and an image of information that was handwritten by a user;

determining a format for displaying the communication;

determining whether the format supports displaying the image within the communication; and

displaying the communication based on the format and the installed code such that the handwritten information appears integrated with the text of the communication when the format supports displaying the image, and displaying text that corresponds to the handwritten information of the image when the format fails to support displaying the image.

4. A system for providing through a network communications that include handwriting integrated within the communications, said system comprising:

means for installing, at a processor, code that processes images for communications sent through the network from at least one additional processor, wherein the means for installing installs a plug-in for an application installed at the processor;

means for receiving a communication from the at least one additional processor through the network, wherein the communication includes text and an image of information that was handwritten by a user;

means for determining a format for displaying the communication; and

means for displaying the communication based on the format and the installed code such that the handwritten information appears integrated with the text of the communication.

5. A system for providing through a network communications that include handwriting integrated within the communications, said system comprising:

means for installing, at a processor, code that processes images for communications sent through the network from at least one additional processor;

means for receiving a communication from the at least one additional processor through the network, wherein the communication includes text and an image of information that was handwritten by a user; and

means for determining a format for displaying the communication;

means for determining a background for the image that will appear transparent within the communication such that the information that was handwritten appears integrated within the communication; and

means for displaying the communication based on the format and the installed code.

6. A system for providing through a network communications that include handwriting integrated within the communications, said system comprising:

means for installing, at a processor. code that processes images for communications sent through the network from at least one additional processor;

means for receiving a communication from the at least one additional processor through the network, wherein the communication includes text and an image of information that was handwritten by a user;

means for determining a format for displaying the communication;

means for determining whether the format supports displaying the image within the communication; and

means for displaying the communication based on the format and the installed code such that the handwritten information appears integrated with the text of the communication when the format supports displaying the image, and displaying text that corresponds to the handwritten information of the image when the format fails to support displaying the image.